Updated March 15, 2024 at 3:27 p.m.
Authorities in Logan County confirm at least three deaths resulting from a tornado system that damaged homes and businesses near Indian Lake, northwest of Columbus.
Sheriff Randy Dodds told NBC's “Today” show that cadaver dogs would search the debris Friday. “I do anticipate finding additional deceased persons, unfortunately, today,” Dodds said.
As the sun rose Friday, officials scrambled to assess the extent of the destruction with the power out.
The storm sheared off the tops of homes and damaged a campground and laundromat, leaving twisted metal wrapped in the tops of trees. Snowplows cleared debris from roads.
A suspected tornado tore through the villages of Lakeview and Russells Point, county spokesperson Sheri Timmers said. An RV park was damaged, Timmers said, and there were likely “lots of injuries.”
Amber Fagan, president and chief executive of the Indian Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, said the community of Lakeview was “completely demolished,” with homes, campgrounds and a laundromat hit by the tornado.
“There’s places burning,” she said. “There’s power lines through people’s windows.”
A shelter was opened for displaced people.
Many of the homes in the area are used as summer cottages by people who come for fishing and boating.
Blaine Schmidt, 34, was inside his house in Lakeview and heard tornado sirens moments before the storm hit his house. He took shelter in his bathtub, using the shower curtain to protect him from broken glass along with his roommate, Greg McDougle, 60.
“I’m lucky to be alive,” Schmidt said.
In Lakeview, Sandy Smith was walking down the stairs with her cat to seek shelter in a laundry room with her family when the roof came down.
“A couple flashes of light, and then everything just peppered against the house,” she said. Her husband then saw their garage blow away.
The storm sheared off the tops of homes and damaged a campground and laundromat, leaving twisted metal wrapped in the tops of trees. Snowplows cleared debris from roads.
The storm produced fires in some spots and draped power lines through home windows, said Amber Fagan, president of the local chamber of commerce.
Many of the homes in the area are used as summer cottages by people who come for fishing and boating.
In Ohio’s Huron County, emergency officials posted on Facebook that there was a “confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado” near Plymouth, some 75 miles (120 kilometers) northeast of Indian Lake.
Students in the Olentangy School District stayed home Friday, because of the damage caused by the storms. Berlin High School and Middle School were damaged.
District spokesperson Amanda Beeman said custodians were cleaning the buildings at the time of the storm but no one was injured. She credited the sturdy structure of the buildings.
Beeman said the athletic facility at the high school was damaged, and it appears the roof at the middle school was damaged, but the extent of the damage is still being assessed. There is not yet an estimate for the cost of the damage.
Eight of the district's buildings are still waiting for power to be restored.
Beeman said the district hasn't decided what to do about classes on Monday. She expects the district to make a decision in the coming days.
"District leaders have been in contact with government officials and emergency management teams, and at this time, there is no estimate for when power will be restored or debris clearance on roadways," an email from the district stated. "Olentangy Schools will continue to monitor conditions throughout the day, and as we continue to assess all schools, facilities, and surrounding neighborhoods, the district will provide additional updates and resources for impacted families, staff, and school communities, as needed."
There were “many, many significant injuries” after a suspected tornado in Winchester, Indiana, where search efforts were underway, officials said. There were no known fatalities as of Friday morning.
“I’m shaken; it’s overwhelming,” said Bob McCoy, mayor of the town of 4,700 about 70 miles (110 kilometers) northeast of Indianapolis. “I heard what sounded like a train, and then I started hearing sirens.”
He and his wife were hunkered in a closet during the twister, which hit around 8 p.m.
“I’ve never heard that sound before; I don’t want to hear it again,” McCoy said.
The Winchester storm damaged a Walmart store and a Taco Bell restaurant, Randolph County Sheriff Art Moystner told FOX59/CBS4. Travel throughout the county is restricted to emergency management workers, he said.
West of Winchester, emergency management officials said initial assessments suggested as many as half the structures in the town of Selma, population 750, were damaged by a possible tornado. Only minor injuries were reported, Indiana's Delaware County Emergency Management Agency said in a news release.
“Severe weather has impacted Hoosiers all across the state, and we have emergency response personnel in the impacted areas,” Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb posted on Facebook Thursday night.
The Winchester school district was closed Friday, according to a Facebook post. A high school in Winchester had electricity and was open for people who “need somewhere warm and dry.”
In Kentucky, Trimble County Emergency Management Director Andrew Stark told the Courier Journal of Louisville that the storms damaged at least 50 structures, including homes.
There was significant damage in the town of Milton, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement, with potentially over 100 structures damaged.
In Arkansas, a suspected tornado struck the retirement community of Hot Springs Village, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Little Rock, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Erik Green.
“It’s pretty clear cut that a tornado did hit Hot Springs Village,” Green said, and assessment teams will go to the area Friday to confirm the twister.
Baseball-sized hail also fell and some buildings were destroyed, but there were no reports of fatalities or injuries, Green said.
There were unconfirmed reports of tornadoes in Jefferson County, Missouri, and Monroe County, Illinois, but no immediate reports of damage. Large pieces of hail also was reported in parts of the St. Louis area Thursday afternoon.
WOSU Reporter Renee Fox contributed to this story.