A series of severe storms pounded Ohio Thursday night, prompting tornado warnings across the state and knocking out power to thousands of homes.
Logan County authorities are responding to a mass casualty incident caused by a suspected tornado that struck a trailer park near Indian Lake, about 110 miles northwest of Columbus.
Logan County Emergency Management confirmed that Lakeview RV Park, a trailer park in the Indian Lake area just north of Lakeview, was hit by a tornado, or at least very strong winds, causing extensive damage. . At one point, it was reported that there was a shortage of ambulances.
The National Weather Service in Wilmington reported “multiple buildings were destroyed in the Lakeview area.”
An X user who was driving through Logan from Lima took photos of the extensive damage. In a post to X, he said authorities told him they missed the tornado by “about two minutes.” He could not confirm whether there were any casualties, but said a large portion of Route 33 northwest of Marysville will remain closed as authorities assess the damage.
Tornado touchdowns were also reported near Genera in Hancock County, south of Findlay in northwestern Ohio, and near Plymouth along the Huron and Richland County line. According to NWS Cleveland, a half-mile wide tornado touched down on the ground in Huron County, and the county's Office of Emergency Management reported damage to homes and structures.
The Auglaize County Emergency Management Agency reported “tornado damage” believed to be near Fryeburg, south of Wapac, just after 7 p.m.
A tornado watch was announced late Thursday night for parts of southern and southeastern Ohio, southeastern Indiana, and northern and north-central Kentucky along the Ohio River until 4 a.m. Friday, with a tornado in Indiana by early Thursday morning. was seen crossing the river. To Kentucky.
Tornado warnings were issued across central Ohio Thursday night as a severe storm front that hit Logan County moved east-southeast into Union, Delaware and Licking counties.
Numerous downed trees and power lines were reported in Delaware County, and Genoa County police closed sections of Route 3 due to downed trees.
More than 10,300 customers were without power Thursday night, according to AEP's outage map.
The last tornado warning in central Ohio was in Licking County, around 9:45 p.m. However, tornado sirens were not heard in Pataskala in western Licking County until about 10 p.m., and they could be heard in eastern Franklin County. The county's tornado warning was lifted at 10:15 p.m., but another thunderstorm developed behind it.
A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Licking County, Fairfield County and other counties along and south of I-70 until 11:30 p.m. Hail was still possible along the front.
Tornado watches for all eastern Ohio counties except Monroe and Noble counties were suspended by NWS Pittsburgh at 11:14 p.m.
Based on future radar forecasts from the Weather Channel and the National Weather Service, central Ohio was expected to experience some thunderstorms followed by locally heavy rain through the early hours of Friday morning. No further tornado watches or warnings were expected.
A tornado killed at least three people at a mobile home park in Winchester, Indiana, on Thursday afternoon.
At least three other tornadoes were confirmed Thursday afternoon and touched down in southern Indiana and north-central Kentucky Thursday, damaging or destroying dozens of buildings, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported. Ta. Tornadoes were confirmed near Hanover and Marion, Indiana, and near Milton, Kentucky.
Mark Weinberg, chief meteorologist for the WDRB news station in Louisville, posted photos of the extensive damage caused by one of two confirmed tornadoes in the Hanover area, a town in southeastern Indiana. His front line advanced into northern Kentucky,
Following the tornado about two weeks ago, a tornado warning has been issued here as well.
Thursday night's tornado warning comes just over two weeks after Ohio was hit by nine tornadoes in the predawn hours of Feb. 28, seven of which hit central Ohio. was. Removal of downed trees, destroyed buildings and barns, and other restoration work continues in Madison, Franklin, and Licking counties.
Three of the nine tornadoes in Ohio were EF0 tornadoes (65-85 mph), one each in Groveport and Darbydale in Pleasant Township, Franklin County, and one in Harrisburg Village in Franklin and Pickaway Counties. was reported. Three were EF1 tornadoes (86 to 110 mph), and one each occurred in Hilliard and Riverside, Montgomery County, between East London and West Jefferson, and Dayton and Springfield. There were three EF2 tornadoes (111-135 mph), one of which traveled from Clark County to Madison County, causing significant damage to the Ohio State University Agriculture Center and Madison County Airport in Madison County, and one tornado in eastern Jefferson County. This includes the tornado that hit the Blacklick area of the borough. In Franklin County, it moved to Pataskala and Jersey townships in Licking County, weakened to EF1, then disappeared southwest of Granville, and a third EF1 disappeared in Malaga Township, Monroe County, eastern Ohio.
What is the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?
A tornado watch means that tornadoes are possible in an area that includes multiple counties or a large portion of the state.
If a tornado watch is in effect, it's a good time to review your emergency plans, check your supplies, and determine the safest place to seek shelter if the storm worsens. Make sure your phone is charged and have a plan in place to take immediate action if your watch alerts you.
A tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. A warning means there is an immediate danger to life and property within the warning area and you should immediately move indoors to the lowest floor of a solid building and avoid windows.
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