National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce
May 21, 2022
Gustnado in Sayler Park, Cincinnati, Ohio


Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
941 PM EDT Sun May 22 2022

...Wind damage in the Sayler Park area caused by a Gustnado...

Around 510 pm on Saturday, May 21, 2022, an eyewitness filmed a
swirling column of air over the Ohio River, just offshore from the
Sayler Park area of Hamilton County, Ohio. It appears that this
swirling column of air moved onto land and then produced damage
across a portion of Sayler Park. The damage was primarily located
over Catalpa Road, Gracely Drive and Fernbank Avenue. Numerous trees
were damaged, some completely knocked over or uprooted and thrown
onto homes and power lines. Based on pictures from the damage, winds
were likely 70 to 80 mph.

The cause of the damage on land is being classified as a gustnado.
By the National Weather Service definition, a gustnado is a small
whirlwind which forms as an eddy in thunderstorm outflows. They do
not connect with any cloud-base rotation and are not tornadoes. Like
dust devils, some stronger gustnadoes can cause damage.

This particular gustnado was not directly associated with a
thunderstorm updraft. Doppler radar supports the assessment that this
gustnado formed on an outflow boundary several miles ahead of a
thunderstorm. The gustnado was observed over the Ohio River, and then
produced damage in the Sayler Park area before dissipating.

The National Weather Service would like to thank the Hamilton
County, Ohio Emergency Management Agency, the City of Cincinnati and
several eyewitnesses who shared videos and photos for their
assistance in making this determination.

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BPP/CH/AR