PARMA HEIGHTS, Ohio — Strong storms swept through Northeast Ohio overnight, leaving behind a trail of widespread damage in several communities.
RELATED: Severe Thunderstorm storms passed through several Northeast Ohio counties
In Cleveland, James Fitzgerald woke up to find a massive tree had fallen directly onto his garage.
“Oh my god! How am I going to take care of this?” he said, laughing nervously.
Fitzgerald and his stepson spent the day cutting away branches. A tree removal crew is expected to arrive later to figure out how to safely remove the tree, which appears to have lifted and landed squarely on top of the structure.
“It’s almost like it lifted up and went on top of the garage,” Fitzgerald said.
In Parma Heights, streets were blocked by debris, and crews were working to clear fallen trees. Residents trying to file insurance claims reported trouble getting through.
“I’ve been calling all day. I’ve only gotten through once,” Nathan Sellers said.
He didn’t realize how bad the damage was until morning. The wind had snapped his entire fence and shattered his car window.
“I tried to cover it the best that I can. We tried to clean it up the best that I could,” he said.
Just blocks away on Oakwood Drive, city crews continued working through the day.
Officials say workers have been clearing roads and yards since the storm hit and expect cleanup to take several more days, depending on the weather.
Despite the damage, many residents say they’re thankful the storm didn’t result in more serious injuries.
