Nov. 10, 2002: Van Wert, OH Tornado

[peace91189]

this tornado was a day after my birthday i remember the sky looking weird :/

[Doug41160]

why does it take forever for a dispatcher to answer that trooper!!?

[curtisr2899]

my family whent to go see a movie at the theater that day

[bananas1and2]

This was the one that destroyed the theater, wasn't it?

[Sweetums1991]

I just watched a show on TV tonight and it covered a family not knowing until it was almost at their house. Then they went into their basement and when they came back up their house was gone. They're neighbor also came over but the door was locked so he didn't get in. The name started with an M, not sure if you know these people or not

[TornadoWatche]

I cant see the tornado

[amazingdany]

When people get killed by natural catastrophes, you CAN'T get mad at nature... You know?

[quazi44236]

I was going to the University of Toledo at the time and remember seeing a related funnel cloud from that outbreak going over the clock tower up there before seeking shelter. That same funnel cloud was preveously a F-0 or 1 tornado that knocked over semis at the turnpike. That day was extremely warm for that time of year and the storm just came out of nowhere really. incredibly amazing storm complex.

[HauntedGhostLady]

This tornado was featured in the History Channel program "Nature Tech: Tornadoes" (I just saw it on the "Twister" features disk, and looked up more info on it.). It was remarkable how the communications system prevented what could had been a high death toll if the theater complex didn't get warnings in time.

I don't remember hearing about the tornado itself at the time it happened, but was surprised it happened in November. F4s that time of year are uncommon.

[jschwind435]

I bet that was a hell of movie...

[Grunge2009]

I live in ohio and i saw this tornadoe, i live in hancock county, Arcadia. Van wert always get hit by tornadoes. hancock county gets a flunner cloud

[mkjow07]

There was so much damage done that day. I live in Tiffin and I was working at Pizza Hut at the time and you could see it from clear across tow. One street that it hit is shaped like an S. The first house on the right was taken out along with the last one on the left but the houses in between and the apartment complex at the end was untouched.

[uscg1472]

correction mate. That is the highway patrol. i live les than 10 min away from there.

[AskewsMewes]

Columbus got the helacious after-effects of this storm when it moved out of Van Wert- in the form of torrential rain, hail & unbelievable wind gusts! That was scary enough...I feel for those of you that actually went through that monster of a tornado

[kc9cgj]

Actually, it didn't even reach Fostoria, the tornado lifted shortly after leaving Van Wert. The parent Supercell dropped another weak tornado near Continental, then weakened as it lifted northeast, only spitting the occasional "reported" wall cloud and funnel cloud.

[webdoc]

@kc9cgj It actually dissipated in Henry County just a few miles outside of Malinta. about 6 miles from my house.

[lizzyjonas08]

my gramp was in that tornado

[jbugg1313]

I live in Van Wert, that tornado was the biggest thing ever, it showed it's ugly face so quick. I remember it just storming, then the sirens going off, I never expected it to be that big.

[manbearpigdanny]

i live in paulding which is about 15 miles from this.i about craped my pants this day.!!!

[txstoryteller]

Incredible!

[stormspinner1]

Don't expect tornadoes of this size up in Ohio. Texas, yes. At least y'all up there have basements: not so, here. Sad.

*StormSpinner1* in Texas

[CH3CH2OCH2CH3net]

If the tornado isn't bad enough -- then there's the rear flank downdraft (RFD) and I would NOT have wanted to be in that car when the RFD hit!

[Envazionbass12]

ugh, i rememeber this day, i was at the theaters when the siren went off, and we drove home as fast as we could, and the only a few minutes after we got in the basement, the tornado hit, took everything, it kinda sucked, but no lookin back on it, im glad im still alive

[Narutogirl534998]

that must of been really scary! Sorry that happend to you

[uscg1472]

one thing. that was the Highway State Patrol Not PD. and i live there also. im out at scott, about 5miles from Vanwert we were at our reletives but were planning to go to the cniemas that day to watch Santa Calause 2. had we goin to the cinemas, it might have been bad. im also an explorer for the VW County Sheriff dept (post 34) the way it looks right now, were about to have another tornado as i speak. we already have watches out for VW, pualding and other counties surronding us. HERE WE GO AGan

[JPFAN5]

I rememeber this storm. I was 8 at the time.

[imsoshibby]

I Live There :D.....It Was Quite Intense

[jbugg1313]

I was 1/4 of a mile away from that.

EEK. Very sad ending.

[jamesmdyer]

I've seen lots of videos of tornadoes, but I've never seen a large wedge tornado travel as quickly as this one.

Just how fast was it moving?

[kc9cgj]

James... I can't state to any degree of accuracy on the forward speed of the parent Supercell (warnings would have had that information and unfortunately, that's the one thing I didn't archive from that day). I would assume however, that since this tornado covered 53 miles in only a short amount of time, that it WAS moving fairly quickly - likely from 40 to possibly 55 mph from the SW to the E-NE.

[TheFritter04]

I have some video of this day from the Dayton area and the line of storms and supercells were mostly moving ENE between 55 and 65 MPH

[kc9cgj]

Yeah, that seems about right... I was out chasing that day and never could quite catch up with the Van Wert Supercell. I intercepted the thing from the north near Grant County in Indiana and then followed it ENE into Ohio. Good thing, too, I suppose, cause if I had been in front of it, I may not be here today to share any of this! It was an incredible, but sad, day...

[atvpitbull]

yea i remember that , it went right by my mom and dads house.

[ohiocanalgirl]

thank God he is okay