The brief, but heavy, storm brought down numerous trees in and around the City of Warren.

A crew from the city Department of Public Works responded to West Fifth Ave. where a 16-inch tree was blocking the road. That tree was removed — the city’s chipper handles trees even a little larger than that — before the crew moved on to other spots.

At West and McPherson, the crew chipped a portion of the top of a pine tree shortly before 1 p.m.

The 65-year-old tree had been a fixture at the edge of Cheryl Kays-Baker’s property for almost her whole life, she said. “The tree was planted when I was very little.”

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry A large branch from a tree at West and Monroe streets in Warren was a sign of the fury of the brief storm that struck the city late Tuesday morning.

When the storm hit, Kays-Baker was upstairs. “I heard this huge crack,” she said. She thought it was from a nearby lightning strike.

She went downstairs to the coffee maker, which is next to a window on the north side of the house. “I was making a cup of coffee,” she said. “I looked out and said, ‘Oh, my God!'”

The tree had broken off about 15 feet above the ground and fallen toward the house.

The very top hit the roof, denting a gutter. The tip of the tree, the part chipped by the city crew, broke off, went over the roof into the yard on the south side of the house and had to be dragged to the street.

The bulk of the tree landed just short of the house – a few small, flexible branches standing against the wall.

“Thank God it didn’t tear my house up,” Kays-Baker said.

The tree missed a window that was propped open on that side of the house and utility lines feeding the house at the northeast corner.

There were calls for tree removals in the city, in North Warren, and in Pleasant Township.

According to FirstEnergy’s 24/7 Power Center, there were between one and 20 customers without power in Glade Township, just north of the City of Warren at 2 p.m.