NWS Confirms Preliminary EF1 Tornado Track in South Columbus

A preliminary National Weather Service survey confirmed an EF1 tornado in south Columbus during the severe-weather event on Tuesday, August 11, giving residents a more precise account of one concentrated area of damage.

The tornado was rated EF1, with estimated peak winds of 100 mph, a path length of 1.8 miles and a maximum width of 100 yards. The National Weather Service Wilmington office reported no fatalities or injuries in its survey statement.

Survey places the track between Columbus and Bexley

The tornado began at about 10:05 a.m. EDT near South 8th Street, southeast of downtown Columbus, and lifted at about 10:09 a.m. west of Fairwood Avenue, south-southwest of Bexley, according to the NWS. The survey says the initial damage occurred on South 8th Street between East Morrill Avenue and East Hinman Avenue.

From there, the documented damage extended east toward Parsons Avenue, across areas near Barack Park and South Champion Avenue, to Lockbourne Road and Reeb Avenue before continuing toward Fairwood Avenue. The street-level description identifies the surveyed tornado footprint; it does not mean every report of August 11 storm damage across Central Ohio came from this circulation.

Damage included trees, homes and businesses

NWS surveyors documented broken and uprooted trees, residential siding and roof damage, substantial roof damage to businesses, and damage to trees and homes along the track. The statement also reported that fallen trees caused one home’s roof to cave in and that a business sustained significant damage to a metal roof.

The EF1 rating reflects estimated wind intensity based on the damage survey. It is not a total accounting of losses, affected properties or repair costs. The NWS says the information is preliminary and subject to change after final review and publication in Storm Data.

How the tornado fits into the larger storm

The Columbus tornado was one part of a broader August 11 weather event. The NWS reported several lines of storms and widespread damaging wind across the region, while independent Columbus reporting documented flooding, downed trees, damaged buildings and major power disruptions.

Axios Columbus reported that AEP’s website listed about 100,000 customers without power on the afternoon of August 11. The Associated Press later reported that AEP had identified more than 100 broken poles and about 650 downed wire spans, with roughly 76,000 customers still without power on Wednesday, August 12. Those figures describe broader storm-related utility impacts at specific times, not damage caused solely by the confirmed tornado or current outage conditions.

What the survey establishes

The NWS finding gives south Columbus residents an official, geographically specific account of a narrow tornado that produced winds strong enough to uproot trees and damage roofs, siding and businesses. It also helps separate the confirmed tornado track from other wind, flooding and power-outage impacts produced by the larger storm system.

The survey does not establish total storm losses, the full number of affected properties, current outage totals or when every cleanup issue will be resolved. Those questions require separate information from utilities, city agencies, property owners and other recovery officials.

Sources

• National Weather Service Wilmington tornado damage survey
• Axios Columbus storm and outage report
• Associated Press Midwest storm report