Severe storms cause damage across state, kill one woman
MARION, Ohio (AP) — A falling tree limb struck a sport utility vehicle, killing a woman as she drove Thursday during strong thunderstorms that moved across the state and spun off at least one tornado, police said.
The tree limb smashed the roof of the woman’s Chevrolet Trailblazer in a residential neighborhood where she lived, and she was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The identity of the 22-year-old woman wasn’t released pending notification of family.
A line of heavy thunderstorms damaged buildings, tore the roof off a high school, and downed trees and power lines across the state.
The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado struck Shelby in north-central Ohio, and officials were investigating tornado sightings in Medina, Stark and Summit counties, said Walter Fitzgerald, a meteorologist with the agency in Cleveland.
Tornado strike
Witnesses reported that a tornado struck the Dofasco Copperweld plant, said Shelby Mayor Jim Henkel. The roof of the plant, which makes steel pipe and tubular products, was damaged and walls were blown down, but there were no reports of any injuries.
The plant was expected to resume operations early Friday during its midnight shift, and the company would use a scheduled shutdown next week to repair the damage, said Victor Riva, human resources manager for Dofasco Copperweld.
Henkel said the storm also moved cars in the parking lot and blew out car windows.
Power lines also were down, he said.
In nearby Ashland County, the roof of Black River High School was blown off, according to sheriff’s Capt. Terry Hamilton.
“We’ve got trees down every place,” Hamilton added.
Heavy rain and downed power lines were also reported in the area.