An EF-1 tornado touched down in south Columbus during the Aug. 11 derecho, the National Weather Service confirmed Thursday after a preliminary damage survey. The finding means a tornado was on the ground in Franklin County while no tornado warning was in effect and outdoor sirens stayed silent across the county, including in New Albany and Gahanna.
No one was warned.
A joint survey team from the NWS and Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security evaluated a damage corridor running from East Hinman Avenue eastward across Parsons Avenue, through Lincoln Park's Barack Community Center and as far east as Fairwood Avenue, WOSU reported. The community center had its roof blown off. Homes and businesses along the path also sustained roof damage.
Surveyors said the destruction showed "a convergent pattern," meaning debris scattered in multiple directions rather than one consistent line. That pattern distinguishes tornado damage from straight-line wind damage and was the key evidence behind the EF-1 classification, which carries estimated wind speeds of 86 to 110 mph.
The same survey team examined damage near Upper Arlington and determined it was caused by straight-line winds of 90 to 100 mph, not a tornado, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
Why sirens never sounded
Franklin County Emergency Management told WOSU it does not activate tornado sirens unless the NWS issues a tornado warning. No such warning was issued before or during the Aug. 11 storm. The NWS said warnings are based on the primary threat identified for a storm system; for this event, that threat was wind. A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Franklin County, which does not rule out tornadoes but does not trigger outdoor sirens.
As we reported Aug. 12, New Albany and Plain Township residents who have not re-registered after the county's switch from CodeRED to Everbridge may not have received any emergency notifications during the storm.
The Aug. 11 derecho knocked out power to roughly 95,000 Franklin County customers and killed at least one person. Winds at John Glenn International Airport hit 82 mph.
What's next
The NWS said a final assessment with more detailed survey results will be released via a public information statement but did not specify a date. The last confirmed tornado in Franklin County before Aug. 11 was an EF-0 near Obetz in 2025.
