2024 officially the worst year for tornadoes in Ohio history. See where the record breaker hit

It's official. 2024 is now the worst year in Ohio history for tornadoes.

The Buckeye State's 63rd tornado of the year touched down on Saturday in the City of Willard in Huron County, about 26 miles northwest of Mansfield, the National Weather Service confirmed Monday. That twister broke the state's previous record of 62, set in 1992.

EF0 tornado touches down in Willard, Huron County

According to the NWS, the EF0 tornado was on the ground for about a minute, with peak wind speeds of 80 mph, and cut a path about two-tenths of a mile long and 25 yards wide at its maximum.

According to a preliminary damage survey by NWS crews, the tornado started over a corn field northwest of Lisa Lane and Egypt Road. It then tracked east-northeast across Lisa Lane. Several tree limbs were twisted off, and one limb impaled the ground. A security camera captured the tornado pushing the woods east of Lisa Lane and north of Egypt Road.

It's been an 'active' tornado season so far in 2024

Ohio has endured several strong storms that spawned twisters so far this year, including a handful that popped up before tornado season officially began in April. Here's a look at some of them:

• In February, the National Weather Service confirmed nine tornadoes throughout the state. One damaged a hanger at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton.
• In March, tornadoes killed three in Logan County and prompted state of emergency declarations for 11 counties.
• In April, the NWS confirmed another eight tornadoes across the state between two separate storms.
• In May, 13 tornadoes -- five in Warren County alone -- were confirmed following strong storms on May 7.
• Four more tornadoes were confirmed from storms on June 5 and 6 across Central Ohio.

What's causing all the tornadoes this year?

“It’s been relentless," Brandon Peloquin, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in Wilmington, said in a previous article.

As weather patterns transitioned from winter to spring, Peloquin said the jet stream—the air currents flowing from west to east high in the atmosphere that steer weather systems—lined up just right to direct multiple strong systems through the Ohio Valley.

The jet stream kept Ohio on the warm side of low fronts, Peloquin said, creating south winds that brought moisture up from the Gulf of Mexico. High moisture combined with the energy created by wind shears and the rapid movement of air from low to high in the atmosphere (instability and buoyancy) are the ingredients that can lead to severe weather, he said.

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