COLUMBUS, Ohio — The National Weather Service confirmed six tornadoes touched down in central Ohio early Wednesday morning.
The NWS said an EF1 tornado hit Hilliard and the damage occurred in a short path north of Roberts Road.
A second EF1 tornado hit in Madison County. The tornado's track began near London, continued northeast and ended south of West Jefferson.
An EF2 tornado touched down in Blacklick and traveled into Jersey, a small town in Licking County.
The NWS said EF0 tornadoes touched down in Darbydale, Harrisburg and Groveport.
The weather agency confirmed a tornado touched down in Montgomery and Greene counties. An EF2 tornado also touched down near Springfield in Clark County.
Tornado warnings were issued for Franklin, Fairfield, Licking, Madison and Pickaway counties in the early morning hours as strong storms rolled through central Ohio. Some residents woke up to damage to their homes and other properties in their neighborhoods.
Properties in Canal Winchester also sustained heavy damage from the storms. Trees fell on some roofs and siding and fences were broken from being blown away.
Ohio was one of four states where nearly two dozen tornadoes were confirmed.
In Michigan's Grand Blanc Township, near Flint, a confirmed tornado — only the second on record for February in that part of the state — damaged subdivisions, uprooted trees and broke gas lines in Wednesday's wee hours. Its strength was rated at EF2, with peak winds of 115 mph.
More than 100 miles to the southwest, a confirmed tornado damaged homes and barns and knocked down trees and power lines in Calhoun County, near the city of Marshall, sheriff's and weather authorities said.
The National Weather Service’s Chicago office reported via the social media platform X that at least 11 confirmed tornadoes touched down in northern Illinois, including 10 in the Chicago area.
In Geneva, in the city's western suburbs, storms uprooted trees and left some homes with broken windows and shorn-off doors Tuesday evening, Fire Chief Mike Antenore said.
Geneva resident Rebecca Harrington said the storm “cycloned” into her home and collapsed its foyer area.
“The back of my house is sort of hanging off,” Harrington told WGN-TV, which reported no injuries.
The storms followed unusual warmth across much of the region in recent days. They were followed Wednesday by a return to winter weather, with snow and temperatures in the 20s in some areas.