Storm wreaks havoc on parts of Boardman Township

Staff report

BOARDMAN

Michelle Rudge was looking out a downstairs window when she heard what sounded like golf balls hitting her roof and saw a neighbor’s basketball hoop fall to the ground.

“Get to the basement,” she called out to her family.

Her husband and 8-year-old daughter, however, couldn’t get downstairs in time. Moments later, a tree fell onto the family’s Shorehaven Drive house, smashing into the upstairs bedroom where Rudge’s husband and daughter had been sitting.

“It just was shock,” Chuck Rudge said of what went through his head as the tree fell right beside him.

He expressed amazement at the storm’s speed.

“It just hit. Just that quick,” he said, snapping his fingers.

Chuck and his daughter were able to climb out of the room before the fire department got to the house. The couple and their two kids emerged safe.

Their house, however, is a different story.

Leaves, debris and the family’s possessions were scattered throughout the house Monday. The roof had partly caved in over a downstairs room. Upstairs, pieces of the roof remained tangled among tree limbs in the couple’s bedroom. Around the neighborhood, people surveyed damage to their properties and cleared debris from their lawns.

For the Rudges, the rebuilding process will begin soon. For now, though, they are just grateful that it wasn’t worse.

“We’re thankful that we’re all OK,” Michelle said.

Shorehaven, located in a neighborhood between Market Street and Glenwood Avenue, was in the narrow path of the storm that swept through the Mahoning Valley and other parts of the state Sunday night.

The National Weather Service surveyed the damage Monday and concluded the storm was a microburst, which the NWS defines as a “localized column of sinking air [downdraft] within a thunderstorm.”

Winds reaching 70 mph caused damage throughout the Valley, particularly in Boardman and northern Trumbull County, according to the NWS. Boardman officials said the NWS found Monday that winds reached 95 mph in some areas.

Power was knocked out in some areas, and as of press time, power had been restored to all but 13 Ohio Edison customers, with the remaining customers expected to regain power by early this morning.

At Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna, where the NWS records the area’s official weather records, 1.5 inches of rain fell during the storm that started about 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Other areas in the Valley were hit harder, said Marty Mullen, an NWS meteorologist.

Strong winds caused “significant damage in Boardman,” Mullen said. “It also hit northern Trumbull County pretty hard.

“We shouldn’t have anything more than some sprinkles for the next few days.”

Officials said the storm appeared to sweep through the township in a line, hitting several Market Street businesses and damaging parts of the neighborhoods between Market and Glenwood, south of U.S. Route 224.

Sweeney Buick GMC, located at Market and Karago Avenue, sustained severe damage. A crew was at the business evaluating the damage Monday. The service building took the brunt of the damage from the storm. Customers were sent across the street to the Chevrolet end of the dealership. Some vehicles also were damaged.

“We are so fortunate to have a great building across the street,” said Doug Sweeney, president of the auto group. “We have been here 96 years, so this is just small speed bump for us.”

He said very few vehicles were damaged.

Several buildings behind the car dealership also were damaged. Across Market, Ethan Allen, a furniture store, sustained roof damage and had some windows blown out.

“I’ve never seen extensive damage like that since I’ve been here,” said township Administrator Jason Loree, who’s worked for the township for more than 10 years. “We’ve had some mircobursts. ... But a building like Sweeney’s being destroyed is pretty intense.”

Loree said residents looking to get rid of smaller debris can take advantage of the township’s free composting program. Residents can drop off small debris and tree branches at Elliott’s Garden Center at 1283 W. Western Reserve Road.

The most serious weather occurred outside of Mahoning County: An EF-1 tornado with winds of about 90 mph touched down about 7:20 p.m. Sunday in Calcutta, Columbiana County, said Tim Axford, a meteorologist with the NWS in Pittsburgh. The tornado caused some damage in the community.

The Liberty Fire Department received multiple calls for trees and wires down in the township. Chief Gus Birch said a tree fell down on a house on Lamplighter Drive and Twin Oak Drive and caused significant damage.