Wind, snow and rain pounded Toledo on Friday, causing downed trees

TOLEDO, Ohio – Friday’s severe weather that swept through northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan caused headaches and nightmares for homeowners in the region. They were there several reports Accidents on interstates and highways, some ponding and flooding on roads and downed power lines and trees.

Residents in the area said they had complained to the city of Toledo several times about trees uprooted Friday falling onto homes and roads.

Toni Keener, who has lived on Shirley Avenue in west Toledo since 2006, said the city trees on her street between the sidewalk and street appeared to be dead and had been an eyesore for years.

“I stopped parking [on the street in front of my house] because the limbs will fall off, Keener said. – For them to fall, it wouldn’t even have to be rain or wind, they would just fall.

She said her neighbors across the street had a boat that was damaged back in 2022. Keener said she called the city about falling limbs and possible tree problems.

“I called and they said, ‘We’ll get someone to check.’ I never saw anybody,” Keener said.

On Friday afternoon, a tree fell in front of her neighbor’s house, almost passing the house. Although the neighbor did not want to speak on camera, he is thankful his home was not destroyed.

Around the same time, on Bowen Avenue in west Toledo, another city tree fell into a homeowner’s yard, blocking the front door.

Neighbors said the family was in the driveway just before it happened. While the family said they were shaken by the incident but not physically hurt, they also declined to be interviewed.

Both districts said they reported the trees to Engage Toledo. In both cases, no one responded and the trees are now on private property. None of the residents thought that a whole tree would fall right next to the house or on top of the house.

“It surprised me. Everything happened at once. Most of the time, they just lose the big limbs one at a time,” Keener said.

Since neither house was damaged by the fallen tree, residents of both houses said they would try to fix the problem over the weekend.