Three tornadoes have been officially confirmed by the National Weather Service following the severe storms that hit Northeast Ohio on Wednesday evening, June 18. The confirmation came Thursday evening, and included two tornadoes in Ottawa County and one that moved from Huron County into Lorain County.
EF-0 tornado hits Elmore in Ottawa County
A weak tornado, rated EF-0, touched down in Elmore, a village in Ottawa County, reaching estimated wind speeds of 80 mph (129 km/h). According to the NWS, it had a path length of 0.54 miles and a width of about 10 yards, enough to bring localized damage in its brief but intense passage.
Second EF-0 tornado strikes Rocky Ridge
Another EF-0 tornado, with slightly lower peak winds of 70 mph (113 km/h), impacted Rocky Ridge, also in Ottawa County. This funnel was longer, measuring 2.94 miles in length, but maintained the same 10-yard width. These two tornadoes highlight the vulnerability of western Lake Erie counties to brief spin-ups during fast-moving storm systems.
EF-1 tornado crosses from Huron to Lorain County
The strongest tornado of the night, rated EF-1, began its track near Collins in Huron County. With winds reaching 100 mph (161 km/h), it uprooted trees and damaged structures as it moved through Wakeman, before entering Lorain County near the Firelands Boy Scout Reservation. It ultimately dissipated northwest of Kipton, but not before carving out a 9.36-mile path and expanding up to 200 yards wide. It tore off part of a roof and continued to bring destruction to trees along its route.
Seven tornado warnings across Northeast Ohio
The tornado outbreak prompted seven separate tornado warnings across multiple counties, including Lorain, Summit, Ottawa, Geauga, Portage, Erie, and Mahoning. Alongside those alerts, severe thunderstorm warnings were issued throughout Northeast Ohio, with Cuyahoga County experiencing intense conditions as well.
Damaging winds knock out power and topple trees
Across the entire region, damaging wind gusts brought large tree limbs crashing onto vehicles and caused widespread power outages, affecting thousands of homes and businesses. Utility crews and emergency services spent the night and early morning hours responding to storm-related damage across the area.
Stay with us for real-time updates on weather conditions across Ohio.
