Saturday, 06/18/2021
Thunderstorm Wind near Stone Creek OH and other portions of Tuscarawas County
Yesterday (6/17/2021), a survey team from NWS Pittsburgh investigated storm damage along Schupps Hill Road and Buehler Hill Road, just south of Stone Creek in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. The damage was the result of intense thunderstorms that moved through the area at around 1230 AM on June 14, 2022.
A large swath of tree damage extending at least a couple of miles was noted in the area. Hundreds of trees were snapped and uprooted, with most debris blown in a generally easterly direction. Fortunately, the few structures in this area were at a lower elevation than the road, and were far enough away from the damaged trees to escape major impacts.
The preliminary determination is that straight-line wind was responsible, and the level of devastation led to an estimate of wind speeds that reached or exceeded 100 MPH on at least a localized basis. However, radar data indicate a mesovortex embedded in the thunderstorm complex crossing the region, and although convergent damage was not noted on this brief survey, further investigation will be needed to totally rule out a brief tornado.
Although not surveyed yesterday, county emergency management passed along reports of other damaged areas in the county. In Gnadenhutten, a few homes were damaged by falling trees. Another had shingles and siding damage, and a detached garage was also destroyed.
Portions of Clay Township had swaths of trees taken down, and a barn was leveled on Paradise Lake Road. Additional tree and structural damage were reported in the Newport area.
Time constraints prevented a full inspection of the level and scope of damage across southern portions of Tuscarawas County. A more thorough survey of the area is likely next week, and any additional findings will be passed along in an updated Public Information Statement.
NWS Pittsburgh appreciates the assistance of the Tuscarawas County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency with this survey, and the several residents who took the time to share their experiences with the survey team.
