By WTVG Staff and Jake Pietrasz
Published: Jun. 15, 2023 at 7:42 PM EDT|Updated: Jun. 16, 2023 at 3:57 PM EDT
TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Tornadoes ripped through northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan on Thursday night, leaving thousands without power and causing severe damage throughout the region.
The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-2 tornado with winds of 130mph hit Toledo/Point Place and stayed on the ground for about four minutes. Another EF2 tornado, also with winds of 130mph, was confirmed south of Oak Harbor in Ottawa County. An EF1 tornado hit Woodland Beach Thursday night with 90mph winds.
NWS has confirmed that a total of ten tornadoes touched down in the outbreak across northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan on Thursday. It sets the record for the most tornadoes in one day across the 13 Action News viewing area. The previous record was nine in outbreaks that happened in November 2002 and April 1974.
The storms included everything from baseball-sized hail to possible tornado touchdowns. It left behind downed power lines, trees and branches and also damage to buildings and cars.
Major storm damage has been reported in several spots throughout the region but the most severe appeared to be in the Point Place area. Toledo Fire and Rescue has asked that people stay in their homes and out of the way so they can assess the damage and work without interference. Many roads were still closed Friday morning, including the I-75 Ottawa River Road exit, as crews continue their efforts to clear debris and restore power lines. TFRD crews were going door-to-door to check on people and residents rallied together to help their fellow neighbors.
The damage in Point Place included the destruction of a ProMedica lab on Suder Avenue. A spokesperson for the company said no one was in the lab at the time and no samples were affected. The statement from ProMedica went on to say its unaware of any ProMedica-owned patient records being compromised.
The storm has also caused thousands of Toledo Edison customers throughout northwest Ohio to lose power. A spokesperson for FirstEnergy said the storm caused significant equipment damage.
“Our primary focus at this stage is to remove any hazards and assess the damage so that our crews can access the site of an outage and begin to safely make the repairs. Unfortunately, this can be a time-consuming process,” said Lauren Siburkis with FirstEnergy in a statement. “Safety is our TOP PRIORITY. Please use caution if you must go outdoors. Stay far away from downed- or low-hanging power lines that could be hidden in storm debris or downed trees. If you see any downed- or low-hanging wire, assume it is energized and dangerous; stay far away and report it immediately to 911.”
The statement went on to say crews will continue working around the clock to get power back up for customers.
According to Siburkis, more than two dozen poles and many more wires are down in the Point Place area. Toledo Edison expects to have power restored to the majority of impacted customers by late Tuesday night.
To report outages and to check for estimated restoration times, click here.
During a press conference on June 16, Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said people should call United Way at 211 if they need help or if they are looking to help others.
They City says it is still working to figure out how many buildings were affected by the storm and officials believe cleanup with last through the weekend. The City plans to hold another press conference on June 20 with more updates on the amount of damage, the status of the cleanup and additional information.
Those who encounter issues can report them through Engage Toledo. If you need electricity for medical needs such as a ventilator or oxygen, you can reach out to the Red Cross.
Action News has received a lot of viewer questions about the when the sirens sounded Thursday and how the system works. The following timeline shows how it unfolded in the Toledo area.
- 6:06pm-6:10pm: EF2 tornado touches down in Toledo/Point Place, according to NWS
- 6:25pm: NWS issues tornado warning for Lucas County, Action News announces warning on TV and streaming platforms
- 6:27pm: Lucas County vendor starts text alert notifications
- 6:33-6:34pm: Lucas County Emergency Management Agency confirms warning with forecasters
- 6:35pm: Lucas County EMA activates siren system
Officials tell 13 Action News that when EMA activates the siren system, all sirens in the county sound off and not the ones within the affected region.
If you have any pictures or videos of storm damage in your area, you can submit them to us here. Watch our continuing coverage and see photos of damage reports in the video and photo galleries below.
The last time a tornado hit Toledo was 2018. It started in Oregon on July 31, 2018, and was an EF1. The tornado ended in Point Place around 131st Street, according to the First Alert Weather Team. The tornado did an estimated $150,000 of damage.
Find additional coverage as this story unfolds in the video playlist below.
- Point Place residents begin cleanup after severe storm
- WLS offers help for families, cancels Shoreland-area transportation Friday following storms
- Point Place residents work together to clear roads, check on neighbors after storm
- CAUGHT ON CAM: Possible tornado in Point Place
You can view pictures of the storm damage in the photo gallery below.
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