4,000 Without Power In Calvert County After Hurricane Irene

CALVERT COUNTY, Md. (WJZ)-- People in Calvert County are dealing with thousands of downed trees and power lines. So while the worst of the storm was over in a few hours, the cleanup is going to take a lot longer.

Monique Griego has more on the damage caused by Hurricane Irene in Calvert County.

Ripped from its root, Hurricane Irene turned a tree into a battering ram, and a house was no match.

"Disaster. It's like a war zone. I'm not kidding," said Robert and Debra Simmons of Calvert County.

Huge trees tossed by wind and rain destroyed Robert and Debra Simmons' St. Leonard neighborhood. A 100 footer fell right through their garage.

"Just heard a crack, and you just kind of look up, and see what's falling," Robert Simmons said.

Their neighbor didn't fair much better.

"All of a sudden the house shook," said Leah Rayburn in Calvert County. "It was worse than the earthquake."

When Rayburn came outside, she saw a massive tree uprooted and fall through her bedroom.

"There's a hole up there because then all the water came, and we had gallons of water that came through our bedroom ceiling," Rayburn said.

Driving through Calvert County, streets are lined with uprooted trees and downed power lines. Service is still cut off to around 4,000 homes.

"We're just asking citizens to be patient," one official said.

Cleanup teams and electrical crews are hitting the streets while the county's Disaster Recovery Center hands out food, bottled water and information.

"It makes me feel better just knowing people are here trying to figure out what's needed," said Calvert County resident Darlene Harrod.

"We just grabbed anything we thought might help us out," Robert Simmons said.

The Simmons' took advantage of the information, and while their home still needs a lot of work, their power is on and their spirits are up.

"No candlelight dinners for a while," Robert Simmons said. "We had plenty last week."

County leaders hope to have everyone's power is restored by sometime this weekend. The county is working to clear all the downed trees and the debris from the roads.