A violent storm system spawned multiple tornadoes that cut a path of devastation across parts of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky late Thursday, killing at least two people and injuring many more. The twisters flattened homes, businesses and other structures as powerful winds whipped through numerous communities.
The full extent of the damage is still coming into focus, but early reports paint a picture of widespread destruction from the unseasonably severe late-winter storms. Rescue crews raced to search through the rubble for additional victims as dawn broke Friday.
Authorities in Ohio’s Logan County confirmed two storm-related fatalities early Friday morning in the areas around Indian Lake between Columbus and Dayton. “There likely will be more fatalities discovered,” said Chief Deputy Joe Kopus, citing the heavy damage in towns like Lakeview, Midway, Orchard Island and Russells Point.
One of the hardest hit areas was the small town of Winchester, Indiana, about 70 miles northeast of Indianapolis. A suspected tornado tore through the community of 4,700 around 8 p.m. Thursday, causing “many, many significant injuries,” according to Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas Carter. He said the number and severity of the injuries was still unknown in the immediate aftermath.
“I’m shaken; it’s overwhelming,” said Winchester Mayor Bob McCoy, who took shelter in a closet with his wife as the twister barreled through. “I heard what sounded like a train and then I started hearing sirens. I’ve never heard that sound before; I don’t want to hear it again.”
Video footage and images from Winchester showed severe damage to a Walmart store, a Taco Bell restaurant and numerous homes and other buildings. Travel was restricted to emergency personnel as rescue teams searched for victims into the night.
In the nearby town of Selma, initial assessments indicated that up to half of all structures were damaged or destroyed by the tornado. “We are relieved to report that only minor injuries have been reported thus far,” said officials in Delaware County, where Selma is located.
The same storm system that pummeled Winchester is believed to have spawned another tornado that slammed into the communities of Lakeview and Russells Point on the shores of Indian Lake in Logan County, Ohio. Sheri Timmers, a county spokesperson, said the tornado struck an RV campground and inflicted damage across a widespread area.
“As far as we know, we have lots of injuries. We don’t know the extent of the injuries,” Timmers told reporters. Homes, businesses and other buildings were heavily damaged or demolished, with some set ablaze by the twister’s ferocious winds.
Amber Fagan, president of the local chamber of commerce, said the village of Lakeview was “completely demolished” by the tornado, with homes, campgrounds and a laundromat smashed by the intense storm.
“There’s places burning. There’s power lines through people’s windows,” said Fagan, as a shelter was established for those displaced by the widespread damage.
Farther northeast in Ohio’s Huron County along Lake Erie, there were reports of a “confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado” near the town of Plymouth. Details were still emerging about the storm’s impacts there.
Earlier in the evening, suspected tornadoes caused damage in river communities in southeastern Indiana like Hanover and Lamb along the Ohio River, destroying several homes and campers but thankfully causing no injuries.
The storms also hammered parts of northern Kentucky, with the governor reporting at least 50 structures damaged including homes in Trimble County near Louisville. A few minor injuries were reported from that area as well.
“It does appear that there is some really significant damage, especially to the town of Milton,” said Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, who activated the state’s emergency operations center. “We think there are over 100 structures that are potentially damaged.”
Forecasters had been warning for days that a powerful storm system would pose a serious risk for violent thunderstorms and tornadoes as it tracked across a wide swath of the Midwest and Ohio Valley regions. The volatile weather followed an unseasonable bout of warm temperatures earlier in the week after an extended period of cold and snowy conditions.
The wild swing in weather patterns set the stage for explosive atmospheric conditions to develop, with hot humid air riding over an unusually cold air mass close to the surface. The clashing air masses generated intense wind shear and instability that fueled the supercell thunderstorms and tornadoes.
Large, destructive hail the size of baseballs also pelted areas from St. Louis to Kansas City as the storms pushed across Missouri early in their lifecycle. Meteorologists observed signs of towers within the storms reaching up 60,000-70,000 feet, indicative of their extreme intensity.
Tornado watches and warnings blanketed much of the traditional “Tornado Alley” region as the storms trekked eastward throughout the day and into the overnight hours Thursday. States like Arkansas, Illinois, Tennessee and Ohio were squarely in the path of the severe weather threat.
Although the peak of the severe weather threat has likely passed, state and federal emergency agencies like FEMA remain on high alert for further impacts as the storm system pushes eastward on Friday. Search and rescue missions are ongoing to locate additional victims amid the rubble and debris fields.
Recovery efforts will also begin to quickly ramp up, with the daunting task of rebuilding homes, businesses and infrastructure destroyed by the violent winds lying ahead for many impacted communities. The long road back to some semblance of normalcy has only just begun.
This extreme weather outbreak yet again highlights the increasing frequency of high-impact events fueled by disruptions to the climate system from human-caused global warming. As world leaders grapple for solutions, deadly events like this will only continue their ominous rise in the coming years.
