About 45,000 Duke Energy customers remain without electricity after a tornado and severe storms ripped through Greater Cincinnati on July 6.
A tornado touched down in Goshen Township – 30 miles east of Cincinnati – around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. After issuing a warning to Brown County when a tornado was sighted near Mount Orab, the National Weather Service in Wilmington sounded the alarm for Goshen in Clermont County about a touch-down, urging residents to immediately seek shelter.
[3:15 PM] RADAR INDICATED TORNADO IN NORTHERN CLERMONT COUNTY. SEEK SHELTER NOW! pic.twitter.com/92PBAEFVPT
— NWS Wilmington OH (@NWSILN) July 6, 2022
The NWS preliminarily has classified the Goshen tornado as an EF2, with winds of 111-135 MPH. Goshen Township Administrator Steve Pegram declared a state of emergency Wednesday, as about 200 buildings have been classified as damaged or demolished so far, including the fire and police departments. The tornado ripped roofs from a number of structures, and lightning and falling trees caused even more damage to buildings and roads, Pegram said. He added that three people were injured.
"The fact that we do not have a lot of injuries or any fatalities is a blessing,” Pegram said during a press conference. "I think Goshen got lucky, but we have a lot of damage and a lot of people hurting right now."
[9:40 AM] Preliminary findings from our survey team have confirmed an EF2 tornado touched down yesterday afternoon in Goshen, OH. More details to follow later this afternoon. https://t.co/MlsNabqK4v
— NWS Wilmington OH (@NWSILN) July 7, 2022
The agency and Clermont County officials will continue investigating the Goshen incident as well as damage in Mount Orab. Agencies from the surrounding municipalities are providing assistance. The Red Cross is providing shelter, food and water at Goshen High School, 6707 Goshen Rd.
Additional Greater Cincinnati areas were damaged during the storms, including Fort Mitchell, Loveland and eastern Indiana.
As of 9 a.m. July 7, 45,000 Duke Energy customers throughout the area are experiencing power outages, down from a peak of about 100,000 Wednesday. Duke crews are working to restore power but must clear electrical wires and debris first. Pegram said Wednesday that it could be days before Goshen-area residents have power.
Duke issued the following statement on its website:
With winds exceeding 65 MPH, the storm that ripped through the Greater Cincinnati area Wednesday afternoon left behind significant structural damage. Crews worked through the night making repairs, clearing downed trees and replacing broken poles. Additional crews are arriving from out of state to assist. We expect to have estimated times of restoration available for all customers later today.
To report power outages to Duke Energy, text OUT to 57801 or call 800-543-5599. Learn about what else to do before and during power outages.A powerful storm is impacting our Midwest territory causing outages. For ways to report an outage visit our website: https://t.co/zXJLn6Zu8o https://t.co/tCvf75ZaTr
— Duke Energy (@DukeEnergy) July 6, 2022
Wednesday's tornado, thunderstorms and high temperatures were part of a series of storms that have been hitting Cincinnati this week and over the last two months. Earlier, the National Weather Service in Wilmington had predicted multiple rounds of thunderstorms and flash flooding.
The NWS predicts mostly drier weather for July 7, with the possibility for isolated storms.
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