High Wind in Ohio, April 12, 2001

Name: High Wind in Ohio, April 12, 2001
Start: 2001-04-12T09:00
End: 2001-04-12T16:00
Location: Ohio

April 12, 2001 · NWS CLE · 26 events in 26 counties and zones

A strong cold front moved across northern Ohio during the morning and afternoon hours. Damaging winds occurred behind the front and caused considerable damage.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 26 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $815,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 26

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS CLE wrote it up.

A strong cold front moved across northern Ohio during the morning and afternoon hours. Damaging winds occurred behind the front and caused considerable damage. A 59 year old male was killed by a falling tree in Rocky River (Cuyahoga County) while working outside. A 16 year female was injured in Canton (Stark County) when she struck by debris from a toppled chimney. Over 100, 000 homes and business were without power at some point during the event. Measured wind gusts include 58 mph at Toledo (Lucas County), 59 mph in downtown Cleveland (Cuyahoga County), 63 mph in Garfield Heights (Cuyahoga County), 62 mph in Lorain (Lorain County) and 65 mph at Hartville (Stark County). Hundreds of trees and power poles were knocked down across the area. Commercial shipping traffic on Lake Erie was also interrupted by the strong winds and the Port of Cleveland had to be closed. Buildings were damaged in Summit, Knox, Richland, Ottawa, Lake, Lorain, Cuyahoga, Lucas, Huron and Ottawa Counties. A semi truck was blown over in Ottawa County.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Cleveland, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 12, 8:30 AM EST, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 12, 8:30 AM EST, 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
930 AM EDT THU APR 12 2001

WILL UPDATE TO MAKE CHGS IN TEMPS AND PRECIP TIMING.

AFT INTRA AND INTER-OFFICE COORD HV AGREED THAT BEST PLAN IS TO
STICK WITH WND ADVSRY AGREEING THAT SOME POTNL EXISTS FOR TREE
DAMAGE PROB IN AN ISOLD FASHION GIVEN WET SOIL CONDS BUT WONT OCCUR
IN A WIDESPREAD FASHION.  WL ADD WIND SPEED GUST TO AROUND 50 MPH
INTO WORDING.

BAND OF CLDS ALG CDFNT MOVG INTO NW OH.  BASED ON BUMPING TEMPS UP A
BIT TDA FOR MOST ZONES THINK WL BE ENUF INSTABILITY FOR SCT
CONVECTION TO BREAK OUT. WL BRING BACK CHC FOR AFTN INTO ZONES FOR
AT LEAST ERN HALF OF AREA WITH POPS TAPERING FM 40% ERN AREA TO 20%
FOR MFD AREA.  WITH GUD CHC FOR BRINGING DAMAGING WNDS DOWN WITH
TSRA IN ERN AREAS WL ALSO ADD MENTION OF PSBL SVR...WHICH WL MERGE
WITH THINKING AT PBZ.

.CLE...
.OH...WIND ADVISORY TODAY. OH003-006>014-017>023-027>033-036>038-047.
.PA...WIND ADVISORY TODAY. PA001>003.

ADAMS

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

26 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Ashland

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Ashland forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.846, -82.271 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Crawford

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Crawford forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.851, -82.920 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Cuyahoga

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Cuyahoga forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $75,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.479, -81.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Erie

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Erie forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.432, -82.700 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Geauga

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Geauga forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.500, -81.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hancock

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Hancock forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.002, -83.666 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Holmes

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Holmes forecast zone
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.561, -81.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Huron

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Huron forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.146, -82.598 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Knox

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Knox forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.399, -82.421 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lake

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Lake forecast zone
Property damage: $40,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.714, -81.245 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lorain

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Lorain forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.453, -82.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lucas

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Lucas forecast zone
Property damage: $60,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.684, -83.468 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Mahoning

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Mahoning forecast zone
Property damage: $40,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.015, -80.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Marion

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.587, -83.161 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Medina

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Medina forecast zone
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.118, -81.900 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Morrow

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Morrow forecast zone
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.524, -82.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Ottawa

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Ottawa forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.497, -82.941 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Portage

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Portage forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.168, -81.197 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Richland

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Richland forecast zone
Property damage: $40,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.775, -82.536 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Sandusky

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Sandusky forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.357, -83.144 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Seneca

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Seneca forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.124, -83.128 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Stark

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Stark forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.814, -81.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Summit

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Summit forecast zone
Property damage: $75,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.126, -81.532 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wayne

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.829, -81.888 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wood

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Wood forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.362, -83.623 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wyandot

When: April 12, 9:00 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Wyandot forecast zone
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 40.842, -83.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
High Wind, Cuyahoga	2001-04-12	59	Male	Under Tree	Direct

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Ohio in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Ohio, April 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5241566, 5241567, 5241568, 5241569, 5241570, 5241571, 5241572, 5241573, 5241574, 5241575, 5241576, 5241577, 5241578, 5241579, 5241662, 5241663, 5241664, 5241665, 5241666, 5241667, 5241668, 5241669, 5241670, 5241671, 5241672, 5241673.