Damaging EF2 tornado tears through buildings in western Ohio

Multiple tornadoes hit throughout Ohio Wednesday, leading to several severe damage reports, mass power outages and harrowing sights in the state.

The most substantial destruction was reported early Wednesday evening in Tipp City, Ohio, just outside of Dayton and at a midway point between Cincinnati and Columbus. Around 6:22 p.m. EDT, a large tornado hit near Tipp City, and heavily damaged a Meijer Distribution Center in the area.

Tipp City's Chief of Police, Greg Adkins, stated that no injuries were reported at the distribution center as of 7:44 p.m. EDT, and that no injuries were suffered at the multiple businesses destroyed in the city during the event.

On Thursday morning, a storm survey team from the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio, said the tornado was "at least" EF2 strength. An EF2 twister can pack winds ranging from 113 mph to 157 mph.

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One view from the tornado as it touched down in Tipp City captured the severe storm in action.

The Tipp City tornado was not the first to touch down in Ohio Wednesday, as the threats began earlier in the afternoon in Darke County, about 30 miles west of Tipp City. The EF1 tornado hit at approximately 5:30 p.m. EDT, followed by another tornado forming near Troy, Ohio, with some reports of damage made as of 6:10 p.m. EDT.

In Clay Township, near the Tipp City touchdown, another angle of the storm created an ominous farmland view:

Later, in the early evening hours, one more tornado was seen on the ground, this time northwest of Springfield, Ohio. This twister was given an EF1 rating on Thursday by the NWS. Another tornado confirmed in Sardinia, Ohio, was given an EF0 rating on Thursday.

As of 9:18 p.m. EDT, power outages remained a massive challenge in the state, as over 39,000 customers were without power, according to PowerOutage.US. Fairfield County in the central portion of the state was hit the hardest, with over 15,000 customers out of power out of 69,576 tracked by the website.

Ohio's neighbor to the west also suffered a tornado event Wednesday afternoon, as the city of Arlington, Indiana, had one touch down around 4 p.m. EDT, damaging a host of local homes, namely roofs. It was given an EF1 rating by the NWS on Thursday. Another tornado in Summitville, Indiana, that night was given an EF0 rating.

Storms also extended to Kentucky, along with the southwestern half of Ohio and parts of western Indiana, per the National Weather Service.

Severe thunderstorms returned to the central Plains on Thursday after the Ohio Valley excursion, with multiple reports of sizable hail sent in across Nebraska. The strongest storms continued to barrel across southwestern Nebraska, Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas through late Thursday, which brought intense winds and a few preliminary tornadoes reports.

"With such a persistent pattern in place, heavy rain and flash flooding have become an increasing concern, especially across central and southeastern Kansas, which has been the focal point of thunderstorms," said AccuWeather Storm Warning Meteorologist Michael Stahlman.

The northward bulge in the jet stream responsible for the heat in the Southwest is expected to expand northeastward this weekend, allowing for several dry days in the central and southern Plains.

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