Storm-shocked residents on Wednesday began what promises to be a long cleanup of devastation from the deadly storm that tore through the region Tuesday evening, downing thousands of trees, crushing cars and homes and knocking out power to tens of thousands of utility customers.

Residents across the region used chainsaws and muscle power to clear fallen limbs from roofs and driveways, and town crews fanned out to remove larger trees that blocked roads everywhere and virtually isolated some communities.

In several towns — including New Fairfield, Brookfield and Southbury — more than 90 percent of customers were without power Wednesday evening. Eversource said even with help of crews from out of state, it could be days before electricity is fully restored.

Nearly every area school district canceled classes Wednesday, and most, including Danbury, did so again on Thursday.

Meanwhile, authorities have yet to identify two people who died during the storm when trees fell on their cars. Several injuries were reported, including two people hurt while walking on the Still River Greenway in Brookfield.

More Information

Danbury-area shelters and emergency services

Bethel

The municipal center for charging stations and showers

Stony Hill Fire Department for charging stations and showers

Brookfield

Brookfield High School for electricity, food, water, showers and beds

Danbury

Western Connecticut State University main campus gym, for those with medical needs

New Fairfield

New Fairfield High School electricity, food, water and showers

Newtown

The municipal center, senior center and Cyrenius Booth Library for electricity

Newtown High School for showers

Neighborhood fire stations for water. Bring your own container.

Ridgefield

Parks and Recreation Department facility for showers, drinking water and electricity. Bring your own container for water.

Southbury

Southbury Senior Center

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy visited Brookfield, where the storm’s damage appeared heaviest and 92 percent of customers still lacked power Wednesday evening. Some of the worst damage was found in the Candlewood Shores neighborhood, where trees fell on dozens of homes, cars and roads, making it impossible for many residents to drive out of the community.

Later Wednesday, Malloy signed an emergency order to give state agencies flexibility to help towns effected by the storms.

Nancy Cicchese, who has lived in the neighborhood for four years, said the storm rolled in over Candlewood Lake before she and her husband had a chance to bring in their outside furniture. The couple’s wicker chairs were blown into the lake or nearby woods by winds that officials say reached 100 mph.

The storm — which weather service meteorologists said was a sudden downdraft of wind called a “macroburst” — also knocked a large tree onto her newly renovated roof, although the damage was slight. Cicchese expressed surprise at how many trees the storm downed or uprooted.

“These are trees that are at least 80 to 90 years old, they have good roots,” she said. Some of the trees, it looks like they were actually twisted.”

Cicchese, a teacher, worries when she will to be able to get out of her driveway.

That’s going to take a lot of time to chop that tree up,” she said.

Her neighbor, Cherry Fletcher, said the storm was unlike anything she had seen her 42 years of living at Candlewood Shores. The sky turned a dark green just before the storm hit, she said, and the lakewater began churning.

Trees fell onto her porch and in her backyard, but Fletcher’s home was unscathed. She was making do without power, eating crackers, energy bars and leftover Mother’s Day cake and ice cream.

“We’re safe, but stranded,” she said. “We’re going to lose all our food for sure.”

The community still has water, because Candlewood Shores’ well has a generator.

Fletcher said despite the damage, she is in good spirits and confident her neighbors will offer help if she needs it.

“There is a connection, there is always someone who is going to help you out,” she said.

Brookfield First Selectman Steve Dunn said residents supported each other during the peak of the storm Tuesday evening.

“It’s amazing,” Dunn said during a news conference with Malloy. “Last night, I saw dozens of residents helping other residents — cutting down trees, clearing roads — and I really, really want to say thank you to the residents of Brookfield. They’re doing a great job.”

In New Fairfield, First Selectman Pat Del Monaco said the town struggled to open a shelter at the high school, because so many roads were impassable that officials could not get a generator to the building. The shelter finally opened at 2 p.m. and will reopen Thursday morning.

“We are working to get major routes in and out of town open,” Del Monaco said around noon Wednesday. “The most important thing right now is we want people to shelter in place and avoid any downed wires.”

Malloy told residents it likelywill be days before power is restored. At the peak of the storm, he said, 120,000 Eversource customers were without power in Connecticut.

“If you get your power back quickly, you’re one of the lucky ones,” Malloy said.

Most towns set up shelters where residents could rest, shower and charge their phones and other devices.

Mayra Ramzy, who lives on West Whisconier Road in Brookfield, took her two children, 9 and 6, to the town’s shelter at the high school on Wednesday to shower. Portobello Restaurant was making food for shelter occupants and first responders.

Although she lost power, she’s one of the lucky few on her street without fallen trees on her home or driveway, Ramzy said. She was home Tuesday evening when the storm hit.

“It was really scary,” Ramzy said. “The sky turned dark and the wind started howling.”

She then heard a loud boom and the crack of trees crashing down before her lights went out.

Ramzy hopes power comes back soon because she and a few of her neighbors were to begin celebrating Ramadan on Wednesday night, which means they need to fast during the day. Ordinarily, they would wake up at 4 a.m. to cook and eat a good meal to last them until sunset.

“For us, it’s very important to have that first meal before the sunrise,” Ramzy said.

Arthur Hopkins, shelter manager from the American Red Cross, said about 65 people had stopped by the Brookfield shelter by late afternoon Wednesday, but he expected more to come later the longer residents are without power.

“They’re in great spirits, many of them” Hopkins said. “Naturally, if they have had a tree fall on their house, they’re devastated.”

Concerning the fatalities, a New Fairfield woman, who police say was 41, was killed on Brush Hill Road. A 3-year-old passenger in the car survived. The Danbury man had been doing work in his yard near Candlewood Lake and had gone into his truck when the storm hit.