LOWER POTTSGROVE TWP., Pa. (WPVI) — Cleanup is underway after heavy rain and strong winds swept through parts of Montgomery County on Wednesday evening, toppling trees and power lines and leaving thousands of residents without electricity.

The storm moved through the Philadelphia region around rush hour, bringing lightning, gusting winds and reports of pebble-sized hail in areas including Malvern in Chester County and Wilmington, Delaware.

The severe weather caused widespread damage and left many communities facing cleanup efforts.

In Pottstown, fallen trees were a common sight.

“Every block, there’s gigantic trees down,” said resident Andrew Quintois.

Quintois was walking along Prospect Street on Thursday, where damage from the storm was clearly visible, as he assessed why his home had lost power.

“My wife and I both work from home, so we have to figure out how to get online,” he said.

The storm knocked out power to thousands across the region. According to PECO, about 37,000 customers were without electricity at the height of the storm.

That number dropped to around 2,000 by Thursday afternoon as utility crews continued working to restore service and respond to damage reports.

Officials said the storm followed a stretch of hot weather, conditions that can lead to sudden severe storms.

“We do know that when heat comes, typically at the end of that heat stretch, you can see pop-up thunderstorms like we did last night,” said Matt Rankin, a senior communications specialist with PECO.

Damage reports included a tree falling onto a home on Mervine Street in Pottstown and another tree igniting after it came down on power lines along Waterloo Road in Berwyn.

Utility officials urged residents to stay cautious around storm damage.

“Stay away from downed power lines or equipment that’s damaged. If they see it, they should assume that it’s energized and therefore dangerous,” Rankin said.

In Lower Pottsgrove Township, residents also dealt with significant impacts. Anne Gorski said she discovered the extent of the damage after the storm passed.

“Came outside afterwards and saw this lovely destruction of trees,” she said.

A large tree fell in Gorski’s yard, bringing down a utility pole and power lines. She said her household was prepared for an extended outage.

“Driving around, we had to pick up a generator last night because we anticipate a couple days of this,” Gorski said.

Despite the widespread damage, some residents said they were relieved the storm did not cause more serious harm to homes.

“Damage to the houses is very minimal, so it’s just an inconvenience,” said Lower Pottsgrove Township resident Gary Frisoli.

Crews continue working to restore power and clear debris as communities recover from the storm’s impact.