Pettisville residents clean up after overnight storm damages homes, downs trees

PETTISVILLE, Ohio (WTVG) - Across Pettisville, the damage left behind is hard to miss. Trees snapped, power lines came down and some residents woke up to trees crashing into their homes.

Ron and Jody Gerig said the strong winds woke them up overnight. They’ve lived in their house since 1987 and never imagined a storm would leave this kind of destruction behind.

“I heard the tree landed against the house and so I knew we had serious problems,” Ron Gerig said.

“It’s sad. It’s really sad,” Jody Gerig said.

Just down the road, Sophia Miller said she went outside when the wind started picking up. Her daughter, Lucy, was staying in a camper nearby.

“The camper was rocking back and forth. I had my dog in the camper with me and the camper was shaking,” Lucy Miller said.

When asked if she was scared, Lucy said yes.

By the morning, the storm had left trees down on the road and sidewalks while many families spent hours without power.

But neighbors said what stood out just as much as the damage was the response. People showed up ready to help.

“It’s just what small town is. Small town is everything. I’ve lived here my whole life. This is what you do. You just step in and help each other,” said Vicki Miller.

Tree crews like McQuillian Tree Care said while storms can happen fast, homeowners can take steps now to reduce the risk.

“It’s super important to make sure you’re maintaining your trees and looking for structural cracks,” said Dimitri Andersen with McQuillian Tree Care.

Residents said they’re thankful the damage wasn’t worse and most importantly, that nobody was hurt.

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