Thursday night, a dangerous half-mile-wide tornado hit northern Ohio, adding to the severe weather outbreak that also affected Kentucky and Indiana. The National Weather Service's Cleveland office described the situation as "very serious," with reports of several significant injuries.
In Ohio, forecasters were closely monitoring two tornadic rotations, one in Crawford County and a stronger one in northern Ashland County. They also warned of the likelihood of a few tornadoes, along with scattered wind gusts up to 70 mph and hail the size of tennis balls.
Several central Ohio counties were under tornado watches, following a series of tornadoes that hit the state just over two weeks ago, causing widespread damage.
In Indiana, severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes led to significant injuries in Winchester. Meanwhile, in Ohio, two deaths were confirmed due to the storm system, with more fatalities expected as heavy damage was reported in several areas.
The storm also caused destruction in eastern Indiana, where a mobile home park and a Taco Bell were destroyed, and properties in Randolph County were severely damaged. Tornadoes also wreaked havoc in southern Indiana and north-central Kentucky, damaging at least 50 structures in Milton, Kentucky, and causing power outages in both states.
Weather service meteorologists had warned of possible tornadoes and large hail across north-central Texas and the Midwest, with the greatest overall threat in eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, and southern Missouri. Videos of the storms, including what appeared to be a massive tornado in Kansas, circulated online.
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