Tornadoes · United States · Ohio · 2020

EF0 tornado, Kilbourne to Berkshire, Ohio, September 7, 2020

From Kilbourne to Berkshire, this EF0 tornado ran 3.2 miles across Delaware County on September 7, 2020, touching down at 5:14 PM EDT and reaching 150 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $25,000 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 mphthis tornado

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

  2. EF186 to 110 mph

    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
EF0
Date
September 7, 2020
Touchdown
5:14 PM EDT (21:14 UTC)
Lifted
5:17 PM EDT (21:17 UTC)
On the ground
3 minutes
Path length
3.2 miles (5.2 km)
Path width
150 yards (137 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$25,000
County
Delaware County
Touchdown point
40.297, -82.989
Lift-off point
40.270, -82.939
Record number
2009071514-01

What the Weather Service recorded

Showers and thunderstorms developed during the afternoon and evening hours along a stalled frontal boundary that was stretching across central Ohio. The thunderstorms continued into the early morning hours of the 8th, producing areas of heavy rain.

The tornado is believed to have begun in a field just west of Jumper Road, with the first evidence of tornadic damage occurring along Jumper Road. Multiple trees and large limbs were knocked down and partial uplift of a roof was observed on one of the homes. Shingles and other material were thrown both downwind and upwind from the home. To the southeast of Jumper Road, additional tree damage was noted along North Old State Road. The tornado likely crossed Alum Creek, producing additional tree damage along N 3 Bs and K Road before lifting. This tornado was rated EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, with maximum winds of 80 mph.

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

The warnings

12 minutes of warning. NWS ILN issued a tornado warning for this county at 21:02 UTC, 12 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 21:30 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
20:20 UTC21:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningILN
20:54 UTC21:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningILN
21:02 UTC21:30 UTCTornado WarningILN
21:24 UTC21:40 UTCTornado WarningILN
21:25 UTC00:00 UTCFlood AdvisoryILN
21:37 UTC21:48 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningILN
22:39 UTC01:45 UTCFlood AdvisoryILN
23:05 UTC02:00 UTCFlood AdvisoryILN
02:07 UTC09:32 UTCFlash Flood WatchILN
03:29 UTC06:08 UTCFlash Flood WarningILN

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. The outlook in force was issued at 19:57 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), 12:00Z

9.2 hours before the tornado, 119 km from the path. September 7, 2020.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Cncnati-Daytn, OH at 12:00Z on 2020-09-07Temperature 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 -82468, lifted condensation level 1756 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°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 2020-09-07The 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 185 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 24 knots.193958Sfc1 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
-82468 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1756 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
185 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
195 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
2.9 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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

2.8 hours after it, 119 km from the path. September 8, 2020.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Cncnati-Daytn, OH at 00:00Z on 2020-09-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 384 joules per kilogram, CIN -147, lifted condensation level 1381 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°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 2020-09-08The 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 135 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 32 knots.193958Sfc1 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
384 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-147 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1521 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1381 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
17 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
135 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
170 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.7
0-3 km lapse rate
6.3 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Delaware (DLZ), 13 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
19:15 UTC84.264.4200° 6 kt171011.5
19:35 UTC82.464.4190° 9 kt161011.5
19:55 UTC82.464.4210° 12 kt1011.5VCTS
20:15 UTC82.464.4210° 9 kt161010.8
20:35 UTC84.264.4190° 11 kt211010.5VCTS
20:55 UTC80.664.4200° 10 kt171010.5VCTS
21:15 UTC360° 29 kt1012.5TS
21:35 UTC66.266.2330° 4 kt1012.9+TSRA
21:55 UTC66.266.2110° 3 kt1013.9+TSRA
22:15 UTC66.266.2310° 7 kt1014.2+TSRA
22:35 UTC66.266.20° 0 kt1013.2+TSRA
22:55 UTC66.266.2170° 7 kt1013.2TSRA

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

The radar

The Cincinnati radar (KILN), 121 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 21:13 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
20:53 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 Ssw OstranderUnion, OHSEVERAL LARGE MAPLES SNAPPED AT THE 2 1/2 FT TRUNK LEVEL. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
20:53 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 E MarysvilleUnion, OHSEVERAL LARGE TREES DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF SPRINGDALE AND LOWE ROADS. ONE TREE FELL ONTO A HOUSE AND A BARN WAS ALSO BLOWN DOWN. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
20:54 UTCTSTM WND GST 49Kmrt Marysville AptUnion, OH
21:06 UTCTSTM WND GST 55Kdlz Delaware AptDelaware, OH
21:07 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 W DelawareDelaware, OHTREE REPORTED DOWN ON POWER LINES. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
21:07 UTCTSTM WND GST 68DelawareDelaware, OHMEASURED ON THE EMA WEATHER STATION AT THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE
21:08 UTCTSTM WND DMGDelawareDelaware, OHSEVERAL TREES AND WIRES DOWN IN AND NEAR THE CITY OF DELAWARE. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
21:11 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 Ene DelawareDelaware, OHTREE DAMAGE REPORTERD ON HARRIS ROAD NEAR STATE ROUTE 521.
21:12 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 Nne PowellDelaware, OHTREES DOWNED NEAR THE ENTRY TO SHALE HOLLOW PARK.
21:12 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 S AshleyDelaware, OHSEVERAL LARGE TREES DOWNED OR SNAPPED ALONG LEONARDSBURG ROAD. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.
21:12 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 Ene DelawareDelaware, OHNUMEROUS LARGE TREES AND TREE LIMBS DOWNED ALONG A PORTION OF CACKLER ROAD. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.
21:12 UTCTSTM WND DMG6 Ne PowellDelaware, OHSEVERAL LARGE TREES DOWNED OR UPROOTED ALONG COUNTY ROAD 10. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.
21:13 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 Ne PowellDelaware, OHTREE DOWNED ON DUBOIS ROAD.
21:14 UTCTORNADO 04 E DelawareDelaware, OHEF0 TORNADO CONFIRMED EAST OF DELAWARE IN DELAWARE COUNTY OHIO.
21:15 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 Ene PowellDelaware, OHSEVERAL LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWNED NEAR GLEN OAK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
21:19 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 Nw SunburyDelaware, OHONE LARGE TREE DOWNED AT N GALENA ROAD AND US ROUTE 36.
21:22 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Wsw SunburyDelaware, OHMULTIPLE TREES DOWNED ON MILL RUN DRIVE.
21:23 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Ese SunburyDelaware, OHMULTIPLE TREES DOWNED ON ORCHARD LANE.
21:24 UTCTSTM WND DMGNe SunburyDelaware, OHTWO LARGE TREES UPROOTED AT A RESIDENCE ON NORTH COLUMBUS STREET.
21:33 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 N HartfordLicking, OHNUMEROUS TREES DOWNED AT TWO PROPERTIES ON SINKEY ROAD.
21:48 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 W UticaLicking, OHNUMEROUS TREES AND WIRES DOWN.
21:52 UTCTSTM WND DMGMount VernonKnox, OHNUMEROUS TREES DOWN ACROSS MOUNT VERNON.
22:30 UTCFLOODDelawareDelaware, OHHIGH WATER ON ROADS ACROSS COUNTY.
22:45 UTCFLOOD1 Ssw UticaLicking, OHUTICA POLICE DEPARTEMENT REPORTED WATER TOPPING THE BRIDGE ON OH-13 FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. DEBRIS WAS ALSO REPORTED. THIS PROMPTED A ROAD CLOSURE.
22:51 UTCHEAVY RAIN 1.151 Nw ChestervilleMorrow, OH
23:00 UTCHEAVY RAIN 2.051 Wsw BellvilleRichland, OHMESONET STATION BLLO1 BELLVILLE.
23:53 UTCHEAVY RAIN 1.26 Wnw GahannaFranklin, OH1 HOURLY RAIN TOTAL FROM 655 TO 750 PM
23:54 UTCHEAVY RAIN 1.4BexleyFranklin, OH1 HOUR RAINFALL TOTAL BETWEEN 700 AND 750 PM

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

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2020 tornado in OhioEvery tornado in Ohio since 1950Warnings in force in Ohio nowThe forecast where you are

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.