This story is from CBS 21 by Alex Thill
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Wed, May 20, 2026 at 8:50 PM
Updated Wed, May 20, 2026 at 11:17 PM
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) — Quick but intense storms passed through Manheim Township, Lancaster County Wednesday, leaving a trail of destruction behind.
Margaret Flory and Tom Toczek live on Clearview Road and were inside when the rain started.
“I was closing up windows and, hail was coming down, and, [I] heard a huge sound in the backyard,” Flory said.
That sound was the couple’s more than 50-year-old tree crashing to the ground away from their house. The tree, which once stood around 100 feet tall, landed on top of a fence and part of a shed, taking powerlines with it.
“We just ran to the door,” Flory said.
“And [we] couldn't believe what we saw,” Toczek continued.
The pair said the storm passed through around 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon, but was over in what felt like seconds.
“It must have been an instant happening,” Flory said.
Although quick, the winds packed a powerful punch and left a trail debris scattered throughout the neighborhood. One road over on Sunset Avenue, another tree came down on top of a home.
The owner spoke off camera to CBS 21 and said he was in the attic when it happened, but thankfully he wasn’t hurt.
His neighbor, Zippy, watched the whole thing happen.
“Well, the wind started going round and round, and I was looking through the window, and all of a sudden I saw, leaves of the trees flying all over,” Zippy, said. “It was less than five minutes.”
The community was quick to help. Many people chipped in to pick up branches and sticks from off the road and checked in on their neighbors.
Although the storms are over, the cleanup is just beginning. For Toczek and Flory that means figuring out a way to get the massive tree out of their backyard.
“The tree, [we] would love for it to be as useful as possible. So, yeah, we're going to check around and see how that can happen,” Flory said.