Powerful thunderstorms that swept through central Ohio on Aug. 11 blew out the front window of a Clintonville brewery, sending glass crashing into the taproom and forcing the business to close as damaging winds moved through the area.
Stephen Wernecke, an employee at Derive Brewing, 2808 N. High St., said he was in the middle of a brew day when he noticed the weather taking a turn.
"I honestly made the comment to myself that the wind's really picking up," Wernecke said. "I started taking a few steps away to go look at the brew. Luckily, I took those few steps because right after that, everything came smashing in."
The brewery's large front window shattered inward as a powerful wind gust struck the building. Video captured immediately afterward
shows broken glass scattered across the floor while rain and debris blew into the taproom.
"I'm talking just the craziest amount of wind I think I've ever seen for a wind gust in Ohio," Wernecke said.
The storm also ripped away two of the brewery's exterior signs, he said.
Despite the damage, no injuries were reported.
In a social media post Derive Brewing announced it would temporarily close while employees assessed the damage.
"Uhhh, well... What's the best way to say that the storm just blew out our entire front window in the taproom?" the brewery wrote on Instagram. "Stephen went full sailor trying to bail water like we were on a pirate ship."
The post said the brewery would remain closed "at minimum" Aug. 11 and would provide updates once staff had a better idea of a reopening timeline. The business also reported losing power during the storm.
Severe weather on Aug. 11 prompted warnings across parts of central Ohio as thunderstorms capable of producing damaging wind gusts moved through the region. The National Weather Service warned some storms could produce winds up to 60 mph, with tree damage and scattered power outages possible, and wind gusts of 82 mph were recorded at the Columbus airport mid-morning.
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Powerful storms blow out front window at Columbus brewery
