Two tornado warnings prompted immediate take-cover alerts across the Cincinnati region Tuesday afternoon, as a fast-moving line of severe storms pushed 60 to 70 mph winds and a tornado threat through southwestern Ohio, northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana.
Tornado Warning: Kenton, Campbell, Hamilton and Clermont Counties
The NWS Wilmington office kept a Tornado Warning in effect until 4 PM EDT for Kenton and Campbell counties in Kentucky and southeastern Hamilton and west central Clermont counties in Ohio.
Radar indicated rotation with a storm located over Fort Wright, Kentucky, moving southeast at 50 mph. Cincinnati, Covington, Independence, Norwood, Erlanger, Fort Thomas, Newport, Bellevue, Fort Wright and Dayton, Kentucky were all in the path, along with stretches of I-71 and I-75.
Second Tornado Warning: Ohio, Switzerland, Kenton, Campbell, Boone and Gallatin Counties
Minutes later, forecasters issued a second Tornado Warning, also until 4 PM, for Ohio and northeastern Switzerland counties in Indiana and Kenton, central Campbell, Boone and eastern Gallatin counties in Kentucky.
That storm was tracking near Union, Kentucky, moving southeast at 60 mph, with radar-indicated rotation. Florence, Union, Burlington, Walton, Crestview Hills, Crittenden and Rising Sun, Indiana were among the locations impacted, along with I-71 and I-75 in Kentucky.
Central Hamilton County Warning Expires as Storm Watch Continues
A third Tornado Warning for central Hamilton County, Ohio was allowed to expire at 345 PM after the storm that prompted it moved out of the area. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remained in effect until 8 PM for northern Kentucky and southwestern Ohio as additional storms moved through.
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings Stacked Up Ahead of the Tornadic Storms
Well before the tornado warnings, the same line of storms triggered a string of Severe Thunderstorm Warnings across the region.
One covered east central Butler and central Warren counties in Ohio until 4 PM, with 60 mph wind gusts near Middletown, Mason and Lebanon. Another covered northeastern Clermont, north central Brown, southeastern Warren, southwestern Fayette, Clinton and northern Highland counties until 415 PM, with 60 mph gusts threatening Wilmington, Hillsboro and Greenfield.
A more dangerous warning followed for southeastern Franklin, Ripley and Dearborn counties in Indiana and northwestern Hamilton and Butler counties in Ohio, with 70 mph gusts and a tornado flagged as possible near Harrison, Ohio. That was followed by an even larger warning spanning 13 counties across Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio — including Hamilton, Butler, Clermont and Warren in Ohio, Boone and northern Campbell and Kenton in Kentucky, and Ripley, Ohio, Dearborn, Franklin and Switzerland in Indiana — again with 70 mph gusts and a tornado possible, directly ahead of the storms that later produced the tornado warnings over Fort Wright and Union.
What Residents Should Do
When a Tornado Warning is issued, move immediately to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. Those outdoors, in a mobile home or in a vehicle should get to the nearest substantial shelter.
For severe thunderstorms without a tornado warning, move to an interior room on the lowest floor to avoid flying debris from damaging winds and hail. Report storm damage to the National Weather Service at weather.gov/iln.
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