GOSHEN TOWNSHIP, Ohio — At least two people were injured and dozens of homes and businesses damaged after a tornado touched down near the business district in Goshen Township Wednesday afternoon.
The National Weather Service confirmed Thursday morning that an EF2 tornado touched down in Clermont County. An EF2 level tornado is considered to be a strong tornado, with winds ranging from 111 to 135 miles per hour.
Witnesses from the community said the storm came with little warning, giving them seconds to find shelter before the winds ripped through the community. The township administrator estimates dozens are displaced and it will take millions of dollars to repair the damage.
The window in the front of the restaurant was shattered in the storm.
Tyler King, the general manager of the local Skyline Chili said he was in the back of the restaurant as the storm rolled. He said he heard the notification for a tornado warning go off on his phone, and within seconds the back door blew in.
“Then I just got everyone all the guests into the bathroom and into the walk-in,” he said. “While we were doing that our drive-through sign came flying through our front window.”
King said no one was injured at his restaurant and besides some water damage, a broken window, and some damage to the siding, the store sustained little damage, especially when compared to the rest of the community.
I just arrived in Goshen Township, where cleanup is underway. A tornado ripped through just a few hours ago damaging the fire station, a number of homes and knocking out the power. @SpectrumNews1OH pic.twitter.com/xje13TRwSP
— Michelle Alfini (@MichelleAlf) July 6, 2022
Across the street, the Goshen Township fire station saw part of its roof collapse on its vehicle bay. The department said everyone was able to make it out safely.
Steve Pegram, the township administrator, said it was one of many government buildings that took significant structural damage.
Dozens of homes sustained damage to their roofs
“The firehouse was hit, and the township administration building which is also our police department, which is also our tornado shelter, so normally we would tell people to go there and we’d have our command post there, but all of that was wiped out,” he said.
Instead, Pegram said the township worked with the Red Cross to find shelter for those displaced, somewhere with electricity.
The storm also knocked down dozens of power lines and caused multiple gas leaks. Pegram recommended anyone not from the area stay away to prevent further injuries and allow crews to handle the damages.
According to Pegram, the two injuries included a resident hit by debris and a firefighter injured with a chainsaw during the cleanup.
There are no reported fatalities at this time.
