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Heavy Storms Wreak Havoc Throughout Region

By Diana Rocco

DOWNINGTOWN Pa. (CBS) - There was thunder, lightning and heavy rain across parts of the area Monday night. It was a stormy start to the work week.

There were a lot of close calls throughout the day as the storms moved through quickly and with little warning. The worst of the storms hit Delaware and Chester Counties

One homeowner says the skies got dark he saw something that looked like a tornado, heard a large crack and a tree fell over. Had it fallen the other way, he would have been in trouble. Now, clean-up process begins.

Thousands were left without power after trees came down all over one neighborhood in Downingtown, Chester County.

"It shook our houses and it blew leaves, everything, all around. I looked out my window and I got away real fast," Suzanne Madingale said.

The storm rocked much of the Delaware County. Regina Holmes said it only lasted 10 minutes and when it was over, both her cars were buried underneath trees and her backyard was destroyed.

"I screamed to my kids to get to the basement," she said.

Across the street it was more of the same. Marsha Guie was trapped in her home after a tree came down blocking the front door:

"I went over to the door and opened it and there was the tree down already and I thought, man, this is fast," she said.

The lightning in Delaware County Monday did start three house fires. At the height of the storms, it appeared about 7,000 people were without power and at least 1,000 were still without power in Downingtown late Monday night.

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