WTOL.com - Toledo's News Leader | April tornado confirmed in eastern Lucas County

April tornado confirmed in eastern Lucas County

The National Weather Service conducted a storm survey in eastern Lucas county on April 14 to determine the cause of the damage from the thunderstorms that occurred Friday, April 11. The damage near Curtice to Reno Beach was determined to be caused by a tornado.  
 
The tornado was on the ground for about 5 miles and at the widest the damage path was 25-35 yards wide. Based on the damage...winds were estimated to be near 100 mph making this an EF1 tornado.   The initial touchdown was just north of Curtice near the intersection of north Curtice Road and State Route 2.   The tornado had an intermittent path northeast to near Reno Beach. The tornado occurred between 7:20 and 7:30 pm on April 11. 

Mike Palmer says he saw the tornado. "The color of the sky was like an ominous, greenish red. It had just got done pouring and then it seemed like everything was just going to clear up. You know it wasn't raining. And then all of a sudden the winds started picking up."

Sherri Palmer says, "We seen this big sheet of metal floating by. And next thing we know, we looked and seen the tornado. I mean it was right in our face.  It was like 50-yards wide at the bottom."

Jerusalem Twp. Fire Chief Harold Stanton says, "Yeah there are some boats knocked off their trailers and off blocks. For the most part, this end of the marina was empty, where it struck at, so we got real lucky. Another month or so and we'd have people, on a Friday night, living in those campers."

There were no reports of any injuries.

Posted by N Dutton