Severe Storms and Tornado Strike Tri-State Area, Causing Widespread Damage

CINCINNATI (WXIX) – The Tri-State region faced a night of destructive weather as severe storms, including at least one confirmed tornado, swept through, causing significant damage to homes and knocking down power lines and trees. This information comes from the FOX19 NOW Weather Team, alongside emergency management officials and the National Weather Service (NWS) located in Wilmington.

In Loveland and Erlanger, large trees toppled onto homes, necessitating the rescue of one individual, according to reports from local fire crews.

Just after 1 a.m. on Thursday, the NWS confirmed a tornado near Lynchburg in Highland County. Highland County dispatchers reported being inundated with calls around 2:30 a.m., as they received numerous requests for emergency services and reports of storm damage, including downed wires and trees.

A significant debris signature was detected shortly after 1:20 a.m., just northeast of Fayetteville, as explained by Clinton County EMA Director Thomas Breckel.

Following this, the NWS issued a confirmed tornado warning for Highland, Brown, and Clinton counties.

The FOX19 NOW Weather Team believes a tornado may have touched down in Warren, Clinton, and Highland counties during the course of the storm.

Currently, at least 47,522 Duke Energy customers in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky are experiencing power outages. Clermont County is the hardest hit with 12,893 outages, followed by Hamilton County with 9,957, and Campbell County with 9,677 affected customers.

There is no clear timeline for when power will be fully restored, according to Duke Energy’s website.

Efforts to repair damage and assess the extent of destruction are already in progress.

In the southeastern portion of Indiana, hundreds are similarly affected, especially in Switzerland County, as reported by REMC Southeastern Indiana.

County EMA officials are actively surveying the damage, trying to gather as much information as possible to coordinate an effective response once daylight breaks, as Breckel noted to FOX19 NOW.

The southeastern edge of Sabina has sustained damage that could likely be attributed to a tornado, with many of the county’s power outages concentrated in this area.

“It’s dark right now, making it difficult to take significant action,” Breckel commented around 2:45 a.m. “We are attempting to identify the areas in need, so that EMA crews can conduct a comprehensive inspection in the morning light.”

The severe weather threat in the region is expected to continue until 5 a.m. Thursday, according to the FOX19 NOW Weather Team.