The Latest: Ohio governor to survey storm damage

0

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — The Latest on damaging storms across the central United States:

9:20 a.m.

Ohio’s governor plans to visit communities hard-hit by apparent tornadoes in the Dayton area. A spokesman for Republican Gov. Mike DeWine says a schedule will be released later Tuesday.

Among areas he plans to visit is Trotwood, an older Dayton suburb of some 24,500 people. Mayor Mary McDonald reports extensive, “catastrophic damage.” She says no deaths or serious injuries have been reported: “We’re blessed for that.”

She said five busloads of displaced residents have been taken to a church offering temporary shelter while the American Red Cross assesses needs. She says the community is getting a lot of help and support from federal, state, and local agencies, adding that “we need that level of support.”

Trotwood’s Hara Arena, idled in recent years after decades as a popular sports and entertainment venue, sustained “a huge amount of damage.”

___

8:50 a.m.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says preliminary storm reports show that 52 tornadoes may have touched down Monday across eight states as waves of severe weather swept across the nation’s mid-section.

A tally of storm reports posted online by NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, shows that 14 suspected tornadoes touched down in Indiana, 10 in Colorado and nine in Ohio.

Six suspected tornadoes were reported in Iowa, five in Nebraska, four in Illinois, three in Minnesota, while one suspected tornado was reported in Idaho in the West.

No fatalities were immediately reported.

Patrick Marsh is the Storm Prediction Center’s warning coordination meteorologist. He says National Weather Service crews were heading to the affected areas to determine if tornadoes caused the damage, or high winds.

__

8:45 a.m.

The police chief of a small Ohio city says overnight storms severely damaged the local high school, flipped cars and destroyed some houses.

Brookville chief Doug Jerome said Tuesday that at least half the homes in a single subdivision sustained serious damage. But Jerome says no fatalities were reported in the city, which is about 20 miles northwest of Dayton, and only three minor injuries.

Jerome said the storm took off part of the roof at Brookville High School, tossed some cars into houses and ripped up numerous large trees.

A series of apparent tornadoes caused extensive damage in Dayton and communities north and northwest of the city, and also destroyed homes in Indiana.

Actor Rob Lowe, a Dayton native, tweeted “Praying for my hometown” on Tuesday.

___

8 a.m.

Authorities in Dayton, Ohio, say a series of apparent tornadoes caused a few minor injuries but no reported fatalities within the city.

Dayton Fire Chief Jeffrey Payne called that “pretty miraculous” during a Tuesday morning briefing. Payne attributed the good news to people heeding early warnings about the storm.

Residents say sirens started going off around 10:30 p.m. Monday ahead of the storm.

Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley urged residents to check on neighbors, especially those who are housebound.

Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein says a boil advisory has been issued for residents after the storms cut power to Dayton’s pump stations. She says generators are being rushed in.

The storms caused severe damage in communities northwest of Dayton, where officials were still assessing damage, and also damaged at least 75 homes in Indiana.

___

6:25 a.m.

Emergency crews are going door-to-door checking homes in Indiana after damaging storms spawned apparent tornadoes in the state and in Ohio.

Madison County Emergency Management spokesman Todd Harmeson says least 75 homes were damaged in Pendleton and the nearby community of Huntsville. No serious injuries were reported in the area or other parts of the state where possible tornadoes hit Monday night.

Madison County authorities say roads in Pendleton, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis, are blocked with trees, downed power lines and utility poles. Pendleton High School is open as a shelter.

The National Weather Service says a survey team will investigate damage in Madison County and possibly in Henry County. Another team may survey damage in Tippecanoe County.

___

6 a.m.

The energy company serving the Dayton, Ohio, area says at least 64,000 customers are without power following a series of apparent tornadoes.

Dayton Power & Light said in a tweet early Tuesday it was undertaking a “multi-day restoration effort” and urged customers to make emergency backup plans.

The National Weather Service reported earlier more than 70,000 outages across Ohio, affecting more than 5 million people.

The service confirmed Monday night that a “large and dangerous tornado” hit near Trotwood, Ohio, outside of Dayton.

The storm tore roofs off several apartment buildings in Trotwood.

Multiple schools are closed or starting late around Dayton following the storm damage.

___

2:30 a.m.

The National Weather Service says there are more 70,000 power outages across the state of Ohio, affecting over 5 million people.

The service tweeted Tuesday morning that to send reports of outages via social media or email if possible.

It also says the tornado threat has “exited our area of responsibility.”

The service confirmed Monday night that a “large and dangerous tornado” hit near Trotwood, Ohio, outside of Dayton. ___

___

12:23 a.m.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is using snow plows to remove debris off an Ohio highway after a “large and dangerous” tornado hit the area late Monday.

Transportation spokesman Matt Bruning said its crews are using several plows to scrape debris off to the side of southbound Interstate 75, trying to get the highway reopened as soon as possible. “We’ll do a more thorough cleaning after we get lanes opened,” he told the Associated Press via text early Tuesday. He said tow trucks eventually will have to deal with damaged vehicles along the roadway, too. He said other crews are also clearing debris northwest of Dayton in Mercer and Darke counties. Trying to clear the debris in the middle of the night is a difficult task, complicated by darkness and downed power lines, Bruning said.

The National Weather Service confirmed Monday night that a “large and dangerous tornado” hit near Trotwood, Ohio, outside of Dayton.

Storm damage litters a residential neighborhood, Tuesday, May 28, 2019, in Vandalia, Ohio. A rapid-fire line of apparent tornadoes tore across Indiana and Ohio overnight, packed so closely together that one crossed the path carved by another. At least half a dozen communities from eastern Indiana through central Ohio suffered damage, according to the National Weather Service, though authorities working through the night had reported no fatalities as of early Tuesday. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
https://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2019/05/web1_122940162-7f87cfd613d746649e839ed3b21e0d91.jpgStorm damage litters a residential neighborhood, Tuesday, May 28, 2019, in Vandalia, Ohio. A rapid-fire line of apparent tornadoes tore across Indiana and Ohio overnight, packed so closely together that one crossed the path carved by another. At least half a dozen communities from eastern Indiana through central Ohio suffered damage, according to the National Weather Service, though authorities working through the night had reported no fatalities as of early Tuesday. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Associated Press

No posts to display