Scroll down to subscribe to this news feed. (Available in RSS and ATOM Feed Files!)
Preliminary Damage Survey Summaries: ***Review of Survey Information and data continues with revisions to the summaries below possible*** NWS personnel, in cooperation with county Emergency Management officials, conducted surveys of the wind damage to determine if distinct damage could be found which would be associated with tornadic development. Numerous eyewitness reports came in of funnel clouds and possible tornado touchdowns from Grant county, into Wells and Adams counties in Indiana and Van Wert County in Ohio. Many of these were gustnadoes, or gust front tornadoes, which rapidly develop on the leading edge of a fast moving line of storms.
According to current classification standards, gustnadoes are classified as thunderstorm winds and not tornadic winds. That does not diminish the threat that they can pose or the fact that they look and act just like tornadoes. The vast majority of the damage in this swath was the result of damaging straight-line winds about 60 to 80 mph. Damage indications in a few areas leaned toward peak wind speeds around 90 mph as well.
Grant County: Damage patterns indicate that at least one brief tornado did occur just to the northwest of Marion, Indiana in Grant county. A EF1 tornado touched down around 733 pm EDT in a heavily forested area just south of the 4 Mile Bridge, west of State Route 15 and lifted immediately just across the road at 735 pm EDT. Damage was confined to mature trees and roof damage with a peak width of 50 yards and a path length just shy of two tenths of a mile. Extensive tree damage and terrain prevented a more accurate assessment of the path length. Winds were estimated between 90 and 100 mph. Wind speeds of a EF1 range from 86 to 109 mph on the Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale) [Click for more information about the EF Scale].
The tornado mentioned above appeared to have occurred coincident with a microburst wind event that originated to the southwest in a subdivision north of West Harreld Road and west of Frances Slocum Trail. This wind swath widened out to three quarters of a mile after it crossed State Route 15 and affected another subdivision with substantial tree damage. Winds were estimated at between 65 and 85 mph. Additional sporadic wind damage was noted through the remainder of the county, with one more extensive area of straight-line wind damage found near the town of Fowlerton . Winds were estimated at up to 75 mph.
Wells and Adams Counties: Several areas of concentrated damage were seen across Wells and Adams County during a seperate survey. The majority of the damage was consistent with straight-line winds. The wind speeds that were estimated, which were in the 80 to 90 mph range, would have overshadowed any small damage patterns which may have been created by what was likely several brief gustnadoes. Much of the wind damage was found along and north of US 224 across these two counties.
Scattered tree damage was found across Wells County with highlights including a rolled semi-trailer near Rockford and a 10,000-pound RV rolled into a barn 3.5 miles northwest of Bluffton.
Significant tree damage was found scattered across Adams County as well, especially near and around Decatur . Large signs and rooftops of businesses were damaged with many houses suffering minor roof damage.
Van Wert County: Just as was observed in adjacent Adams county Indiana, widespread reports of wind damage, with speeds estimated as high as 90 mph across Van Wert county. Early indications of a possible tornado in the county were reconsidered after examination of damage, radar data and intense discussion with other NWS staff members. Due to the strength of the winds, specific tornado tracks were difficult at best to be ascertained in the county. Several eyewitness reports in the county stated observing a wall or blast of high winds and dust that was then preceded several minutes later by heavy rain and small hail.
RARE FORM OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WEDNESDAY
Two brief touchdowns in Wabash County Indiana...one touchdown in Putnam County Ohio...and one touchdown along the state line in Adams County Indiana into Van Wert County Ohio on May 30th and May 31st 2008 confirmed...
Staff from the National Weather Service office in Northern Indiana did an extensive survey of Wabash...Huntington...Grant...and Adams Counties in Indiana and Van Wert...Paulding...and Putnam Counties in Ohio investigating damage from several thunderstorms that affected the area during the evening hours of the 30th.
A high-end EF1 tornado on the Enhanced Fujita scale [click for more info] with winds estimated between 105-110 mph was found in Putnam County just north and west of the town of Glandorf. The tornado formed near Road 13I just south of Township Highway I and dissipated near the Firefox Lake Private Subdivision. As the tornado moved toward the Auglaize River it quickly widened to a peak width of 464 yards or just a little over a quarter of a mile. The tornado continued east before crossing the river again and quickly weakening. The most significant damage occurred along Township Highway I between Roads 13 and 13I. The tornado destroyed six outbuildings including pole barns and “stick-built” buildings constructed on a foundation. Over a half dozen homes were damaged with several sustaining major damage including the complete removal of roofs. A large amount of agricultural equipment and eleven vehicles were also damaged or destroyed with total monetary losses initially estimated at $1,200,000.
An EF0 tornado was found on the Indiana/Ohio state line. It touched down in Adams County Indiana and moved one half mile into Van Wert County Ohio before dissipating. Wind speeds in this tornado were estimated between 80 and 85 mph with trees and a large shed damaged.
In Wabash…Huntington…and Grant Counties the majority of the damage found was in the form of straight line winds in the 65 to 80 mph range. However...damage did indicate two brief tornado touchdowns in Wabash County. The first touchdown occurred in an open field south of the city of Wabash…southwest of the intersection of 400 S and State Road 13. Several trees were damaged with a new pole barn suffering partial destruction. A second barn had a wall and partial roof collapse from the winds. As the tornado crossed State Road 13, it pushed over or snapped twelve power poles before dissipating in an open field. The tornado was on the ground for around two tenths of a mile with a maximum width of 50 yards. The worst damage was consistent with an EF1…with estimated winds of 90 mph.
Another brief touchdown was located near the intersection of 600 E and 250 N, just north of Lincolnville. After touching down in an open field, the circulation struck an older wood barn, causing the west facing wall to fall in and some roof materials to be blown off. A few trees were observed blown down immediately north of the touchdown location. The tornado then quickly dissipated as it approached the Salamonie Lake Reservoir. The tornado was on the ground for around one tenth of a mile with a maximum width of 25 yards. The worst damage was consistent with an EF0 with estimated winds of 80 mph.
Map of wind damage in Wabash and Huntington counties.
Map of the first tornado path in Wabash County.
Map of the second tornado path in Wabash County.
Map of tornado path in Putnam County.
On Friday night, severe thunderstorms caused significant damage to portions of our area. Several funnel clouds were reported in northern Indiana and northwest Ohio, with some of them touching down. Here are the latest storm reports. Please see the article above for information about the tornado touchdowns.
At 6:15pm EDT, law enforcement reported a roof blown off, a possible tornado, and a funnel cloud, 1 mile south of Wabash, Indiana. (Wabash Co., IN 5/30/08)At 6:20pm EDT, a trained spotter reported wind damage to a house, 5 miles south-southeast of Lagro, Indiana. (Wabash Co., IN 5/30/08)At 6:20pm EDT, tornado damage was reported 3 miles south of Wabash, Indiana. A tornado was confirmed by survey team and emergency management.At 6:23pm EDT, emergency managers estimated 70 mph winds with tree limb damage in Andrews, Indiana. (Huntington Co., IN 5/30/08)At 6:24pm EDT, Andrews fire chief estimated 80 mph winds with many trees down, in Andrews, Indiana. (Huntington Co., IN 5/30/08)At 6:25pm EDT, emergency managers reported several large trees down including some over 2 feet in diameter with power lines down and homes damaged, 1 mile south of Andrews, Indiana. (Huntington Co., IN 5/30/08)At 6:30pm EDT, emergency managers reported significant tree and power line damage, with power out to parts of Wabash county, 4 miles south of Wabash, Indiana. State Road 13 was closed south of Wabash, and emergency managers are to do damage surveys Saturday. (Wabash Co., IN 5/30/08)At 6:36pm EDT, amateur radio reported several trees and TV antennas down, 3 miles east of Peru, Indiana. (Miami Co., IN 5/30/08)At 6:38pm EDT, emergency managers estimated 0.25 inch diamter hail in Brookston, Indiana (White Co., IN 5/30/08)At 7:35pm EDT emergency managers reported ankle deep water over roads in the southern half of White County, some impassable, with water over State Road 43 in Reynolds, Indiana. (White Co., IN 5/30/08)At 9:19pm EDT, more than 4 inches of rain was reported by emergency managers since Friday afternoon in Brookston, Indiana. Water was receding and most roads were passable. (White Co., IN 5/30/08)At 9:33pm EDT, CoCoRahS measured 1.53 inches of heavy rain at that time, in Monticello, Indiana. (White Co., IN 5/30/08)At 9:48pm EDT, a trained spotter estimated 0.25 diameter hail in Laotto, Indiana. (Noble Co., IN 5/30/08)At 9:53pm EDT, a wall cloud was reported by a trained spotter, as well as a possible funnel cloud 2 miels south of Marion, Indiana. (Grant Co., IN 5/30/08)At 9:55pm EDT, emergency managers reported a car port that was destroyed and trailer damage 4 miles south of Marion, Indiana.(Grant Co., IN 5/30/08)
At 10:02pm EDT, emergency managers reported a large tree down, 1 mile north of Normal, Indiana (Grant Co., IN 5/30/08)At 10:08pm EDT, emergency managers estimated 0.25 inch hail in Mentone, Indiana. (Kosciusko Co., IN 5/30/08)At 10:45pm EDT, law enforcemant reported an injury in Rochester, Indiana. A teenager was struck by lightning and taken to the hospital. (Fulton Co., IN 5/30/08)At 11:55pm EDT, law enforcement reported roof damage to houses and barns, with many trees and power lines down 3 miles east of Decatur. (Adams Co., IN 5/30/08)At 11:59pm EDT, a trained spotter measured 81 mph winds 3 miles east of Scott, Ohio. (Van Wert Co., OH 5/30/08)At 12 midnight EDT, a tornado was reported by emergency managers, 2 miles southwest of Scott, Ohio. A barn was leveled, a garage was damaged, 2 grain bins were knocked down, wood high tension power lines were snapped, and debris was in a convergent pattern. (Van Wert Co., OH 5/31/08)At 12:10am EDT, emergency managers reported a trailer home wrapped around a pole, and another trailer home blown away 3 miles east of Mcgill, Ohio. Other roof damage was reported in the county. (Paulding Co., OH 5/31/08)At 12:30am EDT, a tornado was reported by emergency managers 2 miles northwest of Glandorf, Ohio. 2 homes were partially destroyed with only a few walls left standing. A dozen trees were down, a barn was down, roads were closed, and victims were extracted from debris, with no injuries. (Putnam Co., OH 5/31/08)At 12:30am EDT, emergency managers reported a tornado 1 mile north of Glandorf, Ohio, with a house and garage destroyed, a minivan moved 20 yards, and trees were twisted. (Putnam Co., OH 5/31/08)At 12:55am EDT, power outages in Fort Shawnee were reported by law enforcement. (Allen Co., OH 5/31/08)At 1:12am EDT, minor flooding was reported by a trained spotter, with 2.97 inches of rain in the past 6 hours, 4 miles northeast of Fort Wayne, Indiana. (Allen Co., IN 5/31/08)At 1:15am EDT, a trained spotter reported 2.94 inches of rain 5 miles northeast of Fort Wayne, Indiana with road and street flooding. (Allen Co., IN 5/31/08)At 1:41 AM EDT, flooding was reported by emergency managers at the intersection of Highway 104 and Highway 209. (Paulding Co., OH 5/31/08)At 8:32am EDT, a trained spotter measured a total of 3.15 inches of heavy rain, 5 miles south of New Haven, Indiana. (Allen Co., IN 5/31/08)
