‘Heard it roaring above us’: Windham homes seriously damaged by reported tornado
WINDHAM, Ohio (WJW) – Residents were left with plenty of damages, but they’re thankful to be safe after a reported tornado and strong storms swept through Portage County Wednesday evening.
Residents in the village of Windham and Windham Township say they first heard the high winds just before 7:30 p.m.
There have been reports of a tornado touching down in Portage County, which was under a tornado warning earlier in the evening.
FOX 8 meteorologist Mackenzie Bart says the tornado was confirmed by radar based off the National Weather Service.
Photos: Strong storms damage NE Ohio homes, businesses
Authorities say a number of homes were damaged, many trees and power lines were downed and residents were left without power.
WJW photo WJW photo Courtesy of Zakary Takacs Courtesy of Zakary Takacs Courtesy of Zakary Takacs WJW photo
Firefighters are doing searches of the homes damaged by the storms and so far, there have been no reported injuries in the area.
Some residents told FOX 8 what they saw and heard as the storm approached.
“We had the tornado warning come through the phone and I walked outside and looked up, seeing if we could see anything. It started hailing and next thing you know, it got really windy and I heard the whooshing and yelled for the kids to get in the basement,” said Windham Township resident Brian Olson.
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“We heard it roaring above us and when I get back up, carnage everywhere,” Windham Township resident Kyle Lesko said.
FOX 8 is waiting for the National Weather Service to give more details on the reported tornado and if any others touched down.
Most of Northeast Ohio was under a tornado watch Wednesday evening, but that has since expired. Keep up with the latest weather conditions here.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
