BUCYRUS, Ohio — Cleanup is underway in Bucyrus after the National Weather Service confirmed an EF1 tornado with wind gusts up to 110 mph hit the area on Wednesday.
“I think this right here is some of the most damage we’ve had in years,” said Steven Kendall, a Bucyrus resident.
“I don’t know what’s going on with the weather in Ohio but I’ll take the old weather back,” said Matthew Bishop, another Bucyrus resident.
Bishop said he was home at the time as the weather became increasingly severe.
“I was asleep because I work third shift and all of a sudden my windows started blowing in and I was getting soaked by rain,” he said.
Next thing he knew, he was watching a tree as it came crashing down on his and his aunt’s cars.
“I was like, I cannot believe I just watched that tree fall and how did it not hit me? Wind's blowing at me but it didn’t come at me, it just landed on the car so, I’ll take that,” Bishop said.
Neighbors could be seen helping out one another on Thursday. Over on West Charles Street, Tasha Nickler and her family swept shattered glass as she recalled the moment strong winds rolled in.
"My curtains are blowing everywhere. Rain is coming in. Everything is knocked over. Glass everywhere and I was like I don't know what to do," Nickler said. "I don't know if there is anything I could have done to save these windows.
“I was like 'oh my god I can’t believe this actually happened,'” said Bucyrus resident Breanna Stanfield.
Stanfield said she wasn’t home at the time but couldn’t believe the damage she saw when she returned.
“The Family Dollar sign ended up actually just a couple houses down,” Stanfield said.
The Family Dollar is located a few hundred feet away from Stanfield and Bishop’s home. There, windows were shattered and a portion of the roof caved in.
Kendall said he was at home with his seven kids during the storm. He kept watch while his family stayed in the basement until they saw the storm had cleared.
“I told all my kids, 'We’re alive!' And we came out screaming to everybody that we’re alive and we made it cause we were happy that we made it," Kendall said.
Bucyrus Fire Chief Chad Schwemley said so far they’ve received no reports of injuries.
“We’ve got a house that’s been moved off its foundation, there’s several roofs that have been removed, there’s been a couple walls collapsed on a brick building down the road here,” Schwemley said.
He said crews have been doing what they can to help out the community as many are still without power.
“We’ve had assistance from I believe four townships. We’re in the process right now of getting a couple light towers to bring into town because its pretty dark out there right now," he said.
Schwemley said he’s been told the National Weather Service is expected to be in Bucyrus Thursday morning to survey the damage.