Tornadoes · United States · Ohio · 2018

EF1 tornado, Moscow to Felicity, Ohio, February 24, 2018

From Moscow to Felicity, this EF1 tornado ran 3.5 miles across Clermont County on February 24, 2018, touching down at 12:03 AM EST and reaching 200 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $85,000 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.

  1. EF065 to 85 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. 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.

  7. 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
February 24, 2018
Touchdown
12:03 AM EST (05:03 UTC)
Lifted
12:06 AM EST (05:06 UTC)
On the ground
3 minutes
Path length
3.5 miles (5.6 km)
Path width
200 yards (183 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$85,000
County
Clermont County
Touchdown point
38.827, -84.175
Lift-off point
38.856, -84.124
Record number
1802242303-01

What the Weather Service recorded

Strong to severe thunderstorms, with very heavy rainfall, developed ahead of a cold front.

The tornado is believed to have first touched down on Neville Penn Schoolhouse Road about halfway between Felicity and Neville. Tree damage in this area was very extensive, with many trees uprooted and others snapped. In addition, a mobile home was destroyed. Damage continued further northeast on Neville-Penn Schoolhouse Road, with debris from one damaged structure observed blown against a fence line and into the nearby trees. A few other structures on Neville-Penn Schoolhouse Road suffered roof damage, including two barns which had partial roof removal. Additional tree damage was observed further northeast, with a few trees snapped north of OH-756.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

0 minutes of warning. NWS ILN issued a tornado warning for this county at 05:03 UTC, 0 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 05:10 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
01:36 UTC09:30 UTCFlash Flood WarningILN
05:03 UTC05:10 UTCTornado WarningILN
07:32 UTC20:16 UTCFlood WarningILN
07:32 UTC21:13 UTCFlood WarningILN
09:18 UTC15:15 UTCFlood AdvisoryILN
15:47 UTC23:15 UTCFlood AdvisoryILN

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 forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Marginal Risk, with a 0.02 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 00:42 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

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

5.1 hours before the tornado, 72 km from the path. February 25, 2018.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Cncnati-Daytn, OH at 00:00Z on 2018-02-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -30310, lifted condensation level 572 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Cncnati-Daytn, OH at 00:00Z on 2018-02-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 227 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 62 knots.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-30310 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
572 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
62 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
227 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
266 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
3.3 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Cncnati-Daytn, OH (KILN), 12:00Z

6.9 hours after it, 72 km from the path. February 25, 2018.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Cncnati-Daytn, OH at 12:00Z on 2018-02-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -70152, lifted condensation level 844 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Cncnati-Daytn, OH at 12:00Z on 2018-02-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 43 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 86 knots.1939587897117Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-70152 J/kg
Surface CAPE
9 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
844 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
86 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
43 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
207 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
5.2 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Batavia (I69), 27 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
03:15 UTC5351.80° 0 kt1008.1-RA
03:35 UTC5351.8100° 3 kt1007.8RA
03:55 UTC53.452.5140° 4 kt1007.5RA
04:15 UTC5756170° 10 kt1007.1-RA
04:35 UTC59.558.3180° 9 kt151006.1-RA
04:56 UTC61.259260° 13 kt211005.8RA
05:15 UTC58.356.7240° 18 kt261008.1RA
05:35 UTC5856.3230° 12 kt221008.5RA
05:55 UTC5856.3200° 9 kt1008.1RA
06:15 UTC58.356.5180° 8 kt1007.8-RA
06:35 UTC5856.3200° 8 kt181007.8-RA
06:55 UTC57.455.6180° 10 kt161007.1-RA

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Cincinnati radar (KILN), 70 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 05:01 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)ReportWhereCountyRemark
02:17 UTCFLASH FLOOD3 N CovingtonHamilton, OHWATER FLOWING DOWN DORCHESTER AVENUE NEAR READING ROAD IN CINCINNATI.
05:03 UTCTORNADO 14 Wsw FelicityClermont, OHAN EF1 TORNADO WAS CONFIRMED IN SOUTHERN CLERMONT COUNTY. THE TORNADO RESULTED IN NUMEROUS UPROOTED AND SNAPPED TREES AS WELL AS DAMAGE TO SOME PRIVATE PROPERTIES.
05:13 UTCTORNADO 15 Nw GeorgetownBrown, OHAN EF1 TORNADO WAS CONFIRMED IN WESTERN BROWN COUNTY. THE TORNADO RESULTED IN EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE AS WELL AS DAMAGE TO SEVERAL PRIVATE PROPERTIES.
05:24 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Wsw LynchburgClinton, OHSOCIAL MEDIA REPORT OF 25-30 FT FLAG POLE BENT OVER, GARDEN WINDMILL KNOCKED DOWN, AND VAN WINDOW BROKEN FROM FLYING DEBRIS. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR. CORRECTED FOR TIME.
05:30 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 Wnw HillsboroHighland, OHTREE REPORTED DOWN NEAR ANDERSON RD. AND S.R. 124. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2018 tornado in OhioEvery tornado in Ohio since 1950Warnings in force in Ohio nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of February 24, 2018

29 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
February 243:53 PM CSTEF2Robertson, TN to KY12.935011$850,000
February 245:11 PM CSTEF0Jackson, AR0.250$20,000
February 245:19 PM CSTEF1Barren, KY1.950$280,000
February 245:20 PM CSTEF1Cross, AR3.275$500,000
February 245:21 PM CSTEF2Clay, AR to MO41.915015$2.5 million
February 246:06 PM CSTEF2Mississippi, AR9.91001$1.0 million
February 246:30 PM CSTEF2New Madrid, MO0.91502$750,000
February 246:51 PM CSTEF0Obion, TN5.675$50,000
February 247:07 PM CSTEF1Obion, TN3.24503$2.0 million
February 247:17 PM CSTEF0Gibson, TN4.375$25,000
February 247:21 PM CSTEF0Weakley, TN5.275$50,000
February 247:36 PM CSTEF0Weakley, TN7.475$25,000
February 247:37 PM CSTEF1Calloway, KY8.3125$450,000
February 247:37 PM CSTEF1McCracken, KY1.9100$85,000
February 247:42 PM CSTEF1Graves, KY1.2100$50,000
February 247:50 PM CSTEF1Calloway, KY1.4100$550,000
February 248:02 PM CSTEF1Henry, TN3.975$50,000
February 248:44 PM CSTEF0Christian, KY5.375$20,000
February 248:45 PM CSTEF2Christian, KY5.42009$6.0 million
February 248:50 PM CSTEF1Montgomery, TN5.3150$1.0 million
February 248:55 PM CSTEF0Christian, KY0.550$6,000
February 249:03 PM CSTEF2Montgomery, TN4.12002$7.0 million
February 249:15 PM CSTEF0Logan, KY2.9300$30,000
February 249:19 PM CSTEF1Robertson, TN3.6150$50,000
February 249:21 PM CSTEF1Butler, KY1.4100$20,000
February 249:50 PM CSTEF0Simpson, KY1.7100$50,000
February 2410:33 PM CSTEF2Green, KY1.3100$130,000
February 2412:13 AM ESTEF1Brown, OH4.9300$65,000
February 2412:50 AM ESTEF1Garrard, KY0.1100$50,000

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.