A hangar was destroyed and airplanes damaged at the Madison County Airport following a severe storm, Wednesday morning, Feb. 28, 2024, in London, Ohio.
© DORAL CHENOWETH, APA hangar was destroyed and airplanes damaged at the Madison County Airport following a severe storm, Wednesday morning, Feb. 28, 2024, in London, Ohio.
One tornado was confirmed east of Chicago on Wednesday while more than a half dozen struck Ohio and Michigan following reports of overnight warnings.

The Illinois tornado occurred in Henry County, around 150 miles east of Chicago, according to the National Weather Service. The service is investigating multiple reports of damage caused by high winds in the state and will determine how many tornadoes can be confirmed.

"Sometimes the damage is caused just by high winds not associated with a tornado," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Mike Doll told USA TODAY Wednesday.

The EF-1 tornado with maximum winds of 110 mph damaged two farm structures and destroyed a shop, local station KWQC reported.


5 tornadoes confirmed in Ohio


A total of five tornadoes were confirmed in Ohio on Wednesday, with four of them hitting the greater Columbus area.

Two of them were EF2 tornadoes with wind speeds of 111 to 136 mph on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. The other three were EF1 tornadoes, two of which had wind speeds of 86 to 110 mph.

Winds knocked over dozens of trees by either pulling out their roots or twisting and snapping them off. Fallen trees damaged house and garage roofs. Winds also damaged power lines and caused electrical poles to block roadways.

2 tornados caused damage in Michigan

Two tornados also struck Michigan in parts of Genesee and Calhoun counties.

An uprooted tree lays on a house in Grand Blanc, Mich., on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 after two tornadoes caused damage early Wednesday in parts of Michigan.
© JULIAN LESHAY GUADALUPE / APAn uprooted tree lays on a house in Grand Blanc, Mich., on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 after two tornadoes caused damage early Wednesday in parts of Michigan.
An EF-2 twister reached the Grand Blanc area bringing winds of up to 115 mph and moving around 5.7 miles, according to the weather service. Police said the tornadoes knocked out power to residents and businesses when it struck after midnight.


No deaths or injuries were reported in the hours after the tornado struck, Grand Blanc Township Police Department Lt. Todd Gilbert said.

Damaging winds placed 46 million at risk

Wind advisories were issued for the Midwest and the Ohio Valley on Wednesday morning after overnight warnings.

A winter storm brought hail and rain overnight to parts of Ohio, western Pennsylvania and the north panhandle of West Virginia, where wind advisories were also issued. Strong wind gusts reached Virginia, Maryland, and the Washington, D.C. area by Wednesday afternoon.

The severe weather put over 46 million people at risk of damaging thunderstorm winds Wednesday afternoon as they braced for gusts of 50 knots or higher Wednesday afternoon, NOAA's Storm Prediction Center reported.

Contributing: Charles E. Ramirez and Marnie Munฬƒoz, The Detroit News, Bethany Bruner, Nathan Hart, Mark Ferenchik and Bailey Gallion Columbus Dispatch