The frenzy of frantic calls started Wednesday night around the time the TV news started and surged at daybreak, giving way to a steady stream of messages Thursday.

"One guy came to us because his neighbor had only one kidney and is on oxygen and had no power at all," said Mary Bremer, of Area Outdoor Services in Gary, which provides generators for powerless places.

"They had a tree in their driveway and needed to find some place where they could hook up the machine. A lot of elderly people needed help."

Bremer said she received about 75 calls by 11 a.m. on Thursday from throughout Lake County, adding Gary was especially hard hit. Her husband, Derik, had to walk to houses because there were so many trees down on the roads. Those with medical emergencies are taken care of first, she added.

Laura Edmonds, of Area Tree Service in Valparaiso, said the first call came at about 10 p.m. Wednesday for a tree down on a house. It would not be the last.

"The phone has been ringing off the hook," she said Thursday.

Calls came from as far as LaCrosse and Kouts.

Nicole Supilowski, of Alternative Energy Solutions in Schererville, said the phone started ringing at 3 a.m. Thursday, so planned work had to be rescheduled. Typically, the business has one generator rental weekly, but had about 10 before noon Thursday.

"We've had nonstop calls," she said. Many of those were from Lakes of the Four Seasons, Schererville and Valparaiso. "It's worse than usual because they're being told they'll be without power for some time," she added.

Customers needed them for refrigerators, air conditioners or sump pumps for flooded basements.

Area homeowners could hear the wind blowing, but probably weren't expecting the booming thud of a tree crushing their rooflines. Local tree removal experts knew better.

"We keep tabs on the weather," said Edmonds. "They were calling for tornados, so we were expecting it. We went to bed and knew we'd have to get up early."