Ohio, 2001

High Wind in Ohio, December 14, 2001

December 14, 2001 · NWS ILN · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A center of low pressure over central Ohio created localized strong winds in excess of 50 knots for several areas. Scores of trees and power lines were down, causing numerous roads to be closed.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
1
Property damage
$147,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 ILN wrote it up.

A center of low pressure over central Ohio created localized strong winds in excess of 50 knots for several areas. Scores of trees and power lines were down, causing numerous roads to be closed. At one point in time, 21,000 electric customers were without power. The hardest hit area was in Licking county between Granville and Newark where several large trees fell on houses and automobiles. One person was injured south of Newark when a tree fell on his pickup truck, fracturing his leg. In Franklin County, police responded to over 200 runs at one time.

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 Wilmington, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 14, 1:48 PM EST, 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 14, 1:48 PM EST, 12 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
150 PM FRI DEC 14 2001

LTST SFC MAP SHWS LO PRES JUST E OF AOH. TIGHT GRADIENT ARND
THIS LO IS CAUSING WINDS TO GUST TO 5O MPH. WL ISSUE WND ADVSY
FOR CMH AND PMH ZONES.

.ILN...WIND ADVISORY THIS AFTERNOON FOR CENTRAL OHIO...SOUTH
CENTRAL OHIO AND NORTHEAST KENTUCKY.

RANDALL

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Licking

When
December 14, 2:00 PM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where
Licking forecast zone
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$60,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
40.092, -82.483 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong wind toppled trees and powerlines across the county. One man was injured south of Newark when a large tree fell on the roof of his pickup truck and broke his leg. Other trees fell on houses and automobiles in the Newark, Granville, and Pataskala areas.

High Wind, Ross

When
December 14, 2:00 PM EST to 3:00 PM EST
Where
Ross forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
39.338, -83.057 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several roads in the Chillicothe area were closed when trees and powerlines were downed across them.

High Wind, Delaware

When
December 14, 2:14 PM EST
Where
Delaware forecast zone
Measured
54 kt (62 mph)
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
40.278, -83.005 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Franklin

When
December 14, 2:37 PM EST
Where
Franklin forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage
$35,000
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.970, -83.009 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Trees and power lines were down across the county, causing several roads to be closed. Some of the trees fell on area houses and automobiles.

High Wind, Fairfield

When
December 14, 2:59 PM EST
Where
Fairfield forecast zone
Measured
51 kt (59 mph)
Property damage
$22,000
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
39.752, -82.631 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Trees and power lines were knocked down across the county. A measured gust of 59 mph was recorded at the Lancaster airport at 14:59 local time.

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

More

Every storm in Ohio in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, December 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: 5274403, 5274404, 5274156, 5274402, 5274401.