Strong storms cause tree damage, power outages across Miami Valley

The worst damage appeared to be in a swath between Cincinnati and Dayton, tracking across Butler, Warren and Clinton counties. From 8:30 to 10 p.m., the leading edge of strong thunderstorms marched across that area and southern Greene County before moving to the east.

Just after 10:30 Sunday night, Ohio Department of Transportation officials announced that I-71 was closed in both directions near the Ohio 41 exit by Jeffersonville, due to utility lines and debris on roadway. That site is about 20 miles east of Xenia.

ODOT encouraged travelers to use alternate routes and check http://OHGO.com for updated information.

In Butler County, first responders went to Trenton Road in St. Clair Twp., where trees were down. Crews were checking for possible damage to trailers in a mobile home community there.

In the 100 block of Valley Street, just northeast of downtown Dayton, pieces of a building’s brick facade collapsed during the storm. Montgomery County Dispatch officials said there were no injuries reported at the building, which houses ground-floor businesses and apartments just east of the Keowee Street intersection.

The heart of the storm blew through Dayton’s south suburbs with strong wind and rain from 9 to 9:15 p.m., with some reporting the sound of electrical transformers popping.

At 11 p.m., AES Ohio reported 4,205 customers without power. There were no areas with major outages (more than 1,000 in one location). Some moderate outages of 100-200 were showing up in west Dayton, Kettering, south Xenia and the Waynesville area. Jeffersonville had more than 800 without power.

Duke Energy reported about 1,000 power outages tracking from the New Miami area, east through Monroe, to the Warren County Airport area.

Ohio Edison reported only a handful of very small outages in the Clark County area.

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Severe storms are possible Sunday evening in southwest Ohio, with the National Weather Service identifying Butler County and parts of Warren County at higher risk for the possibility of a tornado.

“Showers and storms are expected this evening,” NWS’ Hazardous Weather Outlook states. “Some strong to severe storms are likely during this time, with damaging winds being the primary threat. Large hail and a few tornadoes will also be possible.”

NWS officials said if tornadoes do occur, they are most likely in an area of eastern Indiana, northern Kentucky, plus Cincinnati and its northern suburbs, including Butler and Warren counties.

After cloudy, breezy conditions this afternoon with high temperatures just over 70, the most likely time for severe weather is from 5-11 p.m. Sunday, according to NWS.

On the five-level severe storm risk scale (marginal-slight-enhanced-moderate-high) southwest Ohio is on Level 3-Enhanced for Sunday night.

“All hazards of severe weather will be possible, but the magnitude of hazards will differ from location to location,” the NWS said.

Enough deep-layer wind shear and low-level speed and directional shear are expected to support storms to organize.

After overnight temperatures sit around 60, Monday will see cloudy skies and gradually falling temperatures through the 50s and 40s.

By Tuesday morning, temperatures will have dipped near freezing. Tuesday is projected as the week’s only sunny day, with highs in the lower to mid-50s.

After that, warmer weather returns, but also the possibility of thunderstorms Wednesday, and rain is likely Wednesday-Friday.

On Wednesday and Wednesday night, a few strong to severe storms arep ossible. In addition, an active pattern with episodes of storms are expected through Sunday, according to the NWS.

The NWS said the potential of heavy rain with each wave of systems poses a significant increase in the threat of flooding, possibly widespread flooding.