Severe weather causes damage in Belmont Co.

BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio --

Severe weather caused damage in part of Belmont County overnight Wednesday into Thursday.

On Crescent Road in St. Clairsville, a roof was torn from a barn and its debris was scattered in a neighbor's field.

Some residents of the road said this wasn't the first time they've been left to pick up the pieces after a windstorm and likened their neighborhood to that of a wind tunnel.

Chuck Conaway said he bought his home and renovated it. Just two months ago, he finished the front porch roof.

"When I came into the driveway, obviously I saw branches and things down, but then I looked down at my new roof strewn about my yard and my neighbor's yard," Conaway said.

High winds reduced Conaway's craftsmanship to near splinters.

"It literally took over two tons of material and picked it up and heaved it probably 100 yards," Conaway said.

At least 14 trees had their tops sheared off by wind, and Conaway's neighbor's garage was heavily damaged.

"We had a wind here a few years ago but nothing like this," John Premilovich, whose roof was blown away, said.

"I saw all these pieces of aluminum laying in my yard and I thought it tore the siding off my house, but it didn't. It tore the roof off my front porch," Premilovich said.

Conaway said his goal for Thursday is to get the roof watertight because when the front porch roof came off, the majority of the main house's roof came off, too.