TOLEDO, Ohio — UPDATE: A mass power outage for over 1,500 Point Place residents is estimated to be restored on Tuesday at 11:30 p.m., according to Toledo Edison.
Toledo residents, city employees and authorities are working to clean up Point Place after Tornados tore through the area, tearing apart buildings, uprooting trees and disrupting power for thousands.
Over 6,000 Lucas County residents woke up without power Friday afternoon. In Ottawa County, approximately 370 were without power and in Sandusky County, just over 2,000 people were experiencing power outages.
Others are contending with fallen trees, some of which cover entire homes, while some don't have a workplace to go to following the destruction of places like a ProMedica laboratory on Suder Avenue. The lab will be closed until further notice.
Closed roadways
City employees are working to remove debris from roadways, many of which remain closed.
In Lucas County, Suder Avenue and Shoreland Avenue are closed due to downed powerlines and tree limbs blocking the roadway. Many other roadways in northeastern Lucas County remained closed Friday due to damage.
City of Toledo, other authority responses
City officials said they would hold a press conference at 4 p.m. Friday during which they would discuss the city's cleanup and recovery response to the storm.
The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department said they are working with the EMA to identify healthcare facilities in need of assistance and to inspect facilities without power.
According to the Toledo Fire & Rescue Department, crews completed most of their emergency response work at 1:30 a.m. Friday. They said there were no injuries or deaths directly related to the storm, but used off-road vehicles to get through some of the area to check on residents in houses with significant damage.
TFRD said their work relating to storm cleanup is complete and the rest will be left to the Forestry Department and Toledo Edison.
The Sandusky County Emergency Management Agency released the following list of road closures as of 7:30 a.m. Friday.
The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office said Friday afternoon they plan to increase patrols through the county after the storm. They warned that anyone trespassing on property without permission from the owner would face criminal charges and possibly incarceration.
To report suspicious or criminal incidents, the sheriff's office asked that citizens call the Ottawa County Sheriff's non-emergency line at 419-734-4404.
Marcy Kaptur, who represents Ohio's 9th House district and much of the area affected by the storm, said in a statement Friday she was in contact with local authorities and officials regarding the cleanup process, and expressed sympathy for those affected.
"My thoughts are with all those who have suffered losses," Kaptur said. "My staff and I will continue to monitor the situation and will be in constant contact with local, state, and federal authorities to ensure that necessary assistance is made available as we learn more about the extent of the damage.”
Meteorological analysis of storm
WTOL 11 Meteorologist Ryan Wichman summarized some of the meteorological conditions, damage and events from Thursday's storm in the following video:
Thursday's tornado took a path that stretched across northwest Ohio in Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Erie counties.
To conduct further storm damage surveys, the National Weather Service will send out three teams to the northwest Ohio area Friday. The National Weather Service is expected to provide more information about Thursday's storm throughout Friday and the weekend.
As of Friday afternoon, none of the NWS surveys were complete.
According to local meteorological history, the last tornado to touch down in Point Place was the infamous Palm Sunday 1965 tornado.
Storm damage
Tornado and storm damage stretched from northeastern Lucas County, through Ottawa and Sandusky counties. In farm fields, some buildings and equipment were destroyed.
Also in Ottawa County, two snowmobiles were seen in a farm field, seemingly blown there from somewhere else in storm winds.
To view more storm damage videos and photos, click here.
Safety
Toledo Edison reminded residents to not touch or go near downed powerlines due to danger. In the following statement, they encouraged residents to call authorities if they noticed a downed powerline:
Safety is our TOP PRIORITY. Please use caution if you must go outdoors. Stay far away from downed- or low-hanging power lines that could be hidden in storm debris or downed trees. If you see any downed- or low-hanging wire, assume it is energized and dangerous; stay far away and report it immediately to 911.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
MORE LOCAL HEADLINES FROM WTOL 11