Isao Shoji can't believe the destruction on Sunningdale Way in Upper Arlington.
"Just so extraordinary in terms of the damage that was done that it really blew my mind,” said Shoji. "I'm sure this is the last thing anybody would expect to happen to their house."
Shoji's close friends, Hidefumi and Mariko Ishida, were in Japan when a natural gas explosion leveled their home Saturday afternoon.
"Despite what happened, I think they're handling it very well,” Shoji said. “They were pretty calm on the phone and certainly very much concerned about their neighbors.”
No one was seriously injured but the explosion caused major structural damage to nearby homes.
Pat McKinley is working to repair a home owned by 100 year-old Sally Patton who lives close to where the explosion occurred.
"The front porch caught the blast as it came here, which was basically a shockwave, that blew the ceiling out,” explained McKinley.
Across the street, Cathy McKenna spent Sunday assessing the damage at her mother's home.
“Some cracks in the walls and the ceiling fan is hanging down in this room,” she said. “We were lucky we didn’t get worse damage.”
As the rebuilding begins, people here are giving thanks there was no loss of life.
Shoji who goes to the same church as the Ishidas says the congregation is praying for the couple.
"I'm sure it is going to be that faith that's going to help them along no matter how difficult it is,” he said. “And I imagine it is something that they will rely on."
The investigation into the gas explosion is still ongoing.
Columbia Gas has created a hotline for displaced residents who need a place to stay.
The number is 1-800-590-5571.