McCoy: Tornadoes touch down near OC

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

OHIO CITY – Local residents call it “tornado alley,” and an area southwest of Ohio City has certainly been the path for several tornadoes that have done varying amounts of damage over the past couple of years.

The site was again the scene for damage and destruction as what Van Wert County Emergency Management Director Rick McCoy preliminarily classified as an EF-1 tornado heavily damaged a barn (see photo at right) and other outbuildings, as well as a house at a residence on Walnut Grove Church Road west of Ohio 118. Damage was also reported to  a pole barn and other buildings at two other residences on the road.

McCoy noted in his preliminary report that the county was placed on a severe thunderstorm watch, while some warnings in Huntington and Wells counties in Indiana got his attention and he activated tornado spotters about 6 p.m.

“That (the Indiana tornado warnings) got me a little bit concerned,” McCoy noted while at the scene of a tornado touchdown southwest of Ohio City.

McCoy said Willshire Fire Department spotters were the first to report a rotating wall cloud, at about 6:44 p.m. Monday, and Ohio City Fire Department personnel, including Ohio City Fire Chief Brandon Bowen, later observed three funnels touch down west of that village.

“We can definitely confirm it was a tornado,” McCoy said, noting that reports of two funnels also came from the Venedocia area, which he feel could have been two of those reported in the Ohio City area.

However, there were also reports of damage in the Wren-Landeck Road area, meaning that at least one of the funnels spotted in the Ohio City area could also have hit that area, with a spotter there also reporting a funnel touching down.

Damage was reported on Walnut Grove Church Road, between Burris and Dull Robinson roads, with also reports of numerous trees down in a four-mile area, as well as utility poles and lines.

McCoy confirmed that the funnels spotted Monday seemed to follow a path taken by other twisters in the past.

“It really took the path of tornadoes in the past down in this area,” McCoy noted. “Luckily, no one was injured.”

The EMA director said Monday’s tornado sightings are the third this year. In addition to EMA personnel, members of the American Red Cross disaster team were also in the Walnut Grove Church Road area Monday evening to provide assistance.