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Tornado confirmed in Centerville

Staff photo by Nick Graham Overnight storms caused a car to overturn on Hollow Ridge Road in Liberty Twp. near Ohio 129.

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Staff photo by Ty Greenlees Senegal Dr. in Xenia on May 26, 2011. Damage from overnight storms.

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Staff photo by Nick Graham Two homes on Hollow Ridge Road in Liberty Twp. near Ohio 129 sustained roof damage during a powerful overnight storm.

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Staff photo by Chris Stewart Shot from Lakeman drive in Bellbrook.

High winds, massive hail cause significant damage; possible tornado hits Butler County.

Staff Report Updated 7:32 AM Friday, May 27, 2011

A tornado in Centerville on Wednesday night was confirmed by the National Weather Service forecast office in Wilmington.

The tornado hit at 7:10 p.m. Wedensday and had estimated maximum wind speeds of 65 mph. it had a maximum path width of 30 yards and a path length of 200 yards. It is considered an EF-0 on the tornado scale, the weakest level.

The tornado briefly touched down on the grounds of Miami Valley Hospital South, just south of Interstate 675, the weather service said. A small path of trees was downed in a wooded area north of the hospital. The trees were uprooted, snapped off or twisted.

The tornado developed from the same supercell thunderstorm that produced two- to three-inch hail in Centerville and Bellbrook, the weather service said. The hail caused extensive damage to vehicles and structures.

High winds and apple- and golf ball-size chunks of hail pummeled parts of the area Wednesday evening, downing trees and power lines, denting buildings and shattering windows on houses and car windshields.

As of 5:30 p.m. fewer than 1,000 DP&L customers were without power out of the 35,000 customers initially impacted by the severe weather.

By 10 p.m., DP&L expects to have fewer than 100 customers without power, and many of those will be individual outages and those that require extensive repairs. The company's 700 employees and contractors will continue to work around the clock until all the customers have power.

The National Weather Service also confirmed Thursday that a tornado touched down in Liberty Twp. at 12:28 a.m., meteorologist Kevin Dietsch said.

Wednesday’s high wind ripped off the roof and much of the second story of a home at 6277 Glen Hollow Drive, according to a Butler County dispatcher. The dispatcher said some residents have been displaced as a result and the Red Cross is at that location.

A swath of damage that goes approximately 200 to 300 feet up Glen Hollow Drive toward Hollow Ridge Road near Ohio 129 has multiple trees down throughout the neighborhood. Two other homes near 6277 also sustained roof damage and a vehicle rolled over.

Large hail and damaging winds are still a threat today as more thunderstorms are expected to visit the Miami Valley today.

Today’s storms also bring a threat for flooding, according to a weather alert issued by the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

Thursday’s morning commute is turning out to be wet, but pleasant.

Erica Collura, WHIO-TV meteorologist, said via her weather blog, “Watch for debris on the roads and possible traffic lights that are out. Showers and storms will most likely develop through the afternoon with gusty winds. By tomorrow we will be dealing with isolated showers and a great looking weekend.”

Today’s high temperature is expected to be 75 degrees. Friday’s high temperature is expected to be around 68 degrees with showers mainly in the morning.

Jamie Simpson, chief meteorologist at WHIO-TV Storm Center 7, said Wednesday night’s storms brought the largest widespread hail the region has seen in more than a decade. Hail two to three inches in diameter was reported in several areas.

“We get wind damage like this two or three times each spring,” Simpson said, but the large amount and size of the hail was unusual.

Between 5:30 and 8:05 p.m., hail as large as 3 inches in diameter was reported in Dayton, Beavercreek, Bellbrook, Centerville, New Carlisle, New Lebanon, Preble County and elsewhere in the area, said Mike Gallagher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. In Bellbrook, the hail was reportedly the size of softballs.

Authorities in Montgomery and Greene counties reported numerous downed electrical lines and trees, causing as many as 23,000 DP&L customers to be without power. Although funnel clouds were reported near the Dayton Mall, there were no confirmed reports of touch-downs, Gallagher said.

A driver who pulled off of Clyo Road east of Sugarcreek Plaza because the heavy rain suffered minor injuries when a nearly 100-foot tree fell onto his car.

The Sugarcreek Twp. Fire Department had to cut away tree limbs to free the man. Limbs impaled the vehicle’s windshield but missed the driver, who was taken to Miami Valley South for treatment of facial wounds.

At Benham’s Grove, 166 N. Main St., Centerville, there was a graduation party under way when the storm blew off a door and smashed all the windows along the west side of the building.

Sally Blommel, Benham’s Grove administrator, said those in attendance had been warned of the possibility of bad weather and the cellar was ready in case of emergency.

“It could have been worse,” she said. “Nobody was hit by glass, nobody was hit by hail.”

Blommel said the group continued with their party after the storm quieted down, and the Public Works Department secured the area.

She added that they were moving forward with a wedding that was planned for noon Thursday.

“It won’t be as pretty, but it will be safe,” Blommel said.

The downtown area along Ohio 48, just south of Benham’s Grove, also saw many broken windows due to the 2-inch hail.

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