Action News was at the "Today's Child Learning Center" in Glenolden, Pa. where part of the roof was torn off and blown across the nearby train tracks. The damaged air conditioning unit was thrown to the parking lot, and power lines were still hanging from utility poles.
"We heard what we thought was thunder, and it turned out to be part of the roof landing on one of our co-worker's cars," said teacher Anne Marie Nichols. "We heard her scream 'My car!' and we looked and saw the roof on the ground."
When the roof came off, the staff inside knew they had to get out. However, they were trapped by hanging power lines up and down the street. The staff and 52 children had to navigate their way to safety - another daycare center next door.
In Clifton Heights, a 200-year-old oak tree narrowly missed the Rickards' home, but it didn't miss their two cars. They were crushed like tin cans.
Incredibly, Karolyn Rickards had just parked in the driveway moments earlier.
"Just pulled up when the storm picked up. I just had the driveway put in so we could park there," she said.
In Audubon, N.J., municipal crews were removing an enormous tree toppled during the storm across normally busy Kings Highway.
"As soon as it came down the cars stopped, and they were all backed up," said Charlie Reed.
While the tree was turned into wood chips, Verizon crews replaced utility poles and phone lines brought down by it.
In South Philadelphia, people told Action News they don't see this kind of storm damage very often and, in fact, some said they've never seen anything like it.
Anthony and Benny Carrubba spent the morning carrying tree limbs from the street. In fact, it was Anthony's 25th birthday.
"It's something you never expect to see here, let's put it that way," Anthony Carrubba said.
Some branches were still hanging off buildings, and 80-year-old Richard Beltran was concerned they may fall.
"It was all the way down to my door, so I took a saw and cut it away from my door so I could at least get out," Beltran said.
In Drexel Hill, Pa., Chopper 6 HD was over the scene as crews were cutting down trees and limbs. 76 mile-per-hour winds toppled those trees and brought down power lines.
In Lancaster County, two men died Thursday night when the motorcycle they were riding struck a tree that police say was knocked over in a storm.
