Powerful winds batter Van Wert County, cause damage

VW independent staff/submitted information

A low pressure system was responsible for an unprecedented wind storm that wreaked havoc across the region on Friday.

According to Van Wert County Emergency Management Director McCoy, the very strong pressure gradient associated with the low level jet assured in sustained winds of 35-45 mile per hour winds with gusts over 60 miles per hour for a prolonged period of hours which is just unheard of for our area. McCoy said damage occurred across the county and beyond and luckily, only minor injuries were reported from several semi truck drivers that were in overturned trucks.

The first hint that a very windy day was in store was passed on by the National Weather Service on Thursday when they issued a special weather statement advising that a High Wind Warning would take effect beginning at 5 a.m. Friday and ending at 8 p.m.

Friday’s winds began to increase in the morning but started to really ramp up just before noon with the 911 system becoming bombarded with calls of overturned semis and numerous poles and power lines down throughout the county. McCoy stated that law enforcement plus Fire & EMS were being dispatched on many calls during the afternoon. The Van Wert County CERT Team was also dispatched to assist with numerous blocked roads from trees and poles down plus overturned semis.

As winds increased and calls kept coming in, McCoy made a decision that dangerous conditions warranted the cancellation of school bus routes in the county. He said he based the decision on several factors that included the strong winds creating a dust storm which was reducing visibility to zero in many locations and also the threat of a bus being blown over or even a semi being blown onto a bus.

McCoy was then involved with a coordinated conference call with the county school superintendents advising them he wanted no buses on the roads out in the county for the safety of students and that parents should come to the school to pick children up at dismissal time.

The decision involved schools from Crestview, Lincolnview, Van Wert and Delphos. Vantage was asked to contact their district schools with a request to transport students by van back to their districts instead of a bus. Local schools were also asked to cancel activities for the evening as strong winds were still forecast to plague the area into the evening.

McCoy said numerous pictures and videos were posted on social media of the dust storm and also damage to rooftops and siding on many homes and barns. Cars were also damaged from falling limbs and trees. It was noted that a portion of the roof was torn off of the dairy barn at the Van Wert County Fairgrounds.

McCoy said some of his weather stations that did not go off the air during the event recorded the following wind gusts:

• Hoaglin Township house: 65 mph
• Convoy Fire Department: 64 mph
• Van Wert Fairgrounds: 62 mph
• Van Wert EMA: 61 mph
• Ohio City Fire Department: 59 mph
• Willshire Fire Department: 55 mph
• Delphos: 51 mph