A shower moving across Madison, Franklin and Delaware Counties in central Ohio produced a persistent funnel cloud and a few brief tornado touchdowns. The shower moved across the western and northern portions of the Columbus metropolitan area.
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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.
The episode as NWS ILN wrote it up.
A shower moving across Madison, Franklin and Delaware Counties in central Ohio produced a persistent funnel cloud and a few brief tornado touchdowns. The shower moved across the western and northern portions of the Columbus metropolitan area.
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 May 11, 5:29 AM EST, 3 hours 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 629 AM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A STRENGTHENING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL TRACK ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. AFTER THE LOW MOVES EAST...A TROUGH WILL LINGER ACROSS THE AREA INTO MONDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN FOR TUESDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... LOW PRESSURE CURRENTLY IN WESTERN ILLINOIS WILL MOVE EAST INTO THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON. SHOWERS HAVE ALREADY SPREAD ACROSS THE SOUTHWESTERN HALF OF THE AREA AND WILL CONTINUE TO PROGRESS EAST. THERE ARE SOME THUNDERSTORMS FURTHER WEST CLOSER TO THE LOW. MODELS ARE FORECASTING LESS INSTABILITY THIS FAR EAST AS THE LOW OCCLUDES. SO CONTINUED WITH JUST A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE TIME BEING. THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FOR BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS TO DEVELOP INTO FAR SOUTHERN ZONES. AND IF THIS HAPPENS THEN THE ADDITIONAL HEATING WOULD ALLOW GREATER INSTABILITY AND THUS THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS. WILL HAVE TO MONITOR THIS THROUGH THE DAY. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY/... STACKED LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER REGION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD WILL CONTINUE TO TRANSLATE EAST. EXPECT PRECIPITATION COVERAGE TO BE LESS BY THIS TIME. BUT MOST LOCATIONS SHOULD STILL GET MEASURABLE RAINFALL DURING THE EVENING. SO LIKELY TO CATEGORICAL POPS ARE JUSTIFIED. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE TO DECREASE IN COVERAGE OVERNIGHT. WITH A LINGERING TROUGH IN THE AREA ON MONDAY THERE WILL STILL BE A CHANCE OF SHOWERS PRIMARILY IN EASTERN ZONES. HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD IN MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY ALLOWING DRIER AIR TO SPREAD OVER THE REGION. TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOL UNTIL TUESDAY WHEN READINGS WILL REBOUND. MOS CONSENSUS APPEARED REASONABLE. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... ANOTHER LONG WAVE TROUGH WILL DEVELOPING DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEK ALTHOUGH A BIT FURTHER TO THE WEST. THIS WILL ALLOW SHORT WAVES MOVING THROUGH THE TROUGH TO PERIODICALLY LIFT ACROSS THE REGION. GFS AND ECMWF CONTINUE TO BE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT THAT THE FIRST SHORT WAVE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY ON WEDNESDAY WHICH WILL PUSH A BOUNDARY SOUTH OF THE AREA. UNCERTAINTY INCREASES AFTER THIS TIME CONCERNING LOCATION AND TIMING OF SUBSEQUENT WAVES FORMING ON THE BOUNDARY AS ADDITIONAL UPPER LEVEL ENERGY LIFTS OUT FROM THE MIDWEST TROUGH. AT THIS POINT THE CHANCE FOR ADDITIONAL RAINFALL THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK APPEARS TO BE GREATER IN THE SOUTHEAST ZONES AND LESSER IN THE NORTHWEST. BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES...ESPECIALLY FOR HIGHS...WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION /12Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... A FRONTAL BNDRY AND LOW PRESSURE WILL PUSH ACROSS THE REGION TODAY. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE. LOOKING AT CURRENT RADAR TRENDS...SOME THUNDER WILL SETTLE IN AFTER 14Z...WITH PREVAILING MVFR VISIBILITIES AND CIGS PERSISTING THROUGH 23Z. SW WINDS WILL GUST OVER 25 KTS AT TIMES. THE PCPN CONVERGE WILL WANE SOMEWHAT AS WINDS TURN WNW BEHIND THE LOW AFTER 00Z...STILL GUSTING NEAR 25 KTS AT TIMES. OUTLOOK...MVFR/IFR CIGS AND VSBYS POSSIBLE INTO MONDAY. TSTM POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. && .ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...NONE. KY...NONE. IN...NONE. && SYNOPSIS... NEAR TERM... SHORT TERM... LONG TERM... AVIATION...
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 451 AM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008 INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ026-034-035-042>046- 051>056-060>065-070>074-077>082-088-120900- WAYNE-FAYETTE IN-UNION IN-FRANKLIN IN-RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO- SWITZERLAND-CARROLL-GALLATIN-BOONE-KENTON-CAMPBELL-OWEN-GRANT- PENDLETON-BRACKEN-ROBERTSON-MASON-LEWIS-HARDIN-MERCER-AUGLAIZE-DARKE- SHELBY-LOGAN-UNION OH-DELAWARE-MIAMI-CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-MADISON- FRANKLIN OH-LICKING-PREBLE-MONTGOMERY-GREENE-FAYETTE OH-PICKAWAY- FAIRFIELD-BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-ROSS-HOCKING-HAMILTON-CLERMONT-BROWN- HIGHLAND-ADAMS-PIKE-SCIOTO- 451 AM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL INDIANA...SOUTHEAST INDIANA...NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...NORTHERN KENTUCKY...CENTRAL OHIO...MIAMI VALLEY OF OHIO...SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO...SOUTHWEST OHIO AND WEST CENTRAL OHIO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 822 AM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008 KYZ089-094>096-111245- GRANT KY-PENDLETON KY-CARROLL KY-OWEN KY- 822 AM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008 ...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT OWEN...CARROLL... SOUTHWESTERN PENDLETON AND SOUTHERN GRANT COUNTIES THROUGH 845 AM EDT... AT 820 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM WORTHVILLE TO 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GRATZ TO 19 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MONTEREY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 42 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE... WHEATLEY...GRATZ...SQUIRESVILLE...NEW LIBERTY...MONTEREY...BROMLEY... OWENTON...GENE SNYDER AIRPORT...GOFORTH...KNOXVILLE...MARCUS AND MORGAN.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 852 AM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008 INZ050-111315- WAYNE IN- 852 AM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN WAYNE COUNTY THROUGH 915 AM EDT... AT 848 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM LOCATED NEAR ECONOMY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 53 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE... RICHMOND...FOUNTAIN CITY...WHITEWATER AND BETHEL.
The Cincinnati radar (KILN), 38 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:43 UTC.
2 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A home sustained minor roof and siding damage along Snider-Malott Road. A tree was also twisted and downed near the home.
A tornado touched down in a field just west of State Route 142 and south of Interstate 70 a few miles northeast of West Jefferson in eastern Madison County. Several trees were damaged and at least one was ripped out of the ground and tossed across State Route 142. The path length extended for about 200 yards. The tornado touched back down about 1.5 miles to the northeast in western Franklin County near a residence along Amity Road just north of Interstate 70. Additional tree damage occurred in this location. This tornado was rated EF-0 with maximum wind speeds of 75 mph.
A tornado touched down in a field just west of State Route 142 and south of Interstate 70 a few miles northeast of West Jefferson in eastern Madison County. Several trees were damaged and at least one was ripped out of the ground and tossed across State Route 142. The path length extended for about 200 yards. The tornado touched back down about 1.5 miles to the northeast in western Franklin County near a residence along Amity Road just north of Interstate 70. Additional tree damage occurred in this location. This tornado was rated EF-0 with maximum wind speeds of 75 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Ohio, 2008Warnings in Ohio, May 2008
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: 98076, 98074, 98075.