Clark County's 18th tornado in 17 years was its strongest and earliest
Feb. 28—Clark County has had 18 tornadoes touch down in the 2000s, all of them since 2007, according to National Weather Service data reviewed by the Springfield News-Sun.
The latest happened Wednesday morning, the strongest and the only one that happened during early-morning darkness when many people might normally be asleep.
The NWS of Wilmington on Wednesday confirmed a tornado touched down south and east of Springfield in Clark County early Wednesday morning, an EF-2.
This one happened around 5 a.m. Most of the other 17 tornadoes happened in the evenings after 5 p.m., except two that touched down just after 7 a.m. and one right before 10 a.m.
It was also the strongest the area has had in the last 17 years, as six earlier ones were an EF-1 and 11 were EF-0. Remarkably, no one was seriously injured Wednesday.
An EF-2 tornado is considered strong and has significant damage. It includes wind speeds of 111 to 135 mph, according to the NWS. An EF-1 tornado has wind speeds of 86-110 mph.
Residents in several areas — such as Mitchell Road in Springfield Twp. and Newlove Road in Harmony Twp. — had significant damage to their homes.
Rebekah Stewart went into her garage to get her husband, John, when she heard winds starting to pick up between 4:50 and 5 a.m. at their home on Mitchell Road.
"It really started picking up, so I came running back upstairs to get our daughter, who's three, out of the bedroom and my son who was in the hallway. He's 17. And by the time I got her out of bed, the tornado came through, and I had to jump on top of her and shield her," Stewart said. "Luckily, we were safe. We all made it out safely."
Stewart, her son and daughter have minor injuries, and John Stewart has some cuts, but she said they "we're good for the most part."
Stewart said they pretty much lost everything in the tornado, but they tried to salvage some of their personal items they could find.
"The house is pretty much gone," she said. "We're just glad we're all OK and alive and we made it out."
Ted Williams was fixing his in-laws' roof, which suffered extensive damage, on Newlove Road in Harmony Twp. after the storm. He said that the 80-plus-year-olds sheltered in their hallway early Wednesday morning because they don't have a basement.
Neighbors had been checking on each other, and first responders have been helpful, Williams said.
"One of my high school buddies who lives over on the other road was able to get them out of the house in the dark this morning," Williams said.
His in-laws are staying at his house, Williams said.
The latest tornado comes almost exactly a year after one was confirmed on Feb. 27 of last year north of New Carlisle. That was an EF-1 with an estimated maximum wind speed of 90-95 mph.
The majority of the Clark County tornadoes happened in April with eight in that month, followed by five in May, three in February (including the newest one), one in June and one in November.
Here are the dates, strength and places of tornadoes the NWS reported for Clark County since 2007:
Feb. 18, 2024: EF-2, near Springfield;
Feb. 27, 2023, 3:19 p.m.: EF-1, north of New Carlisle;
June 8, 2022, 5:23 p.m.: EF-1, North Hampton;
April 14, 2019, 2:12 p.m.: EF-0, Eagle City;
April 12, 2019, 7:34 a.m.: EF-0, Plattsburg;
April 12, 2019, 7:32 a.m.: EF-0, near South Charleston;
Feb. 7, 2019, 3:17 p.m.: EF-0, Pitchin;
April 3, 2018, 3:56 p.m.: EF-1, near South Charleston;
Nov. 5, 2017, 6:16 p.m.: EF-1, South Vienna;
May 24, 2017, 8:16 p.m.: EF-1, Park Layne;
May 24, 2017, 8:12 p.m.: EF-0, Crystal Lakes;
April 5, 2017, 5:58 p.m.: EF-0, Rockway;
April 5, 2017, 5:51 p.m.: EF-0, Enon;
April 2, 2015, 8:31 p.m.: EF-0, New Carlisle airport;
May 23, 2011, 7:10 p.m.: EF-1, Moorefield Twp.;
April 27, 2011, 9:53 a.m.: EF-0, New Carlisle;
May 8, 2008, 5:13 p.m.: EF-0, Selma;
May 15, 2007, 10:05 p.m.: EF-0, Springfield.
