Microburst April 20, 2011

Microburst / Striaght Line Winds in Muskingum and Tuscarawas County Ohio 21 April 2011

Overview:

A series of strong thunderstorms moved across the Ohio Valley during the early morning hours of Wednesday, April 20. The storm system produced hundreds of reports of wind, hail, and tornadoes. Although the storms were weakening as they moved across central and eastern Ohio, two tornadoes occurred as close as Licking County, Ohio. Several reports of wind damage occurred in the Pittsburgh forecast area, including Coshocton, Muskingum, Tuscarawas, Guernsey, Carroll, and Columbiana Counties in Ohio, Brooke County in West Virginia, and Beaver and Butler Counties in Pennsylvania. The strongest damage in the Pittsburgh CWA likely occurred in Muskingum and Tuscarawas Counties, with structural damage to homes in Philo and multiple garages destroyed in Newcomerstown. A 58 mph wind gusts was measured at the New Philadelphia airport.

Summary Storm Report:

...MICROBURST HITS NEWCOMERSTOWN OHIO ON APRIL 20, 2011...

LOCATION...NEWCOMERSTOWN IN TUSCARAWAS COUNTY, OHIO
DATE...APRIL 20, 2011
ESTIMATED TIME...320 AM EDT
ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WINDS...AT LEAST 90 MPH
MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...100 YDS
PATH LENGTH...ONE QUARTER MILE PLUS
BEGINNING LAT/LON...40.31N / 81.59W
ENDING LAT/LON...40.31N / 81.58W
* FATALITIES...0
* INJURIES...0

...SUMMARY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH PA HAS CONFIRMED
STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE PRODUCED BY AN INTENSE MICROBURST NEAR
NEWCOMERSTOWN IN TUSCARAWAS COUNTY OHIO. THE STORM HIT ABOUT 320
AM ON APRIL 20, 2011.

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS RAKED ACROSS OHIO THOUGH THE EARLY
MORNING HOURS OF 20 APRIL. AS THE LINE OF STORMS APPROACHED
TUSCARAWAS COUNTY AND IN PARTICULAR THE NEWCOMERSTOWN AREA, A
PARTICULARLY STRONG STORM ON THE LINE PRODUCED AN INTENSE WIND
GUST THAT CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. A SHEET METAL WAREHOUSE WAS
JUST ABOUT COMPLETELY DESTROYED (WITH DEBRIS CARRIED OVER ONE
QUARTER OF A MILE). THE WARE HOUSE WAS LOCATED OF TOWNSHIP HIGHWAY
218 AND OFF OF STONECREEK ROAD. THERE WAS ALSO ROOF, SIDING AND
OUTBUILDING DAMAGE TO SEVERAL HOMES ALONG STONECREEK ROAD. SEVERAL
TREES AND WIRES WERE ALSO DOWNED.

...STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE CONFIRMED NEAR PHILO IN MUSKINGUM
COUNTY OHIO...

LOCATION...PHILO IN MUSKINGUM COUNTY OHIO
DATE...APRIL 20 2011
ESTIMATED TIME...315 AM EDT
ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...75 MPH
MAXIMUM PATH WIDTH...600 YARDS
PATH LENGTH...TWO MILES
BEGINNING LAT/LON...39.86N / 81.91W
ENDING LAT/LON...39.86N / 81.90W
* FATALITIES...0
* INJURIES...0

...SUMMARY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH PA HAS CONFIRMED STRAIGHT
LINE WIND DAMAGE NEAR PHILO IN MUSKINGUM COUNTY OHIO ON APRIL 20 2011.

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CROSSED THROUGH EAST CENTRAL OHIO 
DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS OF 20 APRIL 2011. 

A SMALL BOW ECHO CROSSED THE PHILO AREA AROUND 315 AM AND CAUSED 
DAMAGE TO EIGHT STRUCTURES. IN ADDITION...NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER 
LINES WERE DOWN DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS.

RADAR IMAGES:

TDWR Columbus, Ohio Base Velocity 317am and 323am respectively

TDWR Columbus, Ohio Storm Relative Velocity at 317am and 323am respectively

PHOTOS: