A State Farm agent in Newark, Ohio, was helping clients file storm damage claims Tuesday afternoon when a tree came through the roof of her own office and landed on her desk. Erin Curtis had stood up and walked downstairs from her second-floor office moments earlier. The tree struck the building at 1550 N. 21st Street during the severe thunderstorms that moved through Licking County on July 21, 2026, 10TV reported.
Curtis told ABC 6 that a portion of the tree hit the building first, and she got up and went downstairs. Another section came down about 45 seconds later and punched through the roof directly over her desk. She described the timing of her walking away as divine intervention.
Friends and family helped clear branches from the property afterward. Parts of the tree stayed tangled in power lines, and homes along N. 21st Street were without electricity for hours. Curtis has run the Newark agency since January 2012, and she started with State Farm in 2000 as a customer service assistant.
Curtis went on to give storm damage guidance to ABC 6 as an agent. She said to get everyone out of the building, pets included, and to stay out of damaged rooms and away from sagging ceilings. If there are injuries, a downed power line, or you smell gas, call 911. Do not climb onto your roof, and do not attempt to cut up or remove the tree by yourself, because it may shift without warning. The agent also said to take photos from a safe location and file your insurance claim immediately. In addition, she suggested that you make arrangements for temporary emergency repairs, such as tarping your roof, in order to prevent additional damage due to rain while waiting for your claim to be processed.
What the Storm Did to the Rest of Newark
The National Weather Service determined that a microburst, a concentrated downdraft, hit the east side of Newark, WOSU reported. No tornado touched down in Licking County. The wind tore the roof off The Church Triumphant at the end of Madison Avenue and damaged trees for several blocks around it.
Robert Caw, the pastor, told 10TV he had never seen that kind of damage to a building. Nobody was inside the church when the storm hit, and he said the congregation intends to rebuild. He didn’t know yet whether the structure can be repaired or what that would cost. A block from the church, a section of Fairmont Avenue was still closed Wednesday, and crews spent the morning setting new power poles behind the building.
How Widespread Was the July 21 Severe Weather?
The Storm Prediction Center had placed most of Ohio in a Level 3 risk for severe thunderstorms that day, according to 10TV. A first round of storms came through in the morning, and a second round hit central Ohio in the afternoon and prompted a series of tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings. The heaviest activity in the eastern part of the region ran between about 3 and 5 p.m.
Eight tornadoes have been confirmed in Ohio so far from Tuesday’s storms. Muskingum County EMA Director Jeff Jadwin reported numerous downed trees, downed power lines and damaged homes, and said a county deputy saw a tornado on the ground and watched a building get blown over. AEP reported 7,293 customers without power as of 10:50 p.m. Tuesday, with 4,488 of those in Licking County, according to NBC4. Damage was also reported in Zanesville and Perry County.