County tornado damage in Covington, Bradford

Areas of western Miami County were hit late Thursday, March 14, by a tornado that caused damage primarily in the area of Covington and Bradford.

Miami County’s Emergency Management Agency (EMA) assessed damage to 24 properties Friday, March 15, including three residences that were destroyed, said Joel Smith, county EMA director.

There were no reports of injuries in Miami County.

A tornado entered the county from Darke County north of Bradford, heading eastward toward Newberry Township and north of Covington, Smith said.

The tornado appeared to lift before impacting Piqua, he said. The most significantly impacted area of the county was in the area of Klinger Road and Rangeline Road.

EMA followed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) damage assessment criteria. Of the 24 properties, three were destroyed, one four-unit apartment complex sustained major damage, six residential properties had minor damage and 15 properties were classified as affected.

“Residents in the destroyed houses took appropriate precautions as the storm arrived to move to basements or interior rooms,” Smith said.

Those whose residences were impacted were advised to contact the Red Cross for assistance related to the tornado.

AES crews worked to restore electric service to homes impacted. EMA personnel escorted those from the National Weather Service through the most heavily damaged areas to assist in evaluating the strength and path of the tornado, Smith said.

The weather service said late Friday that the Miami County tornado was an EF2 that began in Indiana and continued into Darke County and then Miami County. Analysis of data continued as the weather service worked to estimate maximum wind speeds and other tracking information was collected.