2024 has already broken Ohio's record for the most tornadoes in a year , and that total continues to climb.
The latest tornado, which hit in Warren and Clinton counties early Tuesday morning, was the 65th of the year for the state, said Brandon Peloquin, warning coordination meteorologist for the Wilmington, Ohio, office of the National Weather Service. Ohio surpassed its previous record for tornadoes on June 28.
Here's the latest on tornadoes in the Buckeye State in 2024.
National Weather Service confirms EF1 tornado near Blanchester, Ohio
According to the NWS , the July 30 tornado touched down at 1:40 a.m. Tuesday near Morrow in Warren County, just south of US Route 22 on Roachester Osceola Road. It traveled 8 miles into southeastern Clinton County, near Blanchester, and was on the ground about 10 minutes. The weather service rated it an EF1, with maximum estimated wind speeds of 95 mph.
The tornado downed branches and uprooted trees, according to the damage survey report, and blew the shingles off roofs and damaged outbuildings along its path. No injuries or fatalities were reported.
What was Ohio's record for most tornadoes in a year?
Until now, the worst year for tornadoes in Ohio was 1992, when 62 twisters touched down, Peloquin said.
The strongest that year was an EF4 tornado that hit Van Wert County in Western Ohio on Feb. 18. With wind speeds of 166 to 200 mph, the tornado was on the ground for 2.8 miles and caused six injuries but no fatalities. It destroyed a house, a mobile home and two cars, and damaged nine homes, according to Tornado Talk .
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:
What's causing all the tornadoes this year?
“It’s been relentless," Peloquin 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
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Ohio's record year for tornadoes continues to climb. Here's the latest total for 2024
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