Funnel Clouds Reported in Mercer County; EMA Says Sirens Activated as Precaution

MERCER COUNTY, Ohio — Mercer County Emergency Management Agency Director Chad Wilrath says three funnel clouds were reported Tuesday morning as a round of storms moved through the area.

Wilrath told WCSM the first notification came from the Jay County, Indiana, EMA director, who reported a funnel cloud outside Portland moving toward the Fort Recovery area.

Wilrath stressed that a funnel cloud does not necessarily mean a tornado. A funnel cloud extends from the base of a storm but does not reach the ground.

Local weather spotters were deployed as the system moved into Mercer County. Wilrath said personnel from the Chickasaw Fire Department and Fort Recovery Police Department were among those monitoring conditions.

Additional funnel clouds were later reported near the intersection of State Route 29 and Township Line Road and near State Route 274 and Gallimore Road.

Wilrath said radar was showing some rotation in the atmosphere, but conditions did not reach the level that prompted the National Weather Service to issue a tornado warning.

Based on reports from spotters, what residents were seeing on the ground and radar information, Mercer County officials made the decision to activate the outdoor warning sirens as a precaution.

No significant storm damage was reported from the morning round of storms. Wilrath said there may have been some utility poles or tree branches down, but the EMA was not aware of structural damage.

Attention then turned to another round of storms approaching the region Tuesday afternoon. Wilrath said the system was moving through the Fort Wayne and Indianapolis areas and could bring winds around 60 miles per hour along with heavy rainfall.

The Mercer County EMA continues monitoring conditions and is prepared to deploy weather spotters again if necessary.

Wilrath said officials will continue evaluating both radar and ground conditions and issue additional warnings as needed to protect the community.