COLUMBUS, Ohio — Severe thunderstorms swept across central and southern Ohio Sunday evening, producing damaging winds and large hail across multiple counties, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
Storms developed late in the afternoon and intensified into the evening, prompting a severe thunderstorm watch that covered much of the region.
Some of the strongest impacts came from high winds. At John Glenn Columbus International Airport, wind gusts reached nearly 70 mph, while Bolton Field recorded gusts around 57 mph.
Additional gusts were reported across the region, including nearly 58 mph in the Cincinnati area and around 49 mph near Ohio State University Airport. The National Weather Service warned storms could produce winds up to 60 mph as they moved through central and southern Ohio.
Hail was also widespread, with numerous reports ranging from quarter-size to ping pong ball size and larger. Among the largest reports were ping pong ball-sized hail near Unionville Center and West Jefferson, and half-dollar-sized hail in parts of Union and Auglaize counties.
Quarter-size hail was reported across Franklin, Madison, Logan, Mercer, and Darke counties, among others. In the Columbus area, hail up to 1.4 inches was reported in Westerville, with some locations seeing hail for several minutes.
The National Weather Service issued multiple severe thunderstorm warnings throughout the evening for counties including Ross, Pickaway, Pike, Scioto, Hocking, Franklin, and Madison. At one point, storms were expected to impact Ross, Pike, and Scioto counties with winds up to 45 mph and hail.
Warnings and advisories continued into the early morning before the system moved out of the region.
As of Monday morning, there were no widespread reports of serious injuries, though damage assessments may still be ongoing.