CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Warm and humid air that settled over southern Ohio on Friday and Saturday paved the way for strong to severe storms that swept through Ross County and Chillicothe Sunday night. The storm system, which arrived after dark, was expected to persist into early Monday morning.
Local meteorologists issued alerts Sunday and into early Monday, a decision validated as numerous severe storms rolled through the region late Sunday. The most intense storms brought damaging winds, hail at least one inch in diameter, the potential for brief tornadoes, and a slight risk of flooding. Strong winds posed the greatest threat.
With the storms striking after nightfall, officials stressed the importance of staying informed, particularly overnight. The Ross County Emergency Management Agency urged residents to ensure they have reliable ways to receive weather updates while sleeping.
After the primary line of severe storms passed, the threat was expected to lessen, transitioning to lingering rain through Monday morning. The storms left thousands without power, with AEP Ohio reporting nearly 24,600 outages at their peak across the state, including significant impacts in nearby counties.
South Central Power reported 422 people affected with outages, while by 3 a.m., AES reported 1,400 without electricity in Fayette County, with another 10 in Highland and 750 in Clinton counties.