Destructive storm ravages through Baltimore

BALTIMORE -- Crews are cleaning up debris and downed trees all over Baltimore City after storms ravaged the area on Saturday.

Severe weather also cut day two of Artscape short as many attendees had to seek shelter from the storm. It left thousands without power and shut down dozens of roads.

As dark clouds rolled in over Baltimore, wind gusts tore through day 2 of Artscape, the city's largest cultural event.

People tried their best to keep tents from falling over but around 5 p.m., everyone in the area received an alert on their smartphones telling them to seek shelter from the storm.

"The wind would make a tornado," said a young boy named Ali.

"This year it is pretty bad. Like he said it looks like a tornado. I would have been out there in the rain, but it is pretty bad right now," Khalya, an Artscape attendee said.

Several people managed to hide out in nearby restaurants.

"We were like let's go! The clouds are chasing us, we have to go," Tyra, another festival participant said.

Organizers were forced to shut down Artscape for the rest of the day, due to the storms.

"As we were on our way back it started raining...pouring like crazy. The drains were all clogged up, so the streets were filled with water and everything," Schonbeck, a resident of Roland Springs said.

The strong wind gusts brought down large trees all over the city, including near the Roland Springs community.

"There were a lot of police officers and fire engines…but this tree? It was crazy, the whole entire tree came down," said Schonbeck.

Mayor Brandon Scott said at one point 184 streets throughout Baltimore were blocked due to downed trees.

"I thought it was just going to be like a quick rain and nothing too much, just a little bit of pouring but then all of this happened," Braxton, a separate resident of Roland Springs said.

Additionally, BGE said more than 40,000 customers in the area were without power .

"We might just read books or something or just talk to each other," Braxton said.

City officials are advising people to stay off the roads so crews can continue clearing debris. There are many street and traffic lights without power so if you are driving, be sure to stay vigilant.