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Severe Thunderstorm Threat From the Central Plains to the Northeast; Extreme HeatRisk for the East Coast

Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible from the central Plains to the Northeast through this evening. Widespread damaging winds are the primary threat but hail and a tornado or two is also possible. Extremely dangerous heat continues across the Eastern U.S. Warm overnight low temperatures will provide little to no relief. Read More >

Tornadoes of November 18, 2017

November 18, 2017
County: Ohio
EF-Scale:  EF1
Deaths:   0
Injuries:  1
Path width:  60 yards
Path length:  2 miles
Time:  3:20pm CST
Notes: This small tornado was embedded in a fast moving squall line that raced east at 55 mph.  The twister first touched down at a home on U.S. Highway 62 just west of Goshen Church Road, tearing off shingles and uprooting a tree.  It moved east-southeast, uprooting and snapping trees near the intersection of Hwy 62 and Goshen Church Rd, along with damaging some small outbuildings.  It next downed a tree on Mine Fork Road that fell between a home and outbuilding, damaging both structures and causing a minor head injury to the occupant of the shed. Continuing over open fields, it next hit several residences along Hill, Mulberry, and South Mulberry streets before crossing U.S. Highway 231 and causing minor roof damage to the Post Office. The greatest damage occurred in this two block area, where up to a dozen outbuildings were destroyed or heavily damaged, and sections of roofing were lifted off homes and garages.  Fences in the neighborhood were blown in a cyclonic pattern, providing evidence of the tight rotation pattern of the storm.  After crossing Hwy 231, the tornado damaged several large warehouses, scattering wood and sheet metal debris.  Along Bruce School Road, a chain link fence was flattened, and insulation was sucked out of the damaged roof of a two story home, then spattered along the east side of the home and adjacent vehicles. Another large tree was uprooted in this yard before the tornado lifted.  Sheet metal and shingles were lifted into trees along the route of the storm.

November 18, 2017
County: Meade
EF-Scale:  EF1
Deaths:   0
Injuries:  1
Path width:  50 yards
Path length:  1.8 miles
Time:  4:32pm EST
Notes: The tornado touched down just inside the Breckinridge-Meade County line north of Irvington.  It pushed a large tobacco barn 15 feet eastward, tore off its roof, and collapsed several walls. Debris from the barn was scattered over a half mile downwind.  The tornado moved east-northeast, skipping along a wooded area where several trees were snapped or uprooted, then hit a mobile home on Fackler Road, rolling the anchored unit several times, destroying the home. The owner sustained only minor injuries as he rolled over with his house, crawling out of a hole after it settled.  A garage on the property was also destroyed.  The tornado continued skipping along the northwest side of Sandy Hill Rd, damaging outbuildings on another farm, before crossing KY highway 261 at Guston Rd.  A split level home on Guston Rd had part of its roof removed, with insulation spattered on the lee side of the home.  An occupant of the home reported he was descending the
stairs as the roof was torn off, and was briefly drawn up the stairs as it occurred. Debris from the split level home was dropped across the road, where a few more trees were snapped and uprooted.  The tornado then flattened a fence and peeled a section of sheet metal on an outbuilding before lifting.

November 18, 2017
County: Taylor
EF-Scale:  EF1
Deaths:   0
Injuries:  0
Path width:  50 yards
Path length:  1.4 miles
Time:  6:00pm EST
Notes: This small, narrow squall-line spin-up tornado moved over rural countryside, damaging or destroying a half dozen outbuildings and doing minor tree damage as it traveled east-southeast over three farmsteads. Only minor roof damage occurred to one home in its path.