1 week of storms nearly doubles the tornado total for Ohio in 2026

One week of severe storms in mid-August spawned nearly half the total number of tornadoes in Ohio to date, and more confirmed tornadoes from those storms could be coming. According to the National Weather Service office in Wilmington, which covers Central and Southwest Ohio, the state had confirmed

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What is the story about?

One week of severe storms in mid-August spawned nearly half the total number of tornadoes in Ohio to date, and more confirmed tornadoes from those storms could be coming.

According to the National Weather Service office in Wilmington, which covers Central and Southwest Ohio, the state had confirmed 36 tornadoes as of Friday, Aug. 28. And 16 of those are the result of severe thunderstorms on Aug. 11 and 15. That's about 45%, or nearly double, the previous total of 20.

Additional damage surveys from the mid-August storms are still occurring in a few areas, according to NWS Wilmington Meteorologist Brandon Peloquin, and could add to those totals.

A possible derecho that struck the state on Aug. 11, dumping four inches of rain on the region, bringing

hurricane-force winds and causing severe flooding. It also cut power to tens of thousands of people.

At least 16 tornadoes hit Ohio during severe weather on Aug. 11 and 15. Here's where they touched down

These are the confirmed tornadoes, so far, from the Aug. 11 storms:

Brown and Adams counties: An EF1 tornado with peak winds of 100 mph ripped through these counties for about eight minutes, from 4:16 p.m. to 4:24 p.m., leaving behind a 7-mile path of destruction 350 yards wide.
Brown and Highland counties: An EF0 tornado with maximum winds of 80 mph touched down near Fayetteville in Brown County at 3:59 p.m. and lifted 5 minutes later near Mount Orab in Highland County. It cut a path 3.6 miles long and 300 yards wide.
Butler and Hamilton counties: An EF1 tornado with peak wind speeds of 90 mph touched down at 3:13 p.m. near Millville in Butler County and lifted 12 minutes later near Ross in Hamilton County. It left an 11.33 mile path 500 yards wide at its maximum.
Champaign County: An EF1 tornado with winds reaching 110 mph touched down southeast of Urbana at 9:30 a.m. and lifted 4 minutes later. It cut a path 3.6 miles long and 200 yards wide.
Clark County: An EF2 tornado with wind speeds of 115 mph touched down at 9:33 a.m. near Catawba and lifted at 9:38 a.m., leaving a 3.5-mile path 400 yards wide at its maximum.
Clark County: An EF1 tornado with wind speeds of 100 mph touched down east of Springfield at 9:31 a.m. and lifted 9 minutes later. It left behind a path 9.1 miles long and 200 yards wide at its maximum.
Clark County: An EF0 tornado with winds of 80 mph touched down at 9:24 a.m. north of Springfield and lifted at 9:30 a.m., cutting a 4.5-mile path 150 yards wide.
Clermont County: An EF0 tornado with peak winds of 85 mph struck near Owensville at 3:47 p.m. and lifted 6 minutes later. It cut a path 5.2 miles long and 200 yards wide.
Clermont County: An EF0 tornado with winds speeds reaching 80 mph touched down near Montery at 3:49 p.m. and lifted at 3:55 p.m. That tornado was on the ground for 5.5 miles with a maximum with of 150 yards.
Franklin County: An EF1 tornado with winds reaching 100 mph touched down at 10:05 a.m. in south Columbus and lifted 4 minutes later. It cut a path 1.8 miles long and 100 yards wide.
Franklin County: An EF1 tornado with 90 mph maximum wind speeds touched down at 10:08 a.m. in the Olde Town East neighborhood of Columbus and lifted at 10:10 a.m. near Bexley. It cut a 1.3-mile path 150 yards wide.
Franklin County: An EF0 tornado reaching maximum wind speeds of 80 mph hit east of Upper Arlington at 10:05 a.m. and lifted 3 minutes later near Grandview Heights. It was on the ground for 2.7 miles, leaving a path 150 yards wide at its maximum.
Madison County: An EF1 tornado with wind speeds of 90 mph touched down at 9:44 a.m. northwest of Choctaw Lake and lifted a minute later, leaving a 0.8-mile path 125 yards wide at its maximum.
Madison County: An EF0 tornado with peak winds of 80 mph hit near Plain City, touching down at 9:51 a.m. and lifting 2 minutes later. It cut a path 1.21 miles long and 100 yards wide.

Two other tornadoes from severe storms Aug. 15 were confirmed via video evidence, per the NWS. They touched down north of Dayton and Springfield, the NWS announced Monday, Aug. 17. One was confirmed north of Fletcher in Miami County, north of Dayton. The other touched down north of St. Paris in Champaign County, north of Springfield. Additional details, including their ratings on the Enhance Fujita scale, path and wind speeds, are pending as of Aug. 20.

A funnel cloud is seen in Appleton at approximately 12:28 p.m. July 27, 2026, as severe storms moved through the Fox Valley.

Straight-line wind damage from the Aug. 11 storms was confirmed in:

Clermont and Brown counties: Winds with peak speeds of 80 mph began near Williamsburg in Clermont County at 3:56 p.m. and ended near Mount Orab in Brown County 10 minutes later, leaving a path 9 miles long and 4 miles wide.
Franklin County: Winds of 60 to 80 mph, hitting 90 to 100 mph in some areas, hit Hilliard, Dublin, Worthington, Upper Arlington, Gahanna, Whitehall, Reynoldsburg and Blacklick Estates.
Highland and Brown counties: Winds gusting at 90 mph at their maximum started near Sardinia in Highland County at 4:06 p.m. and ended at 4:14 p.m. near Mowrystown in Brown County. They cut a path 8 miles long and 3.5 miles wide.

How does NWS confirm tornadoes?

After suspected tornadoes are spotted, crews from National Weather Service survey possible tornado damage in person.

The pattern of damage, not how much damage was caused, determines whether it was a tornado, according to the weather service. For tornadoes, with their violently rotating columns of air, damage often has a chaotic appearance, with larger uprooted trees often crossing each other. Weather service surveyors often look at larger uproots of trees to get a true idea of where the wind was blowing from.

What's the difference between a tornado, a macroburst and a microburst?

The National Weather Service defines a microburst as a localized column of sinking air within a thunderstorm. Wind speeds in microbursts can reach up to 100 mph or higher, which is equivalent to an EF1 tornado. Winds this high can cause major damage to homes and other structures and level hundreds of trees.

The difference between a microburst and a macroburst is the size, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A macroburst is larger than 2.5 miles, while a microburst is smaller than that. A microburst is also short-lived, usually lasting 5 or 10 minutes.

Again, the weather service looks at the pattern of damage to determine a microburst or macroburst. Damage from both looks flattened out, with trees pointing in the same direction or fanning out from one another.