A line of storms moved through the area during the late night hours of April 19th and into the early morning hours of April 20th.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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 line of storms moved through the area during the late night hours of April 19th and into the early morning hours of April 20th.
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 Apr 19, 9:27 PM EST, 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
1027 PM EDT TUE APR 19 2011
.SYNOPSIS...
A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE OHIO VALLEY LATE TONIGHT.
STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL PUMP IN SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF
MOISTURE THAT WILL GET WRUNG OUT WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. HIGH
PRESSURE AND DRIER AIR WILL PUSH INTO THE OHIO VALLY FROM THE
MIDWEST ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY.
&&
.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/...
STRONG COLD FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT INTO
WEDNESDAY MORNING. PLENTY OF DYNAMICS AND INSTABILITY TO WARRANT
CURRENT TORNADO WATCH OUT UNTIL 5 AM. A COUPLE OF BOW ECHOES ARE
BEARING DOWN ON THE REGION. DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES
WILL BE THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREATS. IN ADDITION...GIVEN
RECENT HEAVY RAIN...THUNDERSTORMS MAY DROP OVER AN INCH OF RAIN IN
A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WHICH WILL AGGRAVATE THE FLOODING ISSUES.
WILL CONTINUE FLOOD WATCH FOR THOSE AREAS THAT GOT HIT HARD WITH
HEAVY RAINFALL FROM TODAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE HIGHLY DEPENDENT
ON RAIN COOLED AIR AND HOW FAST THE FRONT MOVES.
&&
.SHORT TERM /6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...
COVECTION WILL BE WANING ON WEDNESDAY MORNING AS THUNDERSTORMS
WEAKEN AND PUSH OFF TO THE EAST. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE
REGION DURING THE MORNING HOURS.
IN THE POST-FRONTAL ENVIRONMENT...HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN AND
STRATUS WILL LIKELY HANG TOUGH THROUGH THE DAY ON
WEDNESDAY. THIS AND THE COLD AIR BEING USHERED IN WILL HAVE A NON-
DIURNAL HIGH TEMPERATURE THAT OCCURS AROUND DAYBREAK AND FALLS
THROUGH THE COURSE OF THE DAY.
CLEARING TOMORROW NIGHT WILL PUSH MIN TEMPS INTO THE 30S. ANOTHER
WARM FRONT DEVELOPS THURSDAY NIGHT WITH PRECIPITATION EXPECTED TO
SPREAD FROM WEST TO EAST OVERNIGHT. MODELS ARE STILL IN FLUX AS TO
WHETHER THE FRONT WILL DEVELOP OVER SOUTHERN OR NORTHERN CWA BUT
THAT IS NEGLIGIBLE COMPARED TO THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE SIGNIFICANT
RAINFALL TO THE REGION FROM THERE INTO SATURDAY.
&&
.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION ON THURSDAY. UNSETTLED
WEATHER WILL RETURN ONCE AGAIN THURSDAY NIGHT AS A WARM FRONT
LIFTS ACROSS THE AREA...BRINGING AROUND OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TO THE
NW OF THE AREA WILL BRING A COLD FRONT ALONG WITH ADDITIONAL
PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY FRIDAY NIGHT.
BEYOND FRIDAY...MODELS ARE SHOWING DIFFERENCES IN THE STRENGTH OF
THE SUBTROPICAL RIDGE OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN US. THE GFS FAVORS A
SLIGHT WEAKER RIDGE WHICH WOULD KEEP THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY...AND
UNSETTLED WEATHER OVER KENTUCKY THIS WEEKEND. THE ECMWF FAVORS A
SLIGHT STRONGER SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WHICH WOULD DRAPE THE FRONTAL
BOUNDARY AND PRECIPITATION OVER CENTRAL OHIO. HAVE BLENDED THE TWO
SOLUTIONS INTO THE FORECAST WHILE AWAITING MORE CLARITY FROM THE
MODELS. BY MONDAY THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY LIFTS NORTHWARD WITH WARMER
TEMPERATURES FORECAST.
&&
.AVIATION /03Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
LOW PRESSURE NEAR SAINT LOUIS THIS EVENING WILL CONTINUE TO DEEPEN
AS IT MOVES RAPIDLY NE TO A POSITION NEAR FORT WAYNE BY 06Z...CENTRAL
LAKE ERIE BY 12Z...THEN EASTERN ONTARIO BY 18Z. THIS LOW WILL BE
ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG COLD FRONT THAT WILL CROSS THE TAF SITES
BETWEEN 12Z AND 15Z. AHEAD OF THE FRONT ITSELF...STRONG...MOIST
ASCENT IN THE LOW LEVELS...ALSO STRONGLY CONVERGENT...WILL COUPLE
WITH UPPER LEVEL ENERGY TO PRODUCE A LINE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. AM STILL EXPECTING SOME KIND OF SQUALL LINE TO RACE
ACROSS THE TAF SITES OUT AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...PASSING THROUGH
KCVG...KLUK...KDAY...KILN BETWEEN 06Z AND 08Z...AND KCMH...KLCK
BETWEEN 08Z AND 10Z. SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WINDS WILL BE
POSSIBLE...BUT WILL WAIT AND WATCH HOW THE CONVECTION DEVELOPS
BEFORE PUTTING IN ANY 50 KNOT GUSTS. MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS ARE
POSSIBLE WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM. ONCE THE MAIN CONVECTION GOES
BY...SOME LINGERING SHOWERS MAY OCCUR BEFORE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE.
AFTER COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE...COLD AIR ADVECTION AND LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE WILL BRING MVFR CIGS TO THE REGION. WINDS WILL BE GUSTY
BEHIND THE FRONT FROM THE WEST/NORTHWEST...WITH GUSTINESS
DIMINISHING TOWARD 00Z THURSDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL EVENTUALLY
BUILD INTO THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT...SCOURING OUT LOW LEVEL
CLOUDS.
OUTLOOK...UNSETTLED WEATHER EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY WITH
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. MVFR/IFR CIGS/VSBYS POSSIBLE.
&&
.ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OH...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 9 AM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR OHZ060>065-070>074-
077>080-082.
KY...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 9 AM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR KYZ090>093.
IN...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 9 AM EDT WEDNESDAY FOR INZ050-058-059-066-
073>075-080.
&&
SYNOPSIS...FRANKS/HICKMAN
NEAR TERM...FRANKS/HICKMAN
SHORT TERM...FRANKS
LONG TERM...LATTO
AVIATION...HICKMANHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 545 PM EDT TUE APR 19 2011 INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ090>093-OHZ060>065-070>074-077>080- 082-202145- WAYNE-FAYETTE IN-UNION IN-FRANKLIN IN-RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO- SWITZERLAND-GALLATIN-BOONE-KENTON-CAMPBELL-PREBLE-MONTGOMERY-GREENE- FAYETTE OH-PICKAWAY-FAIRFIELD-BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-ROSS-HOCKING- HAMILTON-CLERMONT-BROWN-HIGHLAND-PIKE- 545 PM EDT TUE APR 19 2011 ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL INDIANA...SOUTHEAST INDIANA...NORTHERN KENTUCKY...CENTRAL OHIO...MIAMI VALLEY OF OHIO...SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO AND SOUTHWEST OHIO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLOOD WATCH. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR A WELL ORGANIZED SQUALL LINE TO DEVELOP TO OUR WEST AND TRACK ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THE SQUALL LINE. CHECK THE LATEST FORECAST FOR UPDATED INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLOOD WATCH. THE SEVERE WEATHER AND FLOOD THREAT WILL CONTINUE EARLY WEDNESDAY AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES EAST. THE THREAT WILL DIMINISH BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN BEHIND THE FRONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TONIGHT. KYZ089-094>100-OHZ026-034-035-042>046-051>056-081-088-202145- CARROLL-OWEN-GRANT-PENDLETON-BRACKEN-ROBERTSON-MASON-LEWIS-HARDIN- MERCER-AUGLAIZE-DARKE-SHELBY-LOGAN-UNION OH-DELAWARE-MIAMI-CHAMPAIGN- CLARK-MADISON-FRANKLIN OH-LICKING-ADAMS-SCIOTO- 545 PM EDT TUE APR 19 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...NORTHERN KENTUCKY...CENTRAL OHIO...MIAMI VALLEY OF OHIO...SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO AND WEST CENTRAL OHIO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR A WELL ORGANIZED SQUALL LINE TO DEVELOP TO OUR WEST AND TRACK ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THE SQUALL LINE. CHECK THE LATEST FORECAST FOR UPDATED INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE SEVERE WEATHER AND FLOOD THREAT WILL CONTINUE EARLY WEDNESDAY AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES EAST. THE THREAT WILL DIMINISH BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN BEHIND THE FRONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TONIGHT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
559 PM EDT TUE APR 19 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0546 PM HEAVY RAIN SOUTH BLOOMFIELD 39.72N 82.99W
04/19/2011 M2.17 INCH PICKAWAY OH TRAINED SPOTTER
STORM TOTAL.
&&
SFHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
629 PM EDT TUE APR 19 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0629 PM HEAVY RAIN CENTERVILLE 39.64N 84.14W
04/19/2011 M3.40 INCH MONTGOMERY OH TRAINED SPOTTER
STORM TOTAL SINCE LAST NIGHT.
&&
SFHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
745 PM EDT TUE APR 19 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0406 PM FLOOD RICHMOND 39.83N 84.89W
04/19/2011 WAYNE IN EMERGENCY MNGR
SEVERAL BASEMENTS IN AND AROUND RICHMOND ARE FLOODED.
2.04 INCHES MEASURED AT RICHMOND WITH 1.62 MEASURED IN
HAGERSTOWN. HIGH WATER SOUTH OF CENTERVILLE IS RECEDING.
&&
JOHNFThe Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 112 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:24 UTC.
50 thunderstorm wind, 18 hail, 10 tornado, 1 flash flood, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A silo was destroyed and farm equipment was damaged due to damaging thunderstorm winds. In addition, a house had siding and roof damage. Trees were also reported down around the area. A barn was destroyed and a large storage shed was damaged due to the winds.
At the beginning of the path near Lake Street in Celina, substantial roof and chimney damage was observed and very large trees were uprooted and snapped. Further to the northeast along Havemann Road, damage occurred to a home improvement warehouse, where as much as twenty percent of the roof structure was uplifted and the HVAC units were moved. In addition, lumber impaled roofing material and damage occurred to indoor inventory. Also at this location, wooden fence walls were down and snapped at the base of their four by four fence posts. Nearby, numerous power poles were snapped and metal light posts were down. On the northwest corner of Havemann and Route 29, a large brick free standing grocery building suffered major damage, including nearly all of the roof being lifted off and one of the brick walls collapsing. Further to the northeast along the path, substantial damage occurred to a home along Staeger Road. The entire attached garage was destroyed with nearly a third of the roofing on the home gone. The siding on the second story of the home had been impaled by a two by four section of lumber. A small sport utility vehicle parked in the rear of the home was toppled and a twenty-five foot mobile home was moved nearly thirty yards. A forty by fifty foot steel framed outbuilding was completely demolished. A pontoon boat which was within this outbuilding was also moved at least fifteen yards. Additional damage further to the northeast in Mercer County occurred along Riley Road between Oldtown and Howick Roads. One wooden and one steel barn were destroyed. An additional steel frame building suffered door damage and damage to part of the roof and a wall. Estimated maximum wind speeds based on damage is 115 miles per hour.
Damage occurred along Mercer-Auglaize County Line Road, in which a small wooden barn was destroyed. Along Noble Road, roof and tree damage occurred. Additional damage was observed near the northeast corner of Saint Mary's River Road and Easterly Road. About a quarter of the roof of a two story home was removed and a pontoon boat and trailer was flipped. Estimated wind speeds based on damage are around 80 miles per hour.
Power lines were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
A barn was destroyed due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Several vehicles were blown off of the interstate due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Large tree limbs were broken due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Large tree limbs were reported down and shingles were blown off of some roofs due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Large tree branches were broken due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
The wind gust was estimated.
A roof was removed from a brick building and was blown thirty feet away due to damaging thunderstorm winds. A metal roof was partially pulled off of a barn and a garage door was forced inward due to the winds. In addition, siding was peeled off of a barn.
Shingles were torn from a roof and a porch was lifted due to damaging thunderstorm winds. Numerous trees were down in the area due to the winds.
A large one-hundred year old tree was knocked down onto a house. Other pine trees in the area were snapped due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
A large sign was blown onto the highway due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
A garage was damaged and a roof was partially torn off of a house due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
A barn was destroyed and large tree limbs were down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
A roof was peeled back on one hanger and another hanger had its roof lifted up due to damaging thunderstorm winds. A large sliding metal door was forced inward and a tin roof was blown off of a barn due to the winds. In addition, rafters in a barn were broken and a door was knocked off of a barn due to the thunderstorms.
Several structures had windows blown in due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Silos, power poles, and trees were knocked down due to damaging thunderstorm winds. In addition, damage occurred to a building in the area.
Trees were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Multiple roads were closed due to heavy rainfall.
Structural damage was reported to homes due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Two barns were destroyed along with a grain bin due to the tornado. In addition, debris was driven into a building and debris spread for about a mile into a field. Another barn was destroyed along with an overturned trailer along the path. Metal roofing was pulled in different directions. A couple of trees and large tree limbs were also down due to the tornado. The estimated maximum wind speed based on damage was around 105 miles per hour.
A large tree was down in the road due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Trees were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
A roof was off of a house due to damaging thunderstorm winds. Damage occurred to another residence and a barn due to the winds.
Damage was first observed at the western end of London-Lancaster Road, just east of Rickenbacker Air Force Base. A large portion of the roof of a single family residence was removed. Damage was also observed on Pontius Road where one power pole was snapped at the base and several others were bent over. A large storage shed constructed of wood frame with metal sheeting was destroyed. At the end of the path, roof damage was observed with a Richardson Road residence. A large number of trees were also uprooted and broken along this path. The estimated maximum wind speed based on damage is around 109 miles per hour.
Twelve greenhouses constructed of metal poles overlaid with a plastic material were damaged to various degrees. The greenhouse farthest west was hit first by the circulation and was almost completely destroyed. Many of the plants inside the greenhouses were low to the ground and therefore sustained very little damage. A metal door on a small warehouse attached to the greenhouses was bent. Balled and bur-lapped trees were pulled toward the center of the path. Additional damage at this location included plant transport carts pulled from a loading dock into a small pond. A small metal storage shed toward the end of the observed path was also heavily distorted. Trees west of the damage path and a house immediately east of the path were not damaged. Estimated maximum wind speed based on damage is around 83 miles per hour.
A roof was blown off of a barn and trees were uprooted due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Trees were uprooted, a barn was moved off its foundation, and power lines were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
A semi truck was blown over due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
A house was damaged, a barn was destroyed, several roofs were damaged, a storage shed was blown down, large trees were down, and power lines were snapped due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
The spotter estimated the wind gust.
Multiple trees were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds. One tree fell on a house due to the winds.
Trees and power lines were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Half of a roof was blown off of a pole barn, a shed was destroyed, a garage was blown in and lifted off of its foundation, a roof was blown off of a house, and other homes in the area were damaged due to thunderstorm winds.
Several roofs were damaged and a storage shed was blown off its foundation due to damaging thunderstorm winds. Siding was also ripped off of a building due to the winds.
The tornado touched down east of Baltimore along Canal Road. Damage to a home was done at this location and a garage was destroyed. In addition windows were also blown out at this location. Numerous large trees were snapped and uprooted in the area. Additional damage was found along Millersport Road where a barn was damaged. Estimated maximum wind speed based on damage is around 100 miles per hour.
Damage occurred to a building due to thunderstorm winds.
A broken damage path was observed from just west of heath near the Newark-Heath Airport to State Route 13 east of Heath. Trees were snapped off between two and fifteen feet above the ground just west of the airport. A store just east-northeast of the airport had a section of the sign on the front of the store removed. A small business had its metal roof partially peeled away. Further along the path, a masonry building was damaged substantially with one wall completely collapsed along with half of another. Several large trees were uprooted or snapped along the path. Some of the trees pulled up a large amount of rock in which they were previously embedded. Maximum wind speed based on damage is around 120 miles per hour.
Three industrial buildings were damaged due to thunderstorm winds.
Trees were reported down with one tree on a house due to damaging thunderstorm winds. Metal roofing was also peeled off of a home due to the thunderstorm winds.
Large branches were broken due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
The wind gust was estimated.
A tornado touched down at the Pike County Fairgrounds where a storage shed was destroyed. Metal debris was strewn about the property. Another building on the property sustained roof damage. The maximum wind speed based on damage is around 80 miles per hour.
A mobile home on the west side of Brushy Fork Road, southeast of Brownsville Road, was destroyed. The mobile home rolled over and the roof and lengthwise side were removed and blown into trees immediately to the east. Trees were snapped or uprooted in the vicinity of the mobile home. Roof damage was observed at a residence on the east side of Brushy Fork Road. Further along the path, trees were snapped on a hillside. Estimated maximum wind speed based on damage is around 109 miles per hour.
Numerous trees were down and outbuildings were blown over due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Numerous large tree limbs were down and other limbs were twisted due to the tornado. There was minor roof damage to a home in the area as well. A mobile home was blown off of its foundation and the underpinning was blown out from under another mobile home. In addition, windows were blown out of another residence and a storage shed was destroyed. The maximum wind speed based on damage is around 80 miles per hour.
Numerous trees were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
A roof was blown off of a barn and a large tree was uprooted due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
A couple of trees were knocked down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Buildings at a canoe rental and a driving range were inundated with water.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Ohio, 2011Warnings in Ohio, April 2011
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: 292805, 292197, 292452, 289787, 289784, 289786, 292470, 289800, 289802, 289799, 289801, 290308, 290309, 289803, 290307, 289804, 290310, 290304, 289818, 289819, 290305, 289813, 290315, 290306, 290123, 290299, 290300, 289805, 289820, 289814, 289870, 289821, 289880, 290301, 289852, 289850, 289887, 290302, 289795, 294199, and more.