On Wednesday June 1st, at 6:55 p.m., the National Weather Service in Northern Indiana, issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Paulding County. As the storm cell entered southwest of Payne it intensified into a much stronger cell, with damaging winds and rotation in the storm. Damage started to be reported in the Payne area as the storm moved in a northeasterly direction. At some point before it reached Latty, the rotation may have formed a brief “tornmanic” active southwest of the village. The NWS issued this statement on the damage: “A thunderstorm rapidly intensified as it moved out of southeastern Allen County, Indiana into southwestern Paulding County. Damaging winds, ranging between 60 to locally over 80 mph, caused damage from Payne, OH through Latty and south of Melrose. The most extensive damage appears to have occurred from Payne to Latty where tree damage, minor structure damage and damage to power poles occurred. Tree limbs also fell onto parked vehicles, causing damage. A resident shared a picture on the Paulding County EMA Facebook page, south of Latty showing a home weather station recorded an 83.4 mph wind gust. We would like to thank Paulding and Van Wert county EMA officials as well as those that posted pictures on the Paulding County Facebook page”, this from Meteorologist Lonnie Fisher of the Northern Indiana National Weather Service, in North Webster, Indiana.
Reports, posted on social media, did not indicate any serious or significant structural damage to residential property. Although there was damage to roofs and siding, with some damage to barns and other outbuildings. In some places large tree limbs landed on vehicles. The good news out of all of this was, no one was injured and the rotation in the storm cell was very brief and did not develop into a destructive tornado.
EMA Director Rick McCoy from Van Wert County toured the track of the storm for the National Weather Service and assisted Director Bohn from Paulding County. The photos submitted by Director McCoy along with his years of studying meteorology provided much needed information for the National Weather Service to make their determination and issue their findings.
