Storms knock out power, topple trees

PARAGON, Ind. (WISH) - Strong Winds, heavy rain and hundreds of lighting strikes knocked out power and toppled trees throughout the state.

Off Olive Church Road in Paragon, there's a lot of cleaning up to do.

"No man's force could cause this other than mother nature," said Michael Begley.

Saturday evening severe weather rolled through parts of Morgan County. When the storm moved out it took down trees, knocked out power and caused a lot of damage.

"Nobody was hurt; not a house was harmed," Begley said.

79 year-old Melvin Fishel was home when the storm hit.

"It just came all at once," Fishel said.

Fishel woke up Sunday morning to find many of the trees he grew up with gone.

"I was scared as I ever was in my life," said Fishel.

Fishel took 24 Hour News 8 on a tractor tour of his backyard and showed us several large uprooted trees.

"There's a patch about a 100 feet wide; 150 that just cleared through there," Fishel said.

That's where the Begley brothers are cleaning up. Michael Begley was caught in the storm.

"I was standing out here in the back yard and it started coming on quick with the rain and the lightning," said Begley.

Michael was able to get to safety; his brother Steve came home to the destruction.

"It's just miserable to see all the trees that you grew up around; I've carved on when I was a kid being down," Steve said.

"It's emotional and amazing at the same time because you look at it in awe because you see something so old, yet so strong just ripped in half like it was nothing," Michael said.

Michael said he's thankful no one was hurt during the storm. He said he'll stay busy chopping fire wood for the winter.

"It's kind of beautiful in a way because it changed and you can see the sky and it opened everything up to us so we're in for a new life as far as looking at things," said Michael.

All of the homes on Olive Church Road in Paragon lost power during the storm.
Their electricity has since been restored.