Ice Chunks as Big as Cars Leave Damage Near Toledo, Ohio

Ice chunks as big as cars have formed along the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio, pushing the river well over its banks, cracking roads and even devastating an old cemetery that was the final resting place for Civil War soliders. Spring-like temperatures plunged into the Great Lakes region late last week, quickly weakening the icy layer that covered virtually everything. When the warmth hit, it seemed like the river thawed all at once, with huge chunks of ice breaking up. The hardest-hit stretch of the river is Side Cut Metropark and Riverside Cemetery, both in Maumee, Ohio. The cemetery was originally built in the 1800s, where some graves date back to the Civl War.

It's been decades since the Toledo area has seen a spring thaw this damaging. According to 13 Action News, the last time boulder-sized ice chunks pushed their way off the river onto nearby roads was 1982.

While the area is used to seeing a spring thaw, it's not always quite this impressive. Some photos show piles of ice stalked so high, it nearly reaches up a bridge wall to Interstate 475. The cleanup has started, but some riverside parks and roads remain closed. High temperatures across the region this week will range from the high 40s to the mid-50s with no precipitation in the forecast.

http://www.weather.com/news/news/huge-ice-chunks-toledo-ohio-maumee-river