LORAIN, Ohio — Following Tuesday's widespread severe weather, Northeast Ohioans continue cleaning up and getting their lives back on track.
Pastor Roy Ortegon was surprised at how instant the storm hit Lorain.
"And all of a sudden brother as the storm passed by, we looked out and there's this tree… monster tree on the site. And I said, 'My gosh, what happened here?'" Ortegon said.
A giant tree toppled in his neighbor's yard on W. Erie Avenue.
"We saw the pictures inside and some of this wood in here. It's embedded inside," Ortegon said. "one of the branches in there went right into one of the kids rooms. Thank God that nobody was at home."
Storm damage across Lorain County knocked out power to thousands of people.
Ortegon said he didn't have power for about four hours.
"Were you worried about like any of your food going bad or anything like that?" I asked Ortegon.
"Well, brother, we've had this before. We had to go get some ice and so forth and kind of freeze everything up," Ortegon said.
Power outages have caused Lorain County Public Health to spread news about food safety.
"There's what they call the danger zone… anything in between 40 degrees and 140. That's where bacteria or microorganisms kind of thrive," said Greg Putka, Director of Environmental Health at Lorain County Public Health.
Putka said that food in a fridge generally stays safe for up to four hours.
"The last thing we want is anybody to get any kind of food poisoning or anything like that from rotten food, spoiled food or anything like that," Putka said.
He added food in a freezer that is half-full and will safely hold frozen foods for at least 24 hours.
A full freezer will hold frozen foods for 48 hours.
When in doubt, throw it out to avoid illnesses like e-coli and salmonella.
Putka said Lorain County Public Health realizes the financial struggles that throwing away food can create, so the agency is teaming with partners, including food pantries, to assist residents. Those needing help should call 211.
Paulette has been without power since about 3:30 on Tuesday afternoon. She said she lost some food stored in a refrigerator in her garage.
"It's very expensive… don't want to go buying more," Paulette said, citing the high cost of food.
Late Wednesday morning, a friend dropped off a generator at her home.
"So this generator is a lifesaver right now," I asked her.
Paulette said, "Well, it saves the food."
While generators can be a big help, they can also be dangerous.
Westlake Fire Chief Matt Moran said people should never run generators inside their homes or garages.
"These are all things we've encountered before and they lead to fatalities," Moran said. "I don't know if it's people are worried about disturbing their neighbors or there's noise of it or whatever. A generator has to be outside of the home."
He added that exhaust should also be pointed away from the home because the concern is carbon monoxide poisoning.
He said a carbon monoxide detector should already be installed on each level of a residence.
Moran said it's also important to know what the generator is capable of running so it's not overloaded.
He also advises against using an extension cord to take power from a neighbor's home or generator.
"Again, you end up overloading their circuits, or you end up with an old extension cord with cracks in it and, you know, dragging it through the grass and shortened out that way," Moran said. "You're just asking for trouble.
Moran said it's also important for people to treat all downed wires as live or charged. He said it's important to watch where you're walking and driving and not to ignore barricades and caution tape.
FEMA provides these safety tips regarding safely using a generator at home.
