Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Fairfield and Licking Counties in Central Ohio

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Wilmington has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for central Fairfield County and southeastern Licking County in central Ohio. The alert was issued at 1:14 PM EST and remains in effect until 2:00 PM EST.

Affected Areas

The warning covers several communities and landmarks, including:

• Cities and Towns: Lancaster, Heath, Baltimore, Buckeye Lake, Hebron, Bremen, Millersport, Pleasantville, Fairfield Beach, Harbor Hills, Thornport, Thurston, Carroll, Rushville, West Rushville, and North Berne.
• Transportation and Infrastructure: Fairfield County Airport, State Route 158 at State Route 204, Interstate 70 at State Route 37, and Interstate 70 between mile markers 125 and 141.

What You Should Do

For your protection, residents in the warning area should move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. To report severe weather, visit weather.gov/iln or submit reports via social media when it is safe to do so.

Expected Conditions

At 1:14 PM EST, radar indicated a severe thunderstorm near Lancaster, moving northeast at 40 mph. The primary hazards associated with this storm include:

• Wind: Gusts up to 60 mph, which may cause damage to trees and power lines.
• Hail: Quarter-size hail (1.00 inch), which could cause minor damage to vehicles.

Timeline

The warning is effective immediately as of 1:14 PM EST on March 7, 2026. The storm is expected to move through the area with the alert set to expire at 2:00 PM EST.