Tornado hits Van Wert, Ohio

National Weather Service | 11/10/02 | Lucas

[Lucas1]

Apparently a number of towns have been hit hard by tornadoes this afternoon. Maybe people can post information from their local areas? One report had FOUR TORNADOES moving into Van Wert, Ohio.

AT 329 PM EST...LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED FOUR SEPARATE TORNADOES JUST WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF THE CITY OF VAN WERT...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. VAN WERT RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN IN THEIR BASEMENTS OR INTERIOR CLOSETS...AWAY FROM WINDOWS. PEOPLE NORTHEAST OF THE CITY OF VAN WERT SHOULD TAKE SHELTER NOW AS WELL!

Later reports from Emergency Management indicate that the town was hit by the tornado and there is severe damage. Injuries and fatalities are being reported.

http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/reports/today.html

[MamaB]

The sirens are going off in Madison County, AL, too. Heading for cover!!!

[DugwayDuke]

Looks like extreme southern Madison County Alabama is threatened. Local news reports multiple tornado tracks about 30 miles south and south west of Huntsville, one damage track estimated to be 400 yards wide.

[BamaBlue]

Southeast Madison County only - mainly New Hope. Otherwise nothing to be worried about in Madison County.

[FreedomPoster]

10-4!

I lived at Fort Knox in, I think it was '73, when tornadoes took out Xenia, Ohio and Brandenberg, Kentucky with great loss of life. I lived right behind the hospital at Knox, and vividly remember the medevac choppers going in and out.

I also live about a mile from the track of the Dunwoody tornado 5 years ago here in Atlanta.

So, yes, when bad weather threatens, I *really* pay attention.

[DugwayDuke]

That was '74. The same night Huntsville Alabama was also hit hard. Didn't get as much attention but it caused severe damage. In 89, another tornado hit Huntsville. Almost the same track in 89, about a mile south of the 74 track. Huntsville is a rather long and narrow running north to south. Excellent tornado target.

[Lucas1]

Carbon Hill, Alabama major damage from a tornado

[Lucas1]

Arley, Alabama numerous houses damaged or destroyed...by a tornado - unknown number of injuries

[AnAmericanMother]

Us too.

My mom witnessed the Gainesville GA tornado in '36.

The '74 Atlanta tornado (I think it was '74, may have been '75, I was away at college) passed directly over my parents' house, but Atlanta is very hilly and it "skipped" them although it dropped a ton of stuff in the yard.

A funnel associated with the Dunwoody tornado (probably not the same one but could have been, it was in the same cell) passed directly over our house before touching down in the Windy Hill area and proceeding onward to Dunwoody. We were in the hall closet because our house is on a crawlspace and sits on undiggable shelf rock. Guess we may be heading there again tonight - but we've acquired a Labrador Retriever since the last time and it's going to be a very crowded closet.

When we build our next house (we built our first house, but not this one, no more buying other people's mistakes for me) it is going to have a full basement with a "tornado room" in the SW corner. Steel beams and reinforced concrete, battery backup and a bunk for the kids. The older I get, the less I like waiting for the sirens to go off.

[Think free or die]

Do you know anything more about damage in Lavinia, TN? It's a tiny community, and we have family there.

[MamaB]

Boy, we take these warnings very seriously ever since the 2 deadly ones that hit HSV back in 74 and in 89 or whatever year it was that hit the Airport Rd. area. That is only about 2 miles from where we live. People get upset with the warnings but it would only take one that was unreported to change their minds. We are still having lots of thunder and lightning. The worst has past, I hope!

[Gemflint]

(((OldFriend))),

Hang in there kiddo! We'll make it through yet... :-)

Prayers going out for all the Freepers still in harm's way...

[Lucas1]

Not sure...have not heard anymore

[DugwayDuke]

"but we've acquired a Labrador Retriever since the last time and it's going to be a very crowded closet."

No sympathy. I've a 145 pound great dane and a 200 pound mastiff. That's a crowded closet.

[Lucas1]

Petros Tennessee...2 dead...lot of damage from a tornado

Long tracked tornado on the ground in Alabama. Injuries and damage reported

[Brad’s Gramma]

Lucas, thanks for the updates. Prayers for all those people back there, that no one else is hurt and property damage is kept to a minimum! Or....NO MORE damage!

You girls.....get to it, start praying.

[greccogirl]

Alert for Atlanta - I live in Dallas, GA supposedly a tornado on the ground somewhere west of Dalton, GA - the strong line passing through Alabama to be here by 1AM (presently 11:32 pm). Thankful I have a basement. Been windy and unseasonably warm today - as my grandmother used to say "cyclone weather". Everyone stay safe. I've been through the Zenia Ohio one too and others so I'll probably leap from bed at the first crack of thunder and try to convince everyone to drag downstairs (after I pull my cats off the ceiling).

[Lucas1]

Crane Hill, Alabama tornado damaged numerous homes

[Lucas1]

A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY UNTIL 1115 PM CST.

AT 1040 PM CST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HUEYTOWN...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH

LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...BESSEMER... BIRMINGHAM...BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT...CAHABA HEIGHTS...HOMEWOOD AND HUEYTOWN.

[mhking]

Current tornado and severe storm warnings: http://lumahai.soest.hawaii.edu/cgi-bin/severe_warnings.csh?warn.dat,Warnings,Mainland_Weather/mainland.shtml

[Lucas1]

Ontario, Ohio roofs off houses from Possible tornado