Central Ohio is preparing for severe weather expected Thursday into Friday, including potential for damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes. Utility crews and emergency officials are urging residents to take precautions due to the increased risk of power outages and property damage.
Severe weather is expected across Central Ohio Thursday into Friday morning. A tornado watch is in effect for parts of the area until 11p.m.Utility crews and emergency officials are preparing as hail and gusty winds are expected to move into the area.
Central Ohio is bracing for another round of severe weather, and utility crews and emergency officials are urging residents to prepare now to stay safe and limit damage. A few showers in Indiana will move into Southwestern and Southern Ohio this morning with a warm front lifting into the region. Storms will begin developing late this afternoon in the Lower Great Lakes and move south with a cold front. The highest risk for severe weather is across Northern Ohio, with a Level 3 of 5 on the severity scale, while Southern Ohio is in a Level 2 of 5. The first storms in Northern Ohio could produce very large hail, damaging winds, and isolated tornadoes. As storms move south, they will likely form more into a line, which lowers the tornado and large hail threat slightly but still brings a risk for strong winds, according to ABC 6 meteorologists.AEP Ohio crews said the region’s spring weather has been not only very windy but also very wet, leading to more trees falling and causing property damage. Craig Williams, a line crew utilizer with AEP Ohio, said saturated ground has made some trees more likely to topple in high winds. “Especially pine trees right now. Everything soft so with the high winds mixed in with the rain. It blows over the trees, especially pine trees a lot more easy,” Williams said. The preparation comes after strong storms last week knocked out power for more than 70,000 customers in Franklin County. AEP Ohio crews said residents should secure loose items around their homes, including trash bins, patio furniture, and trampolines. Crews also said they will work through the night to restore outages as quickly as possible. If power lines go down, residents should not touch them. Williams warned that hazards can be harder to spot after dark. “There is gonna be more hazards. Down power lines are harder to see at night, trees, debris, things like that are harder to see,” he said. AAA said storm damage claims would fall under the comprehensive portion of an auto insurance policy. Morgan Dean, a AAA spokesperson, encouraged drivers to park vehicles inside a garage or carport if possible. "If I lived in a city where there was a parking deck near where I lived, a block or two away, I would seriously consider just knowing that hail and heavy winds are in the forecast," Dean said. “Even if it costs me extra money, I think that peace of mind over potential damage to the vehicle is probably worth it." AAA also warned that hail can cause significant damage, including total loss of older vehicles. Dean said newer vehicles can face costly repairs because of technology in windshields and headlights used for features such as automatic braking. “There’s a very good chance that some of those electronics could be knocked out of sync and they would need to be reprogrammed and re-synced,” Dean said. Franklin County Emergency Management and Homeland Security said it has conducted checks and inspections on its siren systems and will have extra staff on call throughout the storm. Jeffery Young, the county’s EMA director, urged families to make a plan ahead of time.“Know what you need to grab in an emergency if you would need to leave your normal residence,” Young said.Utility crews and emergency officials are urging residents to prepare now to stay safe and limit damage.A Marion man convicted of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from customers for construction projects that were never finished is headed to prison.One person died in a crash during the busy morning commute on Columbus' east side Thursday.Few details were immediately available, but ABC 6 confirmed the crashIf you’re ready for a fresh start this spring, the Franklin County Job & Resource Fair could be your next step forward.Happening Saturday, March 28, from 10 a.mThreats made on social media against Ohio troopers and other law enforcement led to a late-night pursuit that crossed state lines before ending with an arrest i
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