UPDATE: The National Weather Service confirmed it was a tornado that caused the damage early Wednesday morning on Columbus's east side, along with straight-line winds. The storm hit just south of Broad Street, east of James Road.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN) -- Fast-moving storms are blamed for fallen trees, damage to homes and an unexpected day off for some Columbus City Schools students.
On the East Side, a tree caught fire from one of the downed lines not far from Ohio Avenue Elementary School. It forced the district to close the school for the day.
Storm damage also prompted CCS to send students at Eastmoor Academy home early.
At one point AEP reported more than 4,000 storm-related outages on its website.
(Photo: ABC6/FOX 28, which also contributed to this story)