Tornadoes Strike Knox and Muskingum Counties, Injuries Reported in Frazeysburg Village
Weather officials are investigating possible tornadoes that struck parts of Knox and Muskingum counties. The Muskingum County EMA Director Jeff Jadwin told WHIZ news that several people were hospitalized when a possible tornado struck the village of Frazeysburg, located about an hour east of Columbus. The storms capped a night of watches and warnings across central and western Ohio, including Newark and Buckeye Lake. The storm struck the community at about 1 a.m. A post on the Frazeysburg police Facebook page said that the “unwarned storm” struck after the expiration of a National Weather Service tornado warning. Some injuries were reported, but the department said none were considered serious.
Crews are working on clearing roads of debris so AEP can work on downed lines. The main damage path appears to be from around the west village limits to State St., almost directly down 3rd St. Areas to the north and south of 3rd St appear to be largely undamaged, as is the east end of town. The department said it expects a team from the National Weather Service to visit the city Thursday to assess the damage. The Muskingum County EMA said they won’t have more information on the storm until the survey is completed. As a result of the storms, the Homecoming activities are canceled for today and could be rescheduled for Friday or Saturday, depending on what services have been restored. The American Red Cross has opened a shelter at Frazeysburg Elementary, located at 120 E 3rd St.
The National Weather Service reported tornado sightings near Centerburg and Gambier in Knox County, but the winds were weakening and all warnings in the central Ohio region expired as of 10:15 p.m. Wednesday. The storm fell some trees, but the damage isn’t considered extensive. Just before 8:30 p.m., a tornado was confirmed near Centerburg, 11 miles southwest of Mount Vernon and just north of Licking County. Tornado-indicating winds were moving east-northeast at about 15 miles per hour across rural areas of southern Knox County. The storm weakened in eastern Knox County as it headed toward Coshocton County, and NWS Pittsburgh decided not to issue a tornado warning for Coshocton County. Several other counties were placed under warnings Wednesday night, including Delaware, Licking, Marion, Morrow and Union counties. The National Weather Service will make a final determination as to whether these storms were tornadoes.
