By Jim McIntyre, American Red Cross volunteer

Early afternoon, July 5, 2026: Canfield Township in Mahoning County is hit with a powerful one-two weather punch – first, a tornado with estimated peak winds reaching 95 miles per hour.  The, as the National Weather Service website states, “As the tornado cycled out across the region, a significant rear flank downdraft formed and increased in intensity, causing substantial straight-line wind damage across a larger portion of Mahoning County. Winds up to 90 mph caused extensive tree, power pole, and power line damage…”

The NWS labeled this storm a macroburst.

While the initial tornado is described as short-lived, having spent about a minute on the ground, the powerful straight-line winds that immediately followed lasted more than thirty minutes, and toppled nearly a thousand trees, according to the NWS estimate.

At least two-dozen of those trees fell on and around the home of Thomas and Sandra Treleven.

“Every tree was down. It was just unbelievable,” according to Lisa Friend-Timko, an American Red Cross disaster responder who showed up the next day to offer help to residents who were affected by the storm.

And no one needed more help than the Trelevens. 

Fallen trees blocked access to the house and driveway, and while the storm damage created chaos outside, there was another crisis inside the Treleven home; Thomas had suffered a seizure the day before the storm, and was unresponsive. 

“I was like a walking zombie,” said Sandra. 

Lisa credits community mobilization for helping the Trelevens and others who were affected by the storm.  She said volunteers with Southern Baptist Disaster Relief worked with the Mahoning County Emergency Management Agency to cut and carry away the fallen trees.

“It was astounding, what they did,” she said, noting how volunteers worked continuously in blistering heat. She said Catholic Charities, the United Way and Team Rubicon also offered assistance, in addition to the financial help provided by the Red Cross. 

More than two months after the storm, the Trelevens are still trying to repair the roof damaged by one of the trees that fell on the home they built 54 years ago. And Sandra is saddened, seeing stumps where so many old, healthy trees once provided shade and beauty in their yard.  But her outlook remains positive. She said her husband regained consciousness the day after the storm.

“Everything will be alright,” she said.

The Red Cross in Northern Ohio responds to more than 1,000 disasters annually, thanks to generous volunteers and donors, who provide the funding to help people like the Trelevens.

Visit https://www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/disaster-relief.html to learn more about Red Cross disaster response, and how you can help.