LOGAN COUNTY, Ohio — A suspected tornado reportedly hit a trailer park in Logan County, with authorities saying they are dealing with a “mass casualty event” and the county’s sheriff’s office saying that fatalities have been confirmed.
Chief Deputy Joe Kopus confirmed two fatalities in an email early Friday to the Associated Press. He said there likely would be more fatalities discovered, noting there was heavy damage in Lakeview, Midway, Orchard Island and Russel’s Point. WSYX Channel 6 is reporting that four deaths have been confirmed.
The Columbus Dispatch reports the county’s Emergency Management Agency confirmed a trailer park near Indian Lake, Ohio, called Lakeview RV Park was heavily damaged by a tornado or by very strong winds from a powerful storm system. A shortage of ambulances was reported, according to the Dispatch.
According to a post on social media by Channel 3 Now, there are reports of “multiple” collapsed buildings and that people are trapped inside some of the buildings. There also are reports of gas leaks and power lines down throughout the area.
Amber Fagan, president and CEO of the Indian Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, tells WSYX that the storm caused “pure devastation.”
“I have never seen anything like this in my entire life,” Fagan tells WSYX. “Our Lakeview municipal building is demolished. Our laundromat is gone. The old plastics building is just completely demolished. Downtown, it’s bad.”
Indian Lake Local Schools had canceled classes for Friday and the buildings were being prepped for use as shelters, authorities tell WSYX.
Photos posted online by Spectrum News meteorologist Vernon Turner show heavy damage and also include an image of what appears to be a tornado.
A video posted online reportedly shows the tornado as it moved through Logan County.
A powerful weather system moving through Ohio Thursday night resulted in tornado warnings and watches in much of the state. In Northeast Ohio, a tornado watch was in effect until midnight in Ashland, Holmes, Knox, Marion, Morrow, Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit and Wayne counties.
In Mercer County, Ohio, three people had non-life-threatening injuries Thursday night when severe weather impacted a trailer park, WDTN Channel 2 reports.
In Ohio’s Huron County, emergency management officials posted on Facebook that there was a “confirmed large and extremely dangerous tornado” near Plymouth — some 75 miles northeast of Indian Lake.
Severe weather was affecting much of the central U.S. In Winchester, Indiana, which is about 80 miles west of Logan County, at least three people were killed when severe weather hit a trailer park, NBC News reports.
Logan County is about 160 miles southwest of Cleveland.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.