Tornado Warning Issued for Franklin and Fairfield Counties in Ohio
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NWS Wilmington OH has issued a Tornado Warning for southeastern Franklin County and northwestern Fairfield County until 11:30 PM EDT on August 15, 2026.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Tornado Warning
- Affected area
- Central Ohio
- Issued
- August 16, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Wilmington OH
Tornado warnings are short-window notices for the named area. The issuing office is the authority on whether the warning remains active or has been replaced.
Record status: publication date is recent, but current status is not stored on this page. Check the issuing agency's live warning service before acting because warnings can be updated, narrowed, or cancelled.
Alert Details
Tornado Warning issued by NWS Wilmington OH. Effective from 2026-08-15T23:04:00-04:00 until 2026-08-15T23:30:00-04:00. Severity: Extreme. Urgency: Immediate. Certainty: Observed.
Affected Areas
Southeastern Franklin County in central Ohio and northwestern Fairfield County in central Ohio. Locations impacted include Columbus, Pickerington, Canal Winchester, Groveport, Lithopolis, Carroll, Brice, and Blacklick Estates.
What You Should Do
TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris.
Expected Conditions
At 11:04 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located over Canal Winchester, moving east at 20 mph. Hazard: Tornado. Source: Radar indicated rotation. Impact: Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely.
Timeline
Alert effective immediately on August 15, 2026, at 11:04 PM EDT and expires at 11:30 PM EDT the same day.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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