A “localised tornado” which pulled roofs off people’s homes was a “whirlwind of madness” that left residents unable to open their front doors.
Local Kerry Hogan, from the town of Stalybridge, described the “madness” as “bedlam”.
She told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We couldn't open the front door as the wind was that bad. Lamp-posts were swaying, we watched trees topple like dominoes.”
Others have been left unsure about when they will be able to return to their wrecked homes, after around 100 properties in Tameside were damaged.
Hayley McCaffer, 40, who lives in Carrbrook, that some of her neighbours' houses "are an absolute disaster" with missing roofs and "squished" cars.
Damage will be covered by standard property insurance policies, the Association of British Insurers has said.
Millbrook resident Maisie Pilkington told how a tree crashed through her roof while she slept.
She said: "I opened the door and thought 'oh my God'. The tree's hit the roof and gone through my bathroom.
"The whole ceiling of my bathroom is down, the tree's in the bathroom and the whole tree is being held up by one branch. If it snaps, it's going to go through the whole house."Meanwhile, thousands of homes remain without power as the clean-up began on Friday, in the wake of Storm Gerrit.
Around 1,500 homes in Scotland experienced their second night without electricity on Thursday, while a lightning strike hit supplies in Wales.
Power company Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said it had restored supply to more than 46,000 properties that lost power due to the storm, with people in the northeast and Shetland worst affected.
They said the remaining homes should be reconnected on Friday with welfare vans serving hot food and drink to affected customers from 9am.
Operations director Andy Smith said: "This has been a difficult couple of days for the communities affected and I'm grateful to them for their patience and support as our teams work extremely hard to restore power."
National Grid UK said 36,000 properties were without power in Ceredigion on Thursday after lightning struck.
Three men died after their 4x4 vehicle was submerged in the River Esk, near Glaisdale, on Thursday, North Yorkshire Police said.
A supercell thunderstorm moved across the northwest of England on Thursday after a similar storm is thought to have resulted in the tornado that damaged homes in Greater Manchester on Wednesday.
ScotRail said many lines have been reopened but urged passengers to check for the latest information before travelling, a message echoed by LNER, Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway who suspended or cancelled services due to damage or system faults.
Friday will see significant disruption for travellers wishing to travel on the London Euston and Watford Junction lines with services expected to be up and running by the end of the day.
In Wales, the aftermath of the recent severe weather will see rail services hampered until Monday.
Ferry services also experienced cancellations and delays due to storm activity with operator DFDS confirming sailings between Dover and France were delayed due to strong winds in the English Channel.
Air travel in and out of the UK saw cancellations but most services have returned to normal.
The Met Office reported the worst of Storm Gerrit had passed with the last few days of 2023 forecast to be unsettled with strong winds, rain and even snow on higher ground.
Met Office chief forecaster Steven Ramsdale said: "Heavy rain will spread across all but the far north on Saturday, affecting similar areas previously affected by Storm Gerrit. However, this rainfall will be a step down from that seen during Storm Gerrit."
