Ohio
National Weather Service confirms 3 tornadoes touch down in Ohio. Here’s where they hit
Severe weather batters US from Nebraska to West Virginia
Flooding and tornadoes battered areas ranging from the north-central U.S. to the East Coast.
Strong storms that blew through Ohio on Wednesday night, June 18, cut power to tens of thousands across the state.
They also spawned several tornadoes, the National Weather Service in Cleveland confirmed Thursday, June 19.
Three tornadoes touched down during the severe storms, downing limbs as well as snapping and uprooting trees in three Ohio counties. They also damaged homes and buildings, sending a tree into a house in one instance, shattering windows, destroying barns and silos on farms and tearing roofs off structures, per the NWS.
Where in Ohio did tornadoes hit and how strong were the twisters? Here’s what to know.
Tornadoes touch down in Ottawa, Huron and Lorain Counties
The NWS has confirmed three tornadoes touched down the evening of June 18, in Ottawa, Huron and Lorain Counties in northern Ohio.
The first touched down at 7:43 p.m. near the Village of Elmore in Ottawa County and traveled about half a mile. It was on the ground for a minute, according to NWS surveyors. The tornado damaged a metal outbuilding as well as the roof of a residence. It also destroyed a grain silo and snapped a couple of trees. The twister was rated an EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale with a maximum wind speed of 80 mph.
The second struck near the Village of Rocky Ridge in Ottawa County at 7:50 p.m. and was on the ground for 2 minutes, traveling 2.94 miles. The tornado sent a tree onto a house along with other tree damage and partially tore the roof off a barn. It also produced other minor roof and facade damage and shattered a window, per NWS surveyors. This tornado was rated an EF0 with a maximum wind speed of 70 mph.
The final tornado hit near the Village of Wakeman in Huron County and traveled 9.36 miles into Lorain County. It sent limbs and branches onto area homes, downed trees and damaged roofs. It also caused the “failure of a roof” on a large barn, per NWS surveyors. It was rated an EF1 with a maximum wind speed of 100 mph.
Ohio tornado total for 2025
These three tornadoes bring Ohio’s total for the year so far to 21. That compares to 62 tornadoes by this time in 2024.
Last year set a new tornado record for the state, 74, becoming the worst year for tornadoes in Ohio since 1992 when the previous record of 62 was set. By June 2024, Ohio had already tied that record, with the record-breaker coming on June 29.
When is tornado season in Ohio?
In Ohio, tornado season peaks between April and June, according to the National Weather Service.
Kristen Cassady, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio, said previously that it is typical for severe weather frequency to ramp up in Ohio at the beginning of March. However, March is not a peak tornado season month.
“We typically do see severe weather events including tornadoes in the month of March, even though there is a slightly higher frequency climatologically in April and May,” Cassady said. “March is still one of the primary months for tornadoes in the Ohio Valley.”
How are tornadoes confirmed?
After suspected tornadoes are spotted, crews from the National Weather Service survey possible tornado damage in person.
The pattern of damage, not how much damage was caused, determines whether it was a tornado, according to the weather service. For tornadoes, with their violently rotating columns of air, damage often has a chaotic appearance, with larger uprooted trees often crossing each other. Weather service surveyors often look at larger uproots of trees to get a true idea of where the wind was blowing from.
How are tornadoes rated?
The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:
- EF0: Weak, with wind speeds of 65 to 85 mph
- EF1: Weak, 86 to 110 mph
- EF2: Strong, 111 to 135 mph
- EF3: Strong, 136 to 165 mph
- EF4: Violent, 166 to 200 mph
- EF5: Violent, greater than 200 mph
There is also an EF Unknown ranking, “a final caveat that has been added adjacent to the scale in recent years,” the Weather Channel reports. It rates a tornado sighted and documented by storm chasers or the public, but no damage can be found when the area is later surveyed.
BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) — A heavy police presence could be seen near Meadowbrook Avenue and Market Street in Boardman after one vehicle flipped on its roof Saturday evening
It happened a little before 7:30 p.m. on Market Street, right at the Meadowbrook Avenue intersection.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, multiple people involved have been taken into custody.
Large police presences were also at the corner of Southern Boulevard and Meadowbrook Avenue, and at the intersection of Indianola Avenue and Market Street.
Our crew is on the scene, but right now we’re unsure if there are any injuries or how the crash happened.
The intersection is currently blocked off while crews work.
The crash is under investigation.
No other information has been given at this time.
Dominic O’Brien contributed to this report.
HOCKING HILLS, Ohio (WJW) — Visitors to Hocking Hills will soon have an opportunity to experience the beauty of southeastern Ohio in a whole new way.
Jake Ryan is one of the visionaries behind the Hocking Hills Mountain Coaster, a brand new attraction set to open next year.
According to Ryan, the coaster will feature 3,640 feet of track that will bob and weave through the trees at speeds up to 26 miles per hour, allowing riders to view Hocking Hills through a completely different lens.
Crews will break ground on the project August 1.
“We are so proud to bring this to the Hocking Hills community. This isn’t just for the tourists who visit this incredible area, it’s for the local community too, and we truly believe it’s going to be a blessing for everyone in the region,” Ryan wrote on social media, announcing the project and sharing a video rendering of what’s to come.
Ryan, who also manages more than two dozen cabins in the Hocking Hills area, told Fox 8 News visitors to the scenic region often share feedback about their stay, and one thing they always seem to ask for is more attractions.
Though rich with hiking trails, waterfalls, caves to explore and more, Ryan said he is filling a gap in the area with the creation of the Hocking Hills Mountain Coaster.
“It is definitely a need for the area based on feedback we get directly from guests we’re hosting,” Ryan said.
After looking across the country for different ideas and inspiration, Ryan said an alpine coaster – popular in areas like Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the Smoky Mountains – made the most sense in terms of giving visitors a unique, fun adventure they wouldn’t get anywhere else in the state.
“There’s nothing like it in Ohio,” Ryan told Fox 8. “It is a completely different experience.”
The project should be complete by late winter 2026 or early spring 2027.
Along with the coaster, Ryan said a 5,000 square foot commercial building will also be constructed to house a gift shop, merchandise and activities for the whole family.
CANTON ‒ If you have been seeing more chipmunks near your yards and gardens this year, you aren’t alone.
And it was expected, says the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
“2025 was an exceptionally hard mast year for trees in Ohio which means a surplus in food for small rodents like chipmunks,” said Monika Bowman, wildlife communications specialist for the state agency. “More food leads to more chipmunks in a cyclical nature that we expect to see.”
A mast year is when trees and other plants, such as oak drop more acorns and other seeds, which are a main source of food for chipmunks.
Chipmunks also reproduce twice a year.
“Unlike some other small rodents, chipmunks have two mating seasons,” Bowman said. “We’re coming up on the second one at the beginning of summer, so more chipmunks would be in gardens to prepare.”
Chipmunks can damage homes and gardens. They love to burrow in mulch and under logs, said Curtis Daye of Canton-based Day & Night Pest Control.
“The best thing to do to prevent animals like chipmunks from getting into your yard is to get it treated early with granular deterrents,” Daye said. “It’s safer for the yard and the chipmunks, too.”
These deterrents include plant-based remedies like peppermint and capsaicin, which can also be used to prevent chipmunks in your yard if getting it treated isn’t an option.
Chipmunks love birdseed
One food that really attracts chipmunks is birdseed.
“They really love birdseed. Chipmunks see it and say, ‘Thanks for the buffet,’” Bowman said.
Interestingly though, birds don’t need birdseed to feed on during the summer months as they can consume insects and native plants, “but if you are going to use it, add in a spicy mix to prevent chipmunks from eating it, too,” Bowman recommended.
ODNR also suggested using birdhouses on metal posts that chipmunks can’t climb.
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