Winds gusting up to 82 mph tore through Hilliard on Aug. 11, toppling trees onto a school, sparking power lines and shutting down a railroad crossing as part of a storm system that left about 95,000 Franklin County customers without electricity.

The city of Hilliard reported that a railroad crossing at Avery Road closed after downed trees stopped a train on the tracks, according to WOSU. Part of a tree fell at Britton Elementary School, where city employees responded to clear debris. On Cemetery Road, a giant tree struck by lightning crashed near the Holowicki Enterprises office building, causing little structural damage, according to the Columbus Dispatch. David Alcorn of Aww-A-Round maintenance began removing the tree.

Power lines sparked in Hilliard during the storms, according to photos submitted to NBC4 by resident Nick Hadley.

As we reported earlier Tuesday, forecasters had warned of severe afternoon storms following overnight flooding.

Power restoration could take days

AEP Ohio reported more than 130,000 customers without power across its service area by 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. The utility deployed 2,000 field personnel and 300 mutual assistance crews, including teams from Oklahoma.

"We're gonna need some patience from our customers, cause this is going to take a couple days, and we understand that that's not great for them to hear, but there's an extensive amount of damage," Matt Bennett, AEP Ohio's director of operations, said Tuesday.

The 82 mph wind gust recorded at John Glenn Columbus International Airport was strong enough to flip a car on Interstate 71 near the Weber Road interchange, according to Spectrum News 1. The National Weather Service said a possible tornado may have hit the north side of Columbus, though surveyors have not yet confirmed one.

One death confirmed statewide

At least one person died in Roseville, a village in Muskingum County southeast of Columbus, where floodwaters prevented emergency crews from reaching the victim. Gov. Mike DeWine activated the National Guard High Water Rescue Unit for flooded communities and warned that flooding could persist for several days, according to NBC4.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said Columbus Fire responded to 100 emergency calls Tuesday morning alone. City officials opened an emergency shelter at the Scioto Southland Community Center with the American Red Cross.

What Hilliard residents should know

Residents who encounter downed power lines should stay away and call 911 or AEP Ohio directly. The utility's outage map at aepohio.com/outages provides restoration estimates by location. Gov. DeWine warned that additional storms are expected through the rest of the week.