Outside electrical crews called in to help restore power to thousands

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Area communities were dealing with clean-up efforts Tuesday after storms Monday evening left thousands of homes without power as heavy rains, strong winds and hail caused significant damage to power lines and homes.

Dayton Power & Light outages reached about 24,000 at the peak of the storm, making it the largest wave of outages the utility company has had since the start of this year’s severe weather season.

RELATED: Severe weather season off to violent start

DP&L was forced to use outside resources to assist with power restoration.

Tuesday evening, several hundred homes were still without power.

Mary Ann Kabel, spokeswoman for DP&L said crews from Indianapolis-based Meade Electric, Indianapolis Power and Light, and South Central Power Company in Lancaster, Ohio were called to help.

This home on Wead Place in Bellbrook was struck by a tree that had taken down power lines in the neighborhood on Monday evening when a strong thunderstorm blew through the area. TY GREENLEES / STAFF

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Public works crews around the area worked into Tuesday afternoon to clean up fallen trees and other debris caused by the storm.

In Bellbrook, a large tree was toppled by strong winds, taking power lines with it before the top of it came to a rest on a home, leaving dozens on Barnett Drive and Wead Place without power.

The Oakwood Public Works Department was busy cleaning up trees and debris, including a tree that came crashing down on a car on Peach Orchard Avenue.

“This morning, when I came in to babysit my granddaughter…I noticed huge limbs down on the sidewalks and leaves everywhere. But out walking everywhere, I’ve seen huge trees down,” said Sandy Hart, who was in Oakwood on Tuesday.

Neighboring communities Kettering and Centerville also had power lines damaged by fallen trees.

Terry Cole, one of many Centerville residents without power, took matters into his own hands Tuesday, using his saw to remove whatever debris he could. He said he didn’t expect the storm would have such an impact.

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“I moved inside and within five minutes, it was Armageddon,” Cole said.

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In Miami County, Dave Stacey said strong winds from the storms sent his fishing boat into a tree — nearly 150 yards from his home.

“It came from out of nowhere, straight line winds with hail balls the size of golf balls,” Stacey said. “We thought it was going to break the windows at the house.”

Ohio 48 was closed through downtown West Milton due to downed trees and other storm damage, according to Miami County dispatchers.

Reports of storm damage in Miami County were most common around the West Milton and Ludlow Falls areas, dispatchers said.

A house in the 100 block of Vine Street in Ludlow Falls sustained broken windows and other damage after a tree fell on the home, according to our crew.

RELATED:Storms leave over 17,000 Montgomery County DP&L customers without power

"It was very scary because you don't know what damage you're going to have. We have broken windows and obviously everything can be replaced," homeowner Caralee Grieshop said.

Temperatures today are expected to be unseasonably cool, with highs reaching only into the upper 60s with windy conditions.

Tomorrow, temperatures are expected to climb back toward normal, with highs in the 70s. Friday, brings a chance of passing showers during the late afternoon/evening hours, with highs near 80 degrees.

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