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Clermont County Totals Up Tornado Damage

WCPO
Carlon Addison's roof blew off when the storm passed through Amelia.

Damage estimates from last week's tornado and thunderstorms are over $1 million in Clermont County.

According to the building department, six structures were destroyed, 14 had major damage, and 28 had minor damage. Those buildings included residential, business, and agricultural structures.

The National Weather Service says an EF-1 tornado touched down in Pierce Township, early March 1, 2017, and traveled 6.4  miles into Amelia. A second wave of storms brought high winds which flipped three mobile homes and snapped trees in and around the village of Chilo.

According to our news partner, WCPO, Carlon Addison's home on Locust Lake Road in Amelia had its roof torn off. Fallen trees blocked State Route 125 near Oak Street. "I'm just lucky I got out of bed," Addison said. "I heard the noise and went toward the bathroom, so when I got halfway in the hallway, the whole thing just caved in like a big freight train coming through here."

Hamilton County is still totaling up the dollar damage. It says 75 homes were damaged by wind and flooding.

It is also too soon for a dollar damage amount in Boone, Kenton and Campbell Counties.

Kenton County officials say they're still investigating why the county's storm warning sirens didn't go off during Wednesday morning's storms. The Emergency Communications Center says it "experienced an operational failure" that caused the sirens not to be activated during a tornado warning. A full report will be made to the Kenton County Fiscal Court and the public once the investigation wraps up. The county is recommending people have a weather alert radio in their homes and use weather alert phone apps available from media outlets and the national weather service.

Ann Thompson has decades of journalism experience in the Greater Cincinnati market and brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her reporting.
Bill Rinehart started his radio career as a disc jockey in 1990. In 1994, he made the jump into journalism and has been reporting and delivering news on the radio ever since.