Daytona tornado
© Twitter/Josh MartinezThe 'large and dangerous' tornado wreaked havoc after touching down near Daytona, Ohio late Monday night and causing widespread damage and injuries
Dayton, Ohio, and surrounding communities were under a tornado emergency as a large and destructive tornado was reported on Monday night.

The National Weather Service (NWS) was calling it a life-threatening situation as the tornado swept through the heavily-populated area.

There have been some reports of injuries, but no word on the number or extent of these injuries.

"A large, dangerous tornado touched down last night in northwest Montgomery County, we are focused on supporting life saving measures, such as shutting down gas lines or locating people who are trapped by debris," a post on the county's Twitter page said. "Call 911 or contact your local fire station for emergency assistance."

Pictures on social media showed strewn trees and severely damaged homes in the area. Law enforcement reports that the New Life Worship Center just north of Dayton was completely destroyed.

Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck told WKEF-TV in Dayton that the storm damage is the worst he has seen in his career.

Some schools have announced closures on Tuesday due to the storm damage.


Residents are being told to stay off the roads.

The tornado's path crossed directly over Interstate 75. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is urging people to avoid to avoid the area north of downtown Dayton. Snowplows are being used to clear debris off of the interstate.

"Our crews are assisting with debris clean up from a tornado that hit about an hour ago," ODOT said on Twitter. "Please give them and emergency crews room to work."

A forecaster from WYMT-TV listening to scanner traffic from the Dayton area reported that rescue crews are "scrambling to mobilize" and "damage sounds catastrophic."

There have been reports of rescue crews going house to house looking for trapped residents.


Weather radar indicated debris was lofted tens of thousands of feet into the atmosphere, indicating that a strong and dangerous tornado was on the ground.

Less than 30 minutes after the large tornado swept through the Dayton metro area, yet another tornado-producing thunderstorm was targeting the same areas that were struck by the first tornado.

Several other tornadoes were reported in Ohio on Monday night, including in Celina, where numerous trees and power lines were downed.

Structural damage was reported to a house and barn in Laurelville around 1:10 a.m. EDT Tuesday.

Power outages are affecting over 80,000 customers across Ohio.

"We're in for a multi-day restoration effort," Dayton Power & Light said on Twitter.

Severe weather and tornado dangers will continue across Ohio on Tuesday and expand eastward into Pennsylvania, southern New York, Maryland and New Jersey.