Cleveland, OH

Teams surveying damage in Ottawa, Sandusky, Ashland counties from storms, tornadoes

Published

1 year ago

June 16, 2023

Teams surveying damage in Ottawa, Sandusky, Ashland counties from storms, tornadoes

PERU, Ohio — Multiple trees were felled, roads are blocked and power is still out for thousands of residents Friday morning, mainly in the counties south and west of Cleveland, after severe storms rolled northern Ohio Thursday night.

Here’s a review of the severe weather from News 5 meteorologist Phil Sakal:

@news5cleveland
Trees down, power out, roads closed after severe storms rolled through northern Ohio last night. Damage centered in Huron, Ottawa counties, where NWS teams will survey the damage of a possible tornado. More on the News 5 app.
♬ original sound – news5cleveland

Tornado touches down

ASHLAND COUNTY

The National Weather Service confirmed Friday afternoon that an EF-0 tornado touched down in Nankin Township in Ashland County.

The tornado hit around 8:47 p.m. Thursday, reaching speeds up to 85 mph. Its impact area was 300 yards wide by 1.2 miles long. No one was injured in the event.

HURON COUNTY

The Huron County Emergency Management Agency also provided a video and an image of a possible tornado in their area.

@news5cleveland
🌪️ Here’s video and images of a possible tornado in Huron County from the county’s EMA. Download the News 5 app for the latest, and tune in tonight for coverage of the storm aftermath.
♬ original sound – news5cleveland

According to Huron County EMA, storms wreaked havoc on North Fairfield Thursday evening. The damage to the small community of around 500 residents was extensive.

Bob Jones | News 5 Cleveland

“I took trucks, and we go out, and I do spotters and see if anything is coming. Well then, pardon my French, but all hell broke loose,” North Fairfield Fire Chief Edward Eden said.

Trees were damaged, with many down on homes in the area. Residents lost power, and in some cases, those wires went down on cars and homes.

It appears North Fairfield was ground zero for storm damage in the county, Huron County EMA said.

Cleanup is now underway and is expected to continue for quite a while.

“The cleanup is not going to be fast, I can tell you that. But it’s like everything else; we’ll survive,” Eden said.

For North Fairfield resident Roger Osborn, that cleanup will take much longer. His house, built in 1848, had several trees fall on it during the storms. Three of those trees are now partially inside the home.

Osborn and his wife rushed to the basement when they heard the noise of the storm approaching.

“(For) 10 seconds, it roared like a freight train, and then it was done. It was over within 10 to 12 seconds. The show was over,” Osborn said.

For all the damage left behind by the storm, Osborn said he is grateful he only has roof damage. His home is extremely meaningful because about 30 years ago, he discovered tunnels in his basement that local historians said were part of the underground railroad.

“Supposedly, a couple of U.S. Presidents that were from Ohio have been in my neighbor’s house and this house,” he said.

Art Mead, the director of Huron County EMA, said that despite Mother Nature’s wrath, residents are counting their blessings that no one was seriously hurt. The tight-knit community is working together to recover from last night’s terrifying ordeal.

“If it gets to a point where we need extra help, I will reach out to the state, but as of right now, I’m not the only county that was affected by this, as you’re aware of,” so we’ll kind of do our thing and figure this out,” Mead said.

LUCAS COUNTY

The National Weather Service confirmed late Friday afternoon that an EF-2 tornado touched down North of Toledo and tracked east into Point Place in Lucas County. Estimated peak wind gusts were 130 mph and it was on the ground for about four minutes.

[3:55 PM] Preliminary NWS storm survey confirmed an EF-2 tornado touched down north of Toledo, OH and tracked east into Point Place, OH. It was on the ground for about 4 minutes with estimated maximum peak wind gusts of 130 mph. Additional survey information to follow. #ohwx pic.twitter.com/QtIuZfQ0OM
— NWS Cleveland (@NWSCLE) June 16, 2023
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Lightning show

OTTAWA COUNTY

Radar and photos of damage in Ottawa County show that a tornado likely touched down there Thursday night.

STORM SUMMARY: Yesterday evening became VERY active and dangerous for many communities across NE Ohio (from The Islands straight through New Philly). The NWS will be sending out teams to check out damage to determine wind/tornado strength. I will keep you posted what they find! pic.twitter.com/17k5IKrm11
— Katie McGraw (@KatieMcGrawx) June 16, 2023
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“The (National) Weather Service will come tomorrow and survey the damage, but I’m 99% confident it’s a tornado,” said Fred Petersen, director of the Ottawa County Emergency Management Agency, to the Akron Beacon Journal. “There are trees lying in different directions, and by the nature of the damage,” it appears that it was caused by a tornado.

Photos sent to News 5 show damage likely caused by a tornado, like this leveled farm structure near Point Place in Ottawa County.

Oak Harbor residents clean up after severe storm damage

Power outages

Thousands were without power Thursday evening and Friday morning. Currently, according to FirstEnergy, the following counties are still affected by outages as of 3: p.m.:

Erie – 263
Huron – 911
Lucas – 6,065
Ottawa – 350
Sandusky – 1,992

Road closures

Many roads were closed throughout Northern Ohio but have since reopened.

Lightning show

The storm caused the most damage in central-north counties like Huron, Erie and Ottawa and Sandusky.

As it rolled through Northeastern Ohio Thursday night, lightning strikes provided some dramatic images of Cleveland, like this one captured by News 5’s Alex Farmer.

Lightning strike over Cleveland Thursday night.

Viewer Maddie T.even captured a video of lightning striking the Key Bank building:

RAW: Lightning strikes Key Bank building in Cleveland

Image of lightning striking the Key Bank building in Cleveland.

Stay tuned to News 5 for more reports of damage and effects of the storm in Northeast Ohio.

Want the latest Power of 5 weather team updates wherever you go? Download the News 5 App free now: Apple|Android

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Click here to view our interactive radar.

Read and watch the latest Power of 5 forecast here.

Follow the News 5 Weather Team:

Mark Johnson: Facebook & Twitter

Trent Magill: Facebook & Twitter

Katie McGraw: Facebook & Twitter

Phil Sakal: Facebook & Twitter

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Cleveland, OH

Northern Ohio Braces for Cold Front and Potential First Snowfall Thursday

Published

32 mins ago

November 20, 2024

Press Room

Northern Ohio Braces for Cold Front and Potential First Snowfall Thursday

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Cleveland, OH – A cold front will sweep through Northern Ohio on Wednesday, bringing cooler temperatures, rain, and gusty winds. Many areas may see their first snowflakes by Thursday.

According to the National Weather Service in Cleveland, rain chances will peak Wednesday afternoon, with precipitation forecasts exceeding 80% in cities like Cleveland, Akron, and Canton. Winds will gust between 30 and 35 mph, enhancing the chill.

By Thursday, colder air will settle across the region, potentially creating conditions for the season’s first snow. Areas along Lake Erie, including Ashtabula and Erie, have higher snow chances. Rain will taper off, but breezy conditions will persist.

Travelers should plan for slick roads and reduced visibility during rain and potential snow periods. Forecasters advise staying updated as conditions evolve.

This weather marks a shift to a wintry pattern, with temperatures expected to drop below seasonal norms for several days.

Stay prepared for changing conditions as Northern Ohio transitions to winter.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram & like us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on more relevant news stories and SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT NEWS!

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Cleveland, OH

Judge orders maximum sentence for teen driver of stolen Kia in deadly crash

Published

8 hours ago

November 20, 2024

Press Room

Judge orders maximum sentence for teen driver of stolen Kia in deadly crash

CLEVELAND — A Cuyahoga County judge hopes to set an example by imposing a maximum sentence for a teen labeled as a “Kia Boy.”

Tuesday, Judge Nancy Margaret Russo ordered a 16-year prison sentence and lifetime driver’s license revocation for Monroe Larkin, III.

The 17-year-old pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and felonious assault for his role in an August 2023 crash that killed one woman and critically injured another.

“She was full of life, laughter and love, the kind of person who could light up a room without even trying,” Leslie Reyes Figueroa said of her younger sister during Tuesday’s sentencing hearing.

Her other sister, Gardenia Calderon, added, “A lot of things in this life are not for certain. But this, growing old with my sisters, I was sure of.”

Janet Reyes was riding in a car with her friend in August 2023 when a stolen Kia Optima hit the pair.

Woman dies after police say stolen KIA crashes into car in Old Brooklyn

The 21-year-old was killed on impact, and her friend driving suffered a traumatic brain injury and lost an eye. The friend was unable to attend Tuesday’s hearing because of her ongoing recovery from the crash.

“My incredible sister, who had her whole life ahead of her, [was] taken by boys who call themselves ‘Kia Boys’ – running around our neighborhoods, causing trouble, causing harm to our communities and now causing death to my sister and badly injuring her friend,” Calderon said.

Larkin was driving the stolen Kia. Surveillance video showed the car reaching 88mph on Pearl Road before colliding with the other vehicle at State Road.

“You caused this. You caused their pain. You caused the death of another human being, you interrupted whatever life that person was supposed to have. That’s a heavy burden you’re going to have to carry,” Judge Russo told Larkin from the bench.

Reyes’ family begged for a sentence long enough to teach a lesson. Larkin’s defense attorney asked the judge to consider his client’s age and troubled home life.

Reyes was the second person killed in a crash with a stolen Kia in less than a month. The judge noted the trend of young people stealing cars plaguing Northeast Ohio.

“I hear a lot of people talking to me of – ‘Oh, the person is 17, the person is 16.’ But you knew exactly what you were doing,” Russo told Larkin. “Everybody in this room knows about the terror that’s going on in this community from people who use their age as some kind of shield for committing criminal acts.”

When Larkin’s case was bound over from juvenile court to the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, he was facing nearly a dozen charges, including murder.

He accepted a plea deal to reduce the charges to one count each of felonious assault and vehicular homicide. Before sentencing, he briefly apologized to the Reyes family and told them he accepted full responsibility for his actions.

The judge ordered two consecutive eight-year sentences for each charge and told him he would lose his driver’s license indefinitely.

Reyes’ family said they were satisfied with the sentence and hoped it would prevent other families from experiencing their grief.

“The truth is there are many more kids like you in the streets,” Calderon told Larkin in court. “And if we continue letting them get away with horrific crimes, how can our communities get any better?”

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Cleveland, OH

Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens ends bid to keep gavel in 2025

Published

16 hours ago

November 19, 2024

Press Room

Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens ends bid to keep gavel in 2025

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens announced Monday he will not seek another two years as speaker, bringing an abrupt end to his months-long, behind-the-scenes leadership fight with outgoing Ohio Senate President Matt Huffman.

The decision by Stephens, a Lawrence County Republican, makes it far more likely that Huffman, a Lima Republican, will be elected next January as speaker, a job that brings enormous power to determine which bills pass the legislature and which fail.

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