EF0 Tornado Confirmed Near Orient, OH

Dangerous Cold Weather for Most of the Country; Rare Winter Storm for the South; Fire Weather Concerns for Southern California

Arctic air will filter south and east through early this week. As this cold air moves across the South, a rare winter storm is forecast to develop from Texas, Gulf Coast States into the Southeast through early this week. Several new daily record low temperatures are expected, including new record-low maximum temperatures. For Southern California, fire weather concerns increase this week. Read More >

Public Information Statement National Weather Service Wilmington OH 425 PM EST Tue Feb 28 2023 ...TORNADO CONFIRMED NEAR ORIENT OH IN PICKAWAY COUNTY OHIO... Start Location...1 S Harrisburg in Pickaway County OH End Location...Orient in Pickaway County OH Date...02/27/2023 Estimated Start Time...4:03 PM EST Estimated End Time...4:05 PM EST Maximum EF-Scale Rating...EF0 Estimated Maximum Wind Speed...85 mph Maximum Path Width...100 yards Path Length...1.4 miles Beginning Lat/Lon...39.7889 / -83.1773 Ending Lat/Lon...39.8018 / -83.1582 * Fatalities...0 * Injuries...0 ...Summary... The tornado began south of Darby Creek Road in the Fox Lair Farms neighborhood where two single-wide manufactured homes were flipped on their sides. Minor damage continued through the neighborhood before the tornado crossed Darby Creek Road, damaging a single property. On the property, the garage roof was lifted off the structure and landed on the other side of Darby Creek Road. The tornado likely crossed Big Darby Creek, however, damage could not be verified due to the lack of accessible roads. The next period of damage was observed toward the town of Orient, where multiple abandoned structures were damaged at the Pickaway Correctional Institution south of the town. This damage was verified through video shared on social media. Most of the structures saw large amounts of roof panel loss which was scattered across a nearby field. The only signs of the tornado in the town of Orient was scattered building insulation found in trees. It is believed that the tornado likely dissipated as it entered Orient. The National Weather Service would like to thank the Pickaway Emergency Management Agency for their coordination with this survey. EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories: EF0...Weak......65 to 85 mph EF1...Weak......86 to 110 mph EF2...Strong....111 to 135 mph EF3...Strong....136 to 165 mph EF4...Violent...166 to 200 mph EF5...Violent...>200 mph * The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the event and publication in NWS Storm Data. $$