February tornado outbreak hits Ohio: What we know about the area tornadoes

Rebekah Stewart sorts through what’s left of her families house for clothes and personal belongings Wednesday afternoon. Wednesday’s storm destroyed Rebekah’s home and severely damaged several others on Mitchell Road. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Rebekah Stewart sorts through what’s left of her families house for clothes and personal belongings Wednesday afternoon. Wednesday’s storm destroyed Rebekah’s home and severely damaged several others on Mitchell Road. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Five tornadoes touched down early Wednesday in Ohio, including two in the Miami Valley near Riverside and near Springfield following a severe storm front.

Two of the tornadoes were strong and rated EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale with wind speeds of 111 to 136 mph, and three were weak and rated EF-1 with wind speeds between 86 and 110 mph.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine met with families in storm-ravaged parts of Clark County.

“Fran and I are so very grateful no one was seriously injured, and we thank all of the first responders and emergency management teams who worked tirelessly throughout the day,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The first tornado to touch down was an EF-1 in Montgomery and Greene counties that caused damage at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

  • Time period: 4:37 to 4:41 a.m.
  • Maximum wind speed: 100 mph
  • Maximum path width: 200 yards
  • Path length: 2.4 miles
  • Injuries, fatalities: None reported
  • Notable damage: Trees down near Mitchell Drive, Spinning Road, Eisenhower Drive and glass blown out of Airway Shopping Center storefronts; hangers damaged in Area B of the base; shingles ripped off housing units and an apartment complex behind Meijer.

The second tornado touchdown was an EF-2 in Clark and Madison counties with a much larger destruction path.

  • Time period: 4:52 a.m. to 5:15 a.m.
  • Maximum wind speed: 130 mph
  • Maximum path width: 500 yards
  • Path length: 21.3 miles
  • Injuries, fatalities: None reported
  • Notable damage: Trees down on Selma Pike, roofs blown off houses along Ridge Road, state Route 41 area, a dozen barns and outbuildings destroyed. Also, significant straight line wind damage was south of the tornado track for a damage path more than a half-mile wide in area of state Route 41, Rose Hill Cemetery.

The three other tornadoes were in central Ohio: An EF-1 that formed in Madison County that began east of London and dissipated south of West Jefferson; an EF-1 that struck the Hilliard area in Franklin County; and last, an EF-2 spawned in the Blacklick area of Jefferson Twp. in eastern Franklin County.

Storm survey results are preliminary and can change pending additional information and final review, the NWS says.

About the Author