Yesterday night, a pair of particularly destructive tornadoes hit Dayton, Ohio, ravaging homes and businesses. Not long after the second storm, a third tornado left several people injured in Celina, a city North of Dayton, as per CNN; Mercer County Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Robbins counts the injury report at seven, with three of them being serious, but not life-threatening.
The initial report indicates that an emergency weather warning was put in place upon the first tornado passing the I-75, and many residents soon found themselves without power. Reports paint a picture of a bleak aftermath, with homes, businesses, and trees uprooted and upended. Local 12 reporter Walter Smith-Randolph shared an image of a Northridge strip-mall left absolutely destroyed.
Sadly, AccuWeather has also reported a single death. This morning, Celina Mayor Jeffrey Hazel confirmed that an 81-year-old man was killed after a car crashed through his house; the man was living alone when he died. Seeing the damage these storms have done is a sobering reminder of the catastrophic damage natural disasters can do, and we hope the people affected by the tornadoes can stay strong while the community rallies to pick up the pieces. Thoughts and prayers go out to those left harmed and displaced.