Tornadoes peaked at 120 mph; 2 had paths more than a dozen miles long

National Weather Service says some debris was found “several miles” away
Tree service workers try to remove a large tree that fell on a house Wednesday, June 8, 2022, along Deer Run in German Twp. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

Tree service workers try to remove a large tree that fell on a house Wednesday, June 8, 2022, along Deer Run in German Twp. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

The National Weather Service on Friday released more details about this week’s tornadoes, showing the wind speed of one funnel hit 120 miles per hour, and two of the tornadoes had paths more than a dozen miles long.

The agency confirmed an EF1 tornadoes in Clark and Darke counties, an EF2 tornado in Miami County and an EF0 tornado in Champaign County on Wednesday. The storms resulted in miles of damage, but no injuries were reported.

Clark County tornado

The EF1 twister was confirmed in Clark County and started around 6:23 p.m., two miles southwest of North Hampton. It reached an estimated maximum wind speed of 90 mph and maximum path width of 200 yards, according to NWS. The tornado path was 17.1 miles, and it ended three miles northwest of South Vienna.

The tornado started as an EF0, causing minor tree and outbuilding damage near Liberty Road before moving east and damaging a barn near Ebersole Road. It strengthened into an EF1 tornado as it moved through neighborhoods along Ballentine Pike, Delrey Road and Fox Hollow Road.

A house along Delrey Road in German Twp. had part of the roof ripped off during the storm on Wednesday evening, June 8, 2022. An EF1 tornado touched down north of Springfield. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

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Credit: Bill Lackey

“Hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted along this section of the path and several homes suffered damage due to partial uplift,” according to NWS.

It continued east, damaging trees at the Springfield Country Club, before causing outbuilding damage at the Edgewood Farms neighborhood. The tornado uprooted multiple large trees along the main drive of Buck Creek State Park, causing the main entrance to close.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office received numerous calls in regard to downed power lines on Johnson Road, Fox Hollow Road, Shrine Road, Ballentine Pike and Upper Valley Pike in German Twp., as well as Balsam Drive and North Fountain Avenue in Springfield.

A barn and home on Mahar Road in Moorefield Twp. also saw damage, with structural damage made to the windows and walls, according to the sheriff’s office. Trees also fell into homes on Woodthrush Road and Deer Run Road.

Champaign County tornado

The EF0 tornado in Champaign County started around 6:42 p.m., four miles north of downtown Urbana and ended in Wayne Twp. near where Dog Leg Road crosses Kings Creek. It reach an estimated maximum wind speed of 85 mph and maximum path width of 150 yards, according to NWS. The path traveled 4.6 miles.

The initial damage was reported on West Herr Road near U.S. 68. Large branches were snapped and a home had four large trees downed, according to NWS. The home also had siding ripped from an unattached garage.

Near Kennard-Kingscreek Road and Game Farm Road trees were snapped at the trunk, a barn door was ripped from a barn and a shed rolled onto its side.

The tornado continued east toward Kennard- Kingscreek Road, where a barn roof completely caved in and a support wall was thrown 15 yards, according to NWS. It then went down North Ludlow Road and South Kennard Road, where metal roofing was lifted from a barn.

The damage came to an end near a treeline off Dog Leg Road where branches were snapped and trees were uprooted.

Outside the Miami Valley, there was an EF0 tornado in Brown County southeast of Cincinnati, and a sixth tornado was confirmed in Hocking County southeast of Columbus.

The backstop at Prosser Field on Mechanicsburg Road in Springfield was among the damage during  a storm in Springfield on Wednesday evening. The field's concession stand was completely demolished and a maintenance shed damaged.

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