Ohio City woman killed after storm downs patio roof

Jacob Espinosa, The Lima News, Ohio
·2 min read

Jul. 21—OHIO CITY — Van Wert County Emergency Management reported that one person died from the storms that came through the village of Ohio City on Thursday evening.

A large tree fell on a house and its garage at the corner of state Route 118 and Hoffman Street bringing the roof of an attached patio down on an elderly couple, trapping them, according to a press release from the department.

The Ohio City Fire Department rescued the couple and Van Wert Fire then transported the wife to Van Wert Hospital in critical condition. When she then went to a Fort Wayne hospital, she succumbed to her injuries.

The other victim was uninjured.

According to a release from Van Wert County EMA Director Rick McCoy, Thursday's storms first developed over Michigan and northwest Indiana before heading east. The storm intensified into the late afternoon as it passed Fort Wayne, including developing rotations that prompted a tornado warning in that vicinity. Once the storm passed into Van Wert County, the storm had begun to weaken, and no rotations were spotted, according to McCoy.

Another strong storm system was also developing south of Middlebury south of U.S. Route 224, McCoy said. This pushed high winds and precipitation, including hail, toward Ohio City. Along the path of that storm, two barns were damaged and one shed was destroyed, McCoy said. The storm moved into the Ohio City area at about 6:35 p.m., leading to the fatality. The area received over two inches of rain and one inch of hail, according to McCoy.

The storm also caused damage to crops, trees and several buildings. According to the National Weather Service, half-dollar size hail was reported in the Van Wert area late Thursday. Quarter-size hail was also reported in Hardin County, according to the National Weather Service. Trees were also reported down late Thursday in the vicinities of St. Marys, Ada and Rockford due to high winds. Trees were also reported down in Van Wert and in an area spreading from Wren to Ohio City, according to the National Weather Service.