A tornado was confirmed in Boone County during the severe storms of Friday night, the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Oh. announced on Tuesday.
The news follows an announcement from the Boone County government that its tornado warning sirens malfunctioned that night.
The tornado, classified as EF1, or weak, reached maximum wind speeds of 90 miles per hour, touching down a mile northwest of Idlewild and traveling nearly three miles to two miles southwest of Francisville.
The tornado’s path’s width was measured at 175 yards.
No one was injured.
The National Weather Service conducted a survey along I-275 on Tuesday with assistance from the Boone County Emergency Management Agency.
Minor roof damage was reported at a home along with tree damage on Stevens Road in northern Boone County. The tornado struck a barn causing heavy damage, including a wall collapse and roof removal.
Numerous trees near that barn were also uprooted, and parts of the roof were lifted and deposited “a considerable distance downstream,” the NWS reported.
Another barn was also damaged with partial roof removal.
The NWS said that “there are some gaps in the damage path indicating a complete and constant contact with the ground did not occur with this weak tornado.”
The vast majority of the tree damage, the NWS reported, indicates wind speeds between 60 and 75 miles per hour, though the barn damage indicates likely wind speeds of around 90 miles per hour.
After the storm had mostly passed on Friday night, the Boone County government posted on Facebook that the county’s outdoor weather sirens were activated by the Boone County Dispatch Center, but that a malfunction was immediately detected preventing them from sounding.
County staff is evaluating the system, the statement said.
-Staff report
