Tornado Touched Down Near St. Clairsville, National Weather Service Confirms
Eric Ayres Trending
It was no drill when the St. Clairsville's tornado alarm went off this past weekend, when a funnel touched down in a path of destruction of about three miles.
This was the second tornado to hit the area in the past several years, following another in 2021.
Belmont County Emergency Management Agency Director David Ivan said the Pittsburgh National Weather Service confirmed the tornado.
"They're the ones who came out and did the site survey," Ivan said, adding no one was hurt.
Meteorologist Jason Frazier reviewed the report.
"Through the afternoon and evening of Aug. 12, we had initially scattered thunderstorms that were strong to severe moving through the area that eventually had a line that moved through the evening hours between 7-9 p.m. At about 8:13 p.m. one of these severe thunderstorms was able to generate a tornado that was just north of St. Clairsville. That tornado was rated as an EF-1 tornado with estimated peak wind of about 100 miles per hour," he said.
Frazier said tornadoes are ranked on a scale of 0-5, with five being the strongest.
"It's on the lower end of the scale. It can still do some considerable damage, but less than some of the more intense, higher-rated tornadoes," he said.
"Based on what they were able to assess and find on what was reported, the tornado seemed to start around Hidden Springs Drive, which is about three miles northwest of St. Clairsville," he said. "With at least three homes that have trees that fell onto them, along with some trees that were completely uprooted. It eventually moved to the east and southeast, knocking or snapping some very pine trees, and then along Maynard Road it did have a barn that was destroyed."
Frazier said the tornado lifted soon after.
"The total length of the tornado or time it was on the ground from a distance perspective was about three miles," he said.
Frazier advised the public to be attentive to tornado watches or tornado warnings.
"Make sure that you have the latest forecast and are monitoring the situation, whether it's through local media, online resources," he said. "Having multiple ways to receive those warnings."
He said during a tornado, people should take shelter in basement locations or the rear of a home.
Cumberland Trail Fire Department Captain Curtis Kyer was on duty during the tornado. He reported other damage during the storms Saturday.
"We had been called for a caller that was on Kagg Hill that had trees down on each side of them and was unable to get out of Kagg Hill Road. We went out and had to cut approximately five trees in order to get at the vehicle and there ended up being two vehicles, and I just recognized from the amount of tree damage that we had had a microburst," he said. I advised the EMA in case they wanted to investigate further. I could recognize that something had gone through that area just from the number of trees."
He said they had another call about a downed tree on Hidden Springs.
"It's my understanding that the homes on hidden springs are the ones that had received the most damage," he said, adding Kagg Hill is only about a half-mile away from Hidden Springs."
He added the fire district had activated the tornado siren.
"I'm hoping people have learned by now to take precautions when those come. This is two tornadoes in a two-or-three year time period, so I hope people take it seriously," he said. "The other one I believe was October of 2021."