Tornado Warning Issued for Holmes County Until 8:30 PM Thursday

National Weather Service Cleveland issued a tornado warning for Millersburg, Berlin, Walnut Creek and surrounding areas in Holmes County on Thursday, March 26, with the alert set to expire at 8:30 p.m. EDT. At 8:10 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Holmesville, or near Millersburg, moving southeast at 55 mph.

The hazards associated with the warning included a tornado and quarter-size hail, with the source identified as radar-indicated rotation. Officials had also cautioned throughout the evening about additional threats accompanying the storm system. All modes of severe weather were possible, including hail, damaging winds, heavy rain, and the risk for tornadoes.

The Storm Prediction Center placed most of the area in a level 3 out of 5 risk for severe weather. That enhanced risk brought multiple rounds of warnings across Holmes County and neighboring counties before the tornado warning was issued for Millersburg and Berlin. At 8:03 p.m., a severe thunderstorm was located over Shreve, or eight miles northwest of Millersburg, moving east at 65 mph, underscoring how quickly conditions deteriorated across Holmes County's northern communities.

Tornado warnings for Trumbull, Holmes, and Richland counties from the National Weather Service have since been allowed to expire. No confirmed damage or touchdowns were reported in Holmes County during the warning period. One-inch hail and larger was reported in a few thunderstorms, and there was damage from a tornado warning in Trumbull County.

The Holmes County warning was part of a broader severe weather outbreak across the region. Rainfall totals of 1.50 to 1.75 inches were possible along and south of U.S. Route 30, with the potential for locally higher swaths of 2.00 or more inches of rainfall across portions of north-central Ohio. As the thunderstorms fizzled out, heavy rain lingered with the potential for localized flooding, with storms and heavy rain expected to clear by 11 p.m.

A tornado warning, as defined by the National Weather Service, is a more serious alert than a watch: it indicates that a tornado is either happening or is about to happen, requiring immediate shelter. A tornado watch, which had been in effect for Holmes County since 4:57 p.m. EDT Thursday, signals that conditions are favorable for tornado development but does not mean one is imminent. The tornado watch was eventually allowed to expire early for most of Northeast Ohio, though it remained in effect for select counties through 11 p.m.