SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, OH (Toledo News Now) – People are still trying to clean up after powerful storms tore through parts of northwest Ohio last week. Hundreds of trees came down and some have been without power for days.
Huge branches and tree trunks are down near the area of McCord and Angola, completely blocking the roads. A lot of people had or have damage like this in their own yard and said cleaning up is no easy task.
"This is the first time this has ever happened to me at least. I've never had to go through something like this," said John Bailey, a Springfield resident.
Figuring out how to get his life back to normal has not been easy for Bailey. He has spent days without power and days with a huge tree down right outside his home.
It is a scene all too familiar this week for those in the Springfield and Holland area.
"Everybody's having a rough time with it. I know that," said Bailey.
Four days after it fell, a huge tree trunk still sits on top of a crushed house. Branches and debris are scattered throughout the yard. Neighbors said nobody was home when it fell, but it sure caused a lot of damage.
"It was devastating. Just couldn't believe it," said Bailey.
While some still have a lot of work ahead of them, others just down the road said they are nearly finished cleaning up.
"We got lucky. We got lucky at home. We only had a few gutters ripped off and lots of down tree limbs and branches around the house, but nothing to the house," said Bernard Welch, a Holland resident.
However, Welch said the area was a totally different scene just days ago.
"The whole street was blocked off in several different areas between branches, trees and power lines," explained Welch.
As Welch wraps up his work, other residents, like Bailey, are still waiting on one more thing before clean-up can continue.
"We're just waiting for the insurance company. The adjuster was out here this morning," said Bailey.
One thing everyone in the area agrees on was that the cooperation between neighbors has been incredible, and it is great to see people coming together to help.
If debris is on someone's property, the owner is responsible for cleaning it up by hiring a company or tackling it his or herself. If hiring a company, its services will usually include disposing of the branches and limbs.
For those trying to do it on their own, there are a few options to remove debris:
The mayor in Holland said the village has been taking an active approach to help residents.
"I authorized our maintenance crews to hire on additional help to help the residents get back to where they need to be. I mean, this is something that comes through not very often, so people aren't prepared to deal with this type of damage and debris," said Mayor Mike Yunker.
According to Yunker, the city has also been working with residents to offer any help they need. The same thing goes for those living in Springfield Township.
Residents said the goal is to have cleanup complete by the end of the week.
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Residents all over Lucas County continue to pick up debris from last week's storms.
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