Towson Cleans Up From Storm Damage

Given plenty of lemons, Leslie Wietscher was outside on Saturday morning making lemonade, leaning against the decades-old tree as if it were a new piece of lawn furniture.

"We like the rustic, natural look," she said outside her Valley Lane home in Fellowship Forest.

Last night, the tree fell across her patio, taking with it two patio chairs, a glass table and some of the den.

Moments earlier, she was in her kitchen with her dog Tripper and granddaughter, 8-month-old Lydia Knipscher, and decided to run to the basement "because I knew things weren't looking too good," she said.

Twelve hours later, crews were hard at work on her home and nearby, clearing debris and fallen trees from streets.

Wietscher and husband Craig were entertaining neighbors and family in the backyard. Some offered to go to the store for them or bring lunch. 

As she watched a contractor toss another branch off her roof, she laughed and quipped, "I wanted to redecorate this room and I wanted this tree down."

It just turned out Mother Nature was listening.

Thousands in Baltimore County were still without power Saturday morning. Most of the storm's power was felt in central and northern Baltimore County. No injuries were reported in Baltimore County, according to county officials.

At least were reported damaged in Towson, including just around the corner from Wietscher in the 1200 block of Stevenson Lane, where a large tree in the front yard was uprooted and landed on the home's garage.

In West Towson, homeowner Herb O'Conor said his family was fine after a tree fell from his front yard, . He was on the first floor when it happened around 5:30 p.m. Friday.

"It came back quickly," he said. "First it was like a loud popping. It sounded like a transformer had been hit by lightning."

His family took shelter with a neighbor.

"We've had wonderful support," he said.