Lima tornado part of 6 confirmed across state
10/28/2010WILMINGTON, Ohio - The National Weather Service says a the tornado that ripped through a village south of Lima on Tuesday had wind gusts of at least 111 mph.
The service said Wednesday that a preliminary damage survey in Cridersville indicates Tuesday's twister rated a 2 on a 0-5 scale, with 5 being the most intense.
At least five other Ohio tornadoes have been confirmed from a storm that blasted its way east from the central United States. All were zeros on the scale, meaning winds may have reached 85 mph.
One, in Van Wert County, flattened a barn and carried a windmill 40 yards. Others were in central Ohio's Franklin, Licking, and Pickaway counties, and southwest Ohio's Fayette County.
The storm that caused problems in the Midwest on Tuesday moved to the east and south.
Fierce winds demolished three homes and injured 11 people in North Carolina and tornado watches were issued across the Southeast.
One emergency responder said a woman and three children in Vale, N.C., had cuts and minor injuries after the storm late Tuesday tore apart their mobile home and a nearby house.
"It was a miracle they survived," Leslie Bowen, the emergency medical technician, said.
The storm brought heavy snow and winds up to 60 mph to the Dakotas for a second day Wednesday and snow in Duluth, Minn.