A tornado was confirmed in Butler County during Thursday morning’s severe weather outbreak, according to the National Weather Service. The tornado was part of a powerful storm system that moved through the Tri-State overnight Wednesday into Thursday and produced multiple tornadoes across the region, including significant damage in parts of Illinois and northern Kentucky. The National Weather Service says the tornado first touched down around 1:24 Thursday morning in Franklin County, Indiana, just east-southeast of Cedar Grove. It tracked east for roughly 5.2 miles, crossing into Butler County before dissipating around 1:33 a.m. Survey teams determined the tornado reached EF-2 strength with estimated peak winds of 125 miles per hour near Drewersburg, Indiana. Meteorologists say the storm caused extensive tree damage along Seeley Road and Johnson Fork Road before intensifying near Drewersburg. Along Welsh Road, one home had its roof completely torn off, with portions of exterior walls collapsing. Another home on Drewersburg Road also lost its roof. As the tornado curved southeast and crossed into Butler County, it weakened significantly to EF-0 intensity. In Butler County, damage was limited to several large tree limbs knocked down near Schradin Road, just east of the Indiana state line in Morgan Township.
The tornado developed as multiple warnings were issued overnight for Butler County. The first Tornado Warning came at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, covering northern Butler County, including Oxford, Trenton, and Seven Mile. A second warning was issued at 1:03 a.m. Thursday for southwestern Butler County as radar detected rotation near Oldenburg, Indiana, moving toward Harrison and Oxford. A third warning followed at 1:25 a.m., covering much of central and eastern Butler County, including Hamilton, Fairfield, Ross, and New Miami, as the rotating storm moved east. The overnight system brought intense winds, heavy rain, hail, and widespread severe weather across the region.No injuries were reported locally. The National Weather Service thanked both Butler County Emergency Management and Franklin County, Indiana Emergency Management for assisting with the storm damage survey.
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