Bucyrus pulls together after severe storm damage

BUCYRUS, Ohio (WCMH) - Severe storms rolled through Central Ohio Wednesday afternoon. One of the hardest hit areas was the city of Bucyrus. The Crawford County seat lost power to nearly the entire town.

"Have not had any injuries we've been called out on. That's a very good thing yes," said Chief Chad Schwemley of the Bucyrus Fire Department. The storm also knocked out communication to many of the city buildings including the Fire Department and Police Station. Anyone calling 911 was also unable to get through.

"Damage was from Aumiller Park all the way through the golf course. So it went from one end of the town to the other, straight through town," Schwemley added.

The power was still out across much of the town when NBC4 left the area late Wednesday night. "They haven't given us a definite time. The last time we checked with the crew they were waiting on parts and stuff. It may be until tomorrow," said Schwemley.

Bucyrus resident Michele Jennings was out of the house with her 15-year-old daughter when the storm hit. Her husband called to tell her there were trees down in the backyard.

"There's trees down. Broken, we've got broken windows. It was just chaos. "I have never seen any damage like this in my life. Ever. I cried when I seen it was both of them with trees on them, and we're getting ready to go on vacation," Jennings said with a laugh.

Neighbors and friends were already sawing up tree limbs and clearing their backyard with the little bit of daylight left.

Jennings said, "Our friends come up and started helping us cut up some trees. I'm just like, ugh, thank goodness. Everything will be ok. Power will get turned back on and we'll be fine. We'll be fine."

Just down Charles Street in Bucyrus, Angela McLarnan also returned home after the storm hit. She was in Marion about twenty minutes away and said it was a scary experience there too.

"My son called me on my phone and said mom we're blocked in. I said why are we blocked in," she said. Trees blocked their driveway on Charles St. and in the back of their home. A fifty-foot tree from their neighbors yard was now laying across the closed street with live wires surrounding it. When the tree fell, it missed the family van by just inches.

"The vans always parked right here. Dear Lord help us keep this van," McLarnan said as she recalled her reaction to hearing the tree was coming down.

This storm is added to an already record Spring for severe weather. Twenty-eight tornados have been confirmed in Ohio this year. The yearly average is twenty-two. Storm Team 4 meteorologist Ben Gelber has experienced more than 40 Ohio springs. He believes this is a trend in our weather patterns.

"We've never seen so many tornadoes so early in the season. And that is a byproduct of an unusually warm winter. Very mild ground, very warm water in the Gulf of Mexico, historic warmth. The Atlantic is as warm as it is in July, even though we're only in April. So you have all the ingredients or fuel for storms that we never see so early in the season," Gelber explained.

Bucyrus is largely still without power, but Schwemley said he hopes crews will have the power back on by Thursday.