A powerful storm left a trail of destruction across South Plainfield, with massive trees ripped from the ground and scattered across yards, streets and homes.

Along Merchants Avenue, neighbors were left cleaning up after trees and large branches came crashing down.

Laura Lorito said she was thankful she had left her home to go to the store before the storm hit.

“I’m happy that I was because one of us might be dead,” Lorito said.

Lorito’s property suffered significant damage, including a tree that came down on her fence. She said her backyard looked as though a hurricane had come through.

For other homeowners, the damage was just as extensive.

Neighbor Devesh Thodimela said a doghouse or storage unit was uprooted by the strong winds and fell onto a neighboring home.

Across the street, tree limbs struck another house, with one large limb landing on a neighbor’s car.

Gerard Cinquino said the storm came through suddenly, bringing intense winds, heavy rain and hail.

“Out of nowhere, you couldn’t see a couple feet in front of you,” Cinquino said.

Cinquino said storms like this have become a familiar sight, with trees repeatedly coming down during severe weather.

Crews worked to clear debris and remove fallen trees as neighbors helped one another clean up.

For homeowners across South Plainfield, the work now shifts to assessing the damage and figuring out what comes next.