Residents in several Midwestern states awoke Thursday morning to downed trees and scattered power outages after a series of powerful storms swept across the region Wednesday night.

In Terre Haute, Indiana, strong winds blew over large trees, damaging homes and vehicles.

About 10:30 p.m., Caren Lidster said her son ran upstairs and said, “something bad is happening mom.”

“I ran out to the bathroom and all of a sudden heard a big thud. I think that is when the chimney fell on the roof,” Lidster said of their home at 2921 S. Sixth St. “Part of the chimney is in the front yard.”

Then a big tree fell toward the house in their back yard.

“But then I heard the hugest sound of all, when I saw a big tree out front fall across the road. It was strong straight line winds or something, but it was spooky,” Lister told the Terre Haute, Indiana Tribune-Star.

Her neighbor, Betty Jeffers, said also heard the trees fall. “It sounded like a freight train coming through here. The rain was so heavy you couldn’t hardly see. It was atrocious. And everything was black as the power went out.”

Power to hundreds of homes remained out at mid-morning.

Not far from Lidster, the Comfort Suites was hit heavy on the southwest corner, tearing off the roof of the hotel.

“We got everyone out by 12:30 p.m.,” said Samatha Shaw, a front desk employee who was called in from home to help.

Patrick Shuffield of Michigan said he was a guest in the hotel at the time.

“I was insulated, as I was in the back. I think everything was coming from the west,” Shuffield said. “I didn’t hear much. I actually slept through it and an hotel worker woke me up.”

Shuffield said he then got a room at Hampton Inn.

Near the intersection of South Fourth Street and Wheeler Street, Kathy Elmore also heard the storm and saw a tree fall onto the street.

“It hit my daughter’s car,” Elmore said. “She cried and tried to cover up the back but the window was shattered.”

Greninger writes for the Terre Haute, Indiana Tribune-Star.