Tornadoes · United States · Ohio · 2011
EF1 tornado, New Holland to Atlanta, Ohio, April 20, 2011
From New Holland to Atlanta, this EF1 tornado ran 4.2 miles across Pickaway County on April 20, 2011, touching down at 2:14 AM EDT and reaching 200 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $75,000 of property damage.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
The record
- Rating
- EF1
- Date
- April 20, 2011
- Touchdown
- 2:14 AM EDT (06:14 UTC)
- Lifted
- 2:19 AM EDT (06:19 UTC)
- On the ground
- 5 minutes
- Path length
- 4.2 miles (6.8 km)
- Path width
- 200 yards (183 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $75,000
- County
- Pickaway County
- Touchdown point
- 39.548, -83.254
- Lift-off point
- 39.556, -83.175
- Record number
- 1104200014-01
What the Weather Service recorded
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.
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.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
No tornado warning for this county appears in the archive as in force at the moment the tornado touched down.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 02:16 UTC and running to 07:50 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18:30 UTC | 00:00 UTC | Flood Advisory | ILN |
| 02:16 UTC | 07:50 UTC | Tornado Watch | ILN |
| 02:48 UTC | 05:12 UTC | Flood Warning | ILN |
| 03:00 UTC | 13:00 UTC | Flood Watch | ILN |
| 05:43 UTC | 06:22 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILN |
| 05:55 UTC | 06:45 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILN |
| 06:06 UTC | 06:45 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILN |
| 06:28 UTC | 12:30 UTC | Flood Advisory | ILN |
| 06:43 UTC | 07:15 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | ILN |
| 11:00 UTC | 09:10 UTC | Flood Warning | ILN |
Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.
The air that afternoon
The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.
Cncnati-Daytn, OH (KILN), 00:00Z
6.2 hours before the tornado, 52 km from the path. April 20, 2011.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1686 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -39 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 1143 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1003 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 51 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 41 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 387 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 474 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 4.3
- Supercell composite
- 18.7
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 4.4 K/km
Cncnati-Daytn, OH (KILN), 12:00Z
5.8 hours after it, 52 km from the path. April 20, 2011.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 14 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -160 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 21 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 668 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 47 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 46 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 499 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 462 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 4.9 K/km
The surface observations
Rickenbacker Ang (LCK), 38 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04:15 UTC | 67 | 57.2 | 180° 13 kt | 1003.4 | ||
| 04:35 UTC | 66.74 | 57.38 | 180° 10 kt | 1003.4 | ||
| 05:15 UTC | 68.18 | 57.56 | 180° 16 kt | 21 | 1002.7 | |
| 05:35 UTC | 69.62 | 57.38 | 190° 13 kt | 1003 | ||
| 05:55 UTC | 70.16 | 57.56 | 190° 13 kt | 1003 | ||
| 06:15 UTC | 70.88 | 57.56 | 180° 17 kt | 1002.4 | ||
| 06:35 UTC | 67.28 | 57.2 | 280° 24 kt | 55 | 1007.1 | +VCTSRA |
| 06:55 UTC | 61.16 | 56.48 | 270° 10 kt | 1006.8 | -TSRA | |
| 07:15 UTC | 60.8 | 56.48 | 270° 8 kt | 15 | 1006.8 | -TSRA |
| 07:35 UTC | 61 | 56.48 | 210° 5 kt | 1006.4 | -TSRA | |
| 07:55 UTC | 60.8 | 56.48 | 210° 7 kt | 1006.8 | -RA |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Cincinnati radar (KILN), 54 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 06:15 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
What was reported nearby
Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05:53 UTC | TSTM WND GST 79 | 2 Sse Wilmington | Clinton, OH | 69 KT WIND GUST MEASURED AT NWS WILMINGTON |
| 06:00 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Kiln Wilmington Apt | Clinton, OH | ROOF PEELED BACK ON ONE HANGAR AND ANOTHER HANGAR ROOF LIFTED UP. LARGE METAL SLIDING DOOR FORCED INWARD. |
| 06:00 UTC | TSTM WND GST 50 | Chillicothe | Ross, OH | |
| 06:00 UTC | TSTM WND GST 64 | Kiln Wilmington Apt | Clinton, OH | 56 KT WIND GUST AT KILN ASOS |
| 06:01 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Ene New Antioch | Clinton, OH | TIN ROOF OFF BARN, RAFTERS IN BARN ROOD BROKEN AND DOOR KNOCKED OFF BARN. |
| 06:03 UTC | HAIL 0.5 | London | Madison, OH | |
| 06:05 UTC | HAIL 0.5 | Wilmington | Clinton, OH | |
| 06:08 UTC | HAIL 0.5 | Jamestown | Greene, OH | |
| 06:09 UTC | HAIL 1 | London | Madison, OH | |
| 06:10 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 E Jeffersonville | Fayette, OH | SILOS BLOWN DOWN |
| 06:10 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Washington Court House | Fayette, OH | SEVERAL POWER POLES AND TREES KNOCKED DOWN ALONG ST RTE. 734. |
| 06:10 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Washington Court House | Fayette, OH | SEVERAL STRUCTURES HAD WINDOWS BLOWN IN. |
| 06:14 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | New Holland | Fayette, OH | SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO SEVERAL HOUSES... GARAGES...AND BARNS IN NEW HOLLAND. ALSO SOME TREE DAMAGE. |
| 06:14 UTC | TORNADO | Sse New Holland | Pickaway, OH | SURVEY CONFIRMED EF1 TORNADO WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 105 MPH. PATH LENGTH OF 4.2 MILES. PATH WIDTH OF 200 YARDS. |
| 06:15 UTC | HAIL 0.5 | Martinsville | Clinton, OH | |
| 06:17 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Jeffersonville | Fayette, OH | DAMAGE TO BUILDING. |
| 06:18 UTC | HAIL 1 | 1 N Bloomingburg | Fayette, OH | HAIL UP TO QUARTER SIZE |
| 06:20 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 S Orient | Pickaway, OH | TREES DOWN |
| 06:20 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 Ne Williamsport | Pickaway, OH | ROOF OFF OF A HOUSE ON YANKEETOWN PIKE. DAMAGE TO A RESIDENCE AND BARN ON FIVE POINTS PIKE EAST OF GRANGE HALL. |
| 06:25 UTC | HAIL 0.75 | Washington Court House | Fayette, OH | ALSO SMALL BRANCHES BREAKING |
| 06:25 UTC | TORNADO | 4 Ssw Groveport | Franklin, OH | SURVEY CONFIRMED EF1 TORNADO WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 109 MPH. 2.6 MILE PATH LENGTH BEGAN JUST EAST OF RICKENBACKER AFB AND EXTENDED TO LANCASTER ROAD. MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH WAS 100 YARDS. |
| 06:26 UTC | HAIL 0.25 | London | Madison, OH | |
| 06:27 UTC | TORNADO | 2 Ene Groveport | Franklin, OH | A SURVEY CONFIRMED AN EF0 TORNADO WITH MAXIMUM WINDS OF 83 MPH AT A GREENHOUSE COMPLEX. THE PATH LENGTH WAS 250 YARDS AND THE MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH WAS 50 YARDS. TWELVE GREENHOUSES WERE DAMAGED. BALLED AND BURLAPPED TREES A |
| 06:29 UTC | HAIL 0.88 | Groveport | Franklin, OH | |
| 06:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Ne Circleville | Pickaway, OH | TREES UPROOTED...BARN LIFTED OFF FOUNDATION...AND POWER LINES DOWNED ON NICHOLAS ROAD. |
| 06:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 S Baltimore | Fairfield, OH | BARN DESTROYED/TREES UPROOTED/HOUSE DAMAGED |
| 06:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 S Orient | Pickaway, OH | TREES DOWNED |
| 06:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Wsw Baltimore | Fairfield, OH | BARN COMPLETELY DESTROYED. LARGE TREE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED. SNAPPED POWER POLES. |
| 06:32 UTC | TSTM WND GST 60 | Canal Winchester | Franklin, OH | |
| 06:33 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Carroll | Fairfield, OH | MULTIPLE LARGE PINE AND MAPLE TREES 10 TO 15 INCHES IN DIAMETER BROKEN AT GROUND LEVEL. ONE TREE FELL ONTO HOUSE. |
| 06:35 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 Sse Groveport | Franklin, OH | HALF OF A ROOF BLOWN OFF OF A POLE BARN. SHED DESTRYOED. GARAGE WALL BLOWN IN AND BACK OF GARAGE SHIFTED FROM FOUNDATION ON RICHARDSON ROAD. |
| 06:35 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Lockbourne | Franklin, OH | NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER POLES DOWN JUST SOUTH OF RICKENBACKER AIRPORT. |
| 06:35 UTC | TSTM WND GST 63 | Klck Rickenbacker Apt | Franklin, OH | 55 KT WIND GUST AT KLCK AWOS |
| 06:40 UTC | TORNADO | 3 Sse Groveport | Franklin, OH | |
| 06:42 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Chillicothe | Ross, OH | DAMAGE TO BUILDING |
| 06:45 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Waverly | Pike, OH | TREE DOWNED |
| 06:50 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | Groveport | Franklin, OH | |
| 06:51 UTC | HAIL 1 | Londonderry | Ross, OH | |
| 06:51 UTC | TORNADO | S Piketon | Pike, OH | SURVEY CONFIRMED EF0 TORNADO. DISCONTINUOUS DAMAGE PATH FROM PIKE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS EAST TWO MILES TO WADSWORTH AVENUE NEAR ZHANS CORNER. MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH 200 YARDS. |
| 06:52 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Sse Piketon | Pike, OH | 10 TREES DOWN AND SHINGLES OFF ROOF |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2011 tornado in OhioEvery tornado in Ohio since 1950Warnings in force in Ohio nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of April 20, 2011
11 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 20 | 2:22 AM EDT | EF1 | Franklin, OH | 2.5 | 100 | $35,000 | ||
| April 20 | 2:26 AM EDT | EF0 | Franklin, OH | 0.1 | 50 | $30,000 | ||
| April 20 | 1:30 AM CDT | EF1 | Simpson, KY | 3.7 | 100 | |||
| April 20 | 2:39 AM EDT | EF1 | Fairfield, OH | 2.6 | 300 | $45,000 | ||
| April 20 | 2:42 AM EDT | EF2 | Licking, OH | 3.9 | 100 | $45,000 | ||
| April 20 | 2:51 AM EDT | EF0 | Pike, OH | 0.2 | 50 | $10,000 | ||
| April 20 | 2:51 AM EDT | EF1 | Licking, OH | 0.2 | 75 | $40,000 | ||
| April 20 | 2:53 AM EDT | EF0 | Pike, OH | 0.1 | 50 | $70,000 | ||
| April 20 | 4:58 AM CDT | EF1 | Lawrence, AL | 2.6 | 100 | |||
| April 20 | 6:37 PM CDT | EF0 | Kimble, TX | 0.1 | 50 | |||
| April 20 | 8:09 PM CDT | EF1 | Webster, MS | 3.3 | 150 | $100,000 |
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.