Tornadoes · United States · Ohio · 2024

EF1 tornado, Mt Cory to Jenera, Ohio, March 14, 2024

From Mt Cory to Jenera, this EF1 tornado ran 3.3 miles across Hancock County on March 14, 2024, touching down at 7:30 PM EDT and reaching 100 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.

  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
March 14, 2024
Touchdown
7:30 PM EDT (23:30 UTC)
Lifted
7:34 PM EDT (23:34 UTC)
On the ground
4 minutes
Path length
3.3 miles (5.4 km)
Path width
100 yards (91 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$75,000
County
Hancock County
Touchdown point
40.876, -83.809
Lift-off point
40.882, -83.745
Record number
2403141730-01

What the Weather Service recorded

A cold front drifted south-southeastward from near the northern shore of Lake Erie and southern Lower MI to near the southern shore of Lake Erie and far-northwestern OH during the evening of the 14th as a warm and relatively-moist sector preceded the front in northern OH. Multicell and supercell thunderstorms occurred along and ahead of the front, and persisted generally eastward. Severe hail, some large, and isolated straight-line convective wind damage occurred as the storms encountered weak to moderate MUCAPE, relatively-steep midlevel lapse rates near 7C/km, and moderate to strong effective bulk shear. Three separate supercells spawned a tornado amidst favorably-strong, surface-based effective storm relative helicity and favorably-low mixed layer lifting condensation levels less than 1500 meters AGL. The training supercell thunderstorms with heavy rainfall produced isolated flash flooding as well.

An EF1 tornado with estimated peak winds of 105 mph tracked east-northeastward for about three-miles in Orange Township. The tornado began near the intersection of Township Roads 29 and 56 and ended near Township Road 60, just south of Township Road 32. The tornado damaged several homes and outbuildings during its lifespan.

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. One was issued for the county at another hour that day.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 21:15 UTC and running to 00:43 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
21:15 UTC00:43 UTCTornado WatchCLE
22:39 UTC23:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningCLE
22:45 UTC23:15 UTCTornado WarningCLE
23:19 UTC00:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningCLE
23:46 UTC00:10 UTCTornado WarningCLE

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 Slight Risk, with a 0.02 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 19:37 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

11.5 hours before the tornado, 161 km from the path. March 14, 2024.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Cncnati-Daytn, OH at 12:00Z on 2024-03-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 20 joules per kilogram, CIN -147, lifted condensation level 1277 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 12:00Z on 2024-03-14The 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 114 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 34 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
20 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-147 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1277 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
114 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
135 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
5.3 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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

0.5 hours after it, 161 km from the path. March 15, 2024.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Cncnati-Daytn, OH at 00:00Z on 2024-03-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 966 joules per kilogram, CIN -27, lifted condensation level 1092 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 2024-03-15The 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 37 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 61 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
966 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-27 J/kg
Surface CAPE
1639 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1092 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
61 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
9 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
37 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
113 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.4
Supercell composite
2.2
0-3 km lapse rate
7.3 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The radar

The Cincinnati radar (KILN), 162 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 23:29 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
22:49 UTCHAIL 1OttovillePutnam, OH
22:53 UTCFUNNEL CLOUD2 W FindlayHancock, OHFunnel cloud observed by trained spotter at OH-12 and I-75 before it became rain-wrapped.
23:03 UTCTORNADO4 Nnw Mount BlanchardHancock, OHLaw enforcement observed a tornado at OH-37 and Township Road 168.
23:03 UTCTORNADO4 Nnw Mount BlanchardHancock, OHLaw enforcement observed a tornado looking north from OH-37 and Township Road 168.
23:09 UTCTORNADO4 Ne VanlueHancock, OHBased on several social media photos and videos, eyewitness reports, and law enforcement reports, a brief and intermittent tornado occurred from the extreme eastern part of Hancock County to the western part of Seneca Co
23:18 UTCTSTM WND DMGColumbus GrovePutnam, OHSemi blown over and several road signs downed.
23:22 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 Se New RiegelWyandot, OHUtility pole down and hit a vehicle.
23:25 UTCFUNNEL CLOUD4 Ese New RiegelSeneca, OHNumerous observations of lowering funnel cloud.
23:25 UTCHAIL 11 Wsw TiffinSeneca, OH
23:29 UTCTORNADO4 Nne BotkinsAuglaize, OH*** 3 FATAL, 27 INJ *** EF3 tornado with winds to 155 MPH confirmed in Auglaize County OH and Logan County OH. This tornado began south of Wapakoneta and is believed to have ended east of Bellefontaine.
23:30 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 Sw JeneraHancock, OHCorrects previous tstm wnd dmg report from 3 SW Jenera. Emergency management reported several structures with significant damage, including roofs blown off of homes and partial collapse of barns along Township Road 29. S
23:30 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 Wsw JeneraHancock, OHCorrects previous tstm wnd dmg report from 3 WSW Jenera. Report of damage to houses near Township Road 29 and Township Road 12. Report corrected for time based on radar.
23:30 UTCTORNADO4 Sse Mount CoryHancock, OHAn EF-1 tornado with maximum estimated winds of 100 MPH developed in Orange Township in southwestern Hancock County. The tornado tracked 3.3 miles towards the east, lifting in Van Buren Township. The tornado damaged 5 ho
23:31 UTCHAIL 1RawsonHancock, OHReport from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).
23:49 UTCTORNADOLakeviewLogan, OHMultiple buildings destoryed in the Lakeview area. Time estimated.
23:50 UTCHAIL 1.751 N Jackson CenterShelby, OH
23:52 UTCHAIL 2.75Jackson CenterShelby, OH
23:56 UTCHAIL 1.75Jackson CenterShelby, OH
23:56 UTCHAIL 22 E Jackson CenterLogan, OHTime estimated from radar.
23:57 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 Wsw JeneraHancock, OHReport of damage to houses near Township Road 29 and Township Road 12.
00:13 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 Sw JeneraHancock, OHEmergency management reported several structures with significant damage, including roofs blown off of homes and partial collapse of barns along Township Road 29. Several large trees down as well.
00:15 UTCHAIL 1.25RushsylvaniaLogan, OH

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

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2024 tornado in OhioEvery tornado in Ohio since 1950Warnings in force in Ohio nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of March 14, 2024

24 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
March 144:36 AM CDTEF1Warren, IL1.1150
March 147:28 AM CDTEF0Jersey, IL8.7100
March 147:44 AM CDTEF0Jersey, IL3.975
March 147:46 AM CDTEF0Jersey, IL2.8200
March 147:46 AM CDTEF0Saint Louis, MO0.150
March 147:58 AM CDTEF0Macoupin, IL2.1100
March 141:58 PM EDTEF2Jefferson, IN to KY18.05002$320,000
March 141:44 PM CDTEF0McIntosh, OK2.7350$10,000
March 143:40 PM CDTEF0Christian, MO1.050$15,000
March 145:40 PM CDTEF1Mercer, IN to OH9.3450$250,000
March 147:00 PM EDTEF1Mercer, OH15.91,050$750,000
March 147:09 PM EDTUnratedHancock, OH1.350
March 147:29 PM EDTEF3Indian Lake tornado, OH31.31,000327$6.0 million
March 147:34 PM EDTEF2Delaware, IN4.5175$4.0 million
March 146:50 PM CDTEF3Winchester tornado, Indiana and Ohio41.3700139$26 million
March 147:54 PM EDTEF2Crawford, OH10.3250$450,000
March 146:59 PM CDTEF0Collin, TX0.215$25,000
March 148:24 PM EDTEF2Union, OH19.5600$550,000
March 147:32 PM CDTEF1Jefferson, IL0.5150$700,000
March 147:57 PM CDTEF2Garland, AR8.51,000
March 149:01 PM EDTEF1Delaware, OH35.4600$1.5 million
March 148:11 PM CDTEF1Wayne, IL2.875$120,000
March 1410:32 PM CDTEF0Breckinridge, KY0.520
March 1411:00 PM CDTEF1McCurtain, OK0.5200$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.