EF2 Tornado Hits Cincinnati Area, Levels Buildings

An American flag flies amidst debris of destroyed homes, in the aftermath of tornadoes that tore through the region, in Mayfield, Ky., Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

An EF2 tornado slammed a rural area just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. On Wednesday evening, the massive storm moved over Goshen and Fayetteville. The storm leveled buildings and left tens of thousands without power.

The National Weather Service determined that the tornado touched down at 3:06 p.m. and remained on the ground until 3:14 p.m. The NWS also said the tornado’s maximum wind speed was 130 mph and its path length was 4.5 miles. As the tornado approached Goshen it strengthened rapidly and grew to about 750 yards in width.

As of Friday, nearly 10,000 people in the region are still without power. Ohio Governor Mike Dewine surveyed the damage in Goshen and said the destruction showed how fragile life truly is.

“It brings home to all of us how fragile life is and how in one minute the world can fundamentally change,” voiced Dewine. “That’s what’s happened to the people’s whose homes have been lost or homes have been destroyed.”

According to Township Administrator Stephen Pegram, there is “extensive damage” to hundreds of homes. The majority of the damage is from trees falling on or going through homes and roofs. Part of the Goshen Fire Department building was damaged and will have to be destroyed and rebuilt.

“The collapse of the exterior wall, interior ceilings have come down, damage to all the utilities,” said Pegram. “Gas, electric, phone, cable, internet. Everything has damage inside the building.”

However, despite the extensive destruction no deaths have been reported as a result of the storm.