EF2 Tornado — Monroe, Ohio

2024-02-28 · near Miltonsburg, Monroe, Ohio

Event narrative

A NWS Storm Survey confirmed an EF-2 tornado tracked roughly 4 miles from Miltonsburg to Ozark in Monroe County. The tornado was embedded within a wider swath of straight-line wind damage. Maximum wind gusts were near 120mph. There was widespread tree damage and many outbuildings were affected. The most significant damage was located off Minder Road where a house sustained major damage, which consisted of it being shifted off its foundation, windows blown out, and a complete collapse of the attached garage. There was one indirect injury during cleanup efforts.

Wider weather episode

A strong upper-level low tracked through the Great Lakes and into the Ohio River Valley early on February 28th. Nocturnal convection was mainly elevated before 5 AM, with a few hail reports noted. However, with a surge of warm air after 6 AM, there was just enough instability to develop a tornado within a line of storms in Monroe County. Based on sounding profiles from PIT and ILN (06Z and 12Z profiles), shear was strong within the low-levels, ranging from 50kts to 60kts. Directional wind shear, noted in the hodograph, indicated that the threat for tornadoes was also elevated.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (39.8154, -81.1448)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1161853. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.