Gov. Mike DeWine added Franklin County to Ohio's state of emergency on Aug. 13, unlocking state resources for residents still digging out from the derecho that tore through the Dublin area two days earlier.
The declaration mobilizes state agencies including the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, Ohio National Guard, ODOT and the State Highway Patrol to provide equipment, supplies and personnel to Franklin County. It also positions DeWine to request a federal Major Disaster Declaration from the president, which would unlock FEMA Individual Assistance for homeowners and renters. That federal request has not yet been made.
DeWine toured Franklin County storm damage Thursday morning before amending the emergency order, which originally covered Perry and Muskingum counties hit by severe flooding. One person died in the village of Roseville during that flooding.
1,100 fire calls in a single day
The Aug. 11 storms, classified as a derecho with winds reaching 82 mph at John Glenn Columbus International Airport, downed trees and power lines across at least five Dublin corridors: Frantz Road, Emerald Parkway, Muirfield Drive, the State Route 33 ramp to I-270 South, and Dublin and Rings Road, as we reported Aug. 12.
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said at an Aug. 12 press conference that the Columbus Division of Fire responded to more than 1,100 calls that day. At the peak, 131 calls arrived almost simultaneously, forcing every unit in the division to deploy for the first time in its history.
"Zero fatalities, zero transports to ERs for injury, nothing short of miraculous for this type of storm and 82 mile per hour winds at John Glenn International Airport," Ginther said at the joint press conference with DeWine.
NWS confirms EF1 tornado in south Columbus
The National Weather Service confirmed Thursday that an EF1 tornado, with winds between 86 and 110 mph, touched down on Columbus' south side during the derecho. The tornado's path ran from East Hinman Avenue eastward across Parsons Avenue, blowing the roof off Barack Community Center, according to WOSU.
It is the first confirmed tornado in Franklin County since an EF1 struck near Hilliard on Feb. 28, 2024.
NWS meteorologist Christine Aiena told WOSU the tornado was a "very quick spin-up" event that was already causing damage by the time it appeared on radar, which explains why no tornado warning was issued for Franklin County during the Aug. 11 storms. As we reported Aug. 12, the lack of a warning is why Dublin's tornado sirens stayed silent.
Franklin County EMA Director Jeff Young said the siren system is "just one tool of a larger alerting and warning strategy" and urged residents to rely on phones, radio and TV as well.
The NWS also surveyed damage near Upper Arlington High School and Zollinger Road and determined it was caused by straight-line winds of 90 to 100 mph, not a tornado. Survey results for the suspected tornado path through Dublin have not been released.
30,000 still without power
As of Thursday morning, roughly 29,000 to 30,000 Franklin County AEP customers remained without power. AEP Ohio, which peaked at about 170,000 outages statewide and 110,000 in central Ohio, deployed approximately 3,700 crew members and said full restoration could take until Aug. 14.
Ginther said Thursday that remaining outages are concentrated in the northwest and southeast portions of Columbus. The American Red Cross shelter at Scioto Southland Community Center on Parsons Avenue remains open for displaced residents.
Residents who have not signed up for Franklin County's ALERT system can text FCREADY to 888777 for basic emergency alerts or register at member.everbridge.net. The NWS expects to release a final tornado assessment in the coming days.
