| |

Van Wert Storm Leaves Trail of Destruction as Winds Topple Semis, Shatter Landmarks

VAN WERT, OHIO — The sky turned an eerie green minutes before the winds hit with the roar of a freight train. At 6:03 p.m. Wednesday, Sherry Miller watched through her kitchen window as a 70-year-old oak tree in her yard “folded like a toothpick.” Within seconds, the storm that meteorologists would later call Ohio’s most destructive since the 2012 derecho ripped through Van Wert County, flipping tractor-trailers, crushing historic churches, and leaving neighborhoods unrecognizable.

The Storm’s Fury Unleashed

The chaos began near Liberty-Union Road, where winds clocked at 70+ mph near the county jail created a microburst—an invisible bomb of downward air that shattered windows and peeled roofs from buildings. On U.S. 30, truck driver Marcus Reed felt his rig lift sideways before slamming onto its cab. “I thought I was done,” he gasped, crawling from the wreckage minutes later. Just blocks away, a swirling gustnado—a ground-level vortex spun by horizontal winds—tore through the Quail Run Apartments, hurling dumpsters like toys. “It wasn’t a tornado,” explained EMA Director Rick McCoy. “But when you see picnic tables flying sideways, destruction doesn’t need a label.”

Landmarks in Ruins

St. Marys Catholic Church, its 19th-century bell tower a community touchstone for generations, now lies in rubble. Across town, the storm ripped bricks from St. Marks Lutheran Church and shattered the YMCA’s glass entrance. At the First Financial Bank, steel girders dangled over Main Street like broken ribs.

But the deepest wounds cut through neighborhoods:

  • The Marsh Foundation’s century-old trees snapped at the trunk, crushing vintage lampposts
  • Historic homes along Washington Street buried under oaks
  • Power lines draped over streets like black spaghetti, trapping residents

The Miracle of Zero Injuries

McCoy credits pre-storm vigilance for saving lives. His team activated weather spotters hours earlier and canceled youth baseball games—a decision that emptied parks minutes before trees cratered dugouts. “We’ve replayed 2012’s derecho nightmare for years,” he said, referencing the storm that killed one local resident. “This time, preparation met luck.”

Recovery Amid Rising Heat

As dawn broke Thursday, chain saws echoed across the county. AEP Ohio crews worked to restore power to 36,000 customers, facing a grueling task: 15 transmission poles near Vantage Career Center snapped like matchsticks, requiring complete rebuilding. With temperatures forecast to hit 97°F this weekend, McCoy urged vulnerable residents to seek cooling centers. “No power means no AC in this heat,” he warned. “That’s our next battle.”

Why Van Wert? A History Written in Wind

This agricultural county knows storms like old enemies:

  • April 2025: Twin EF-1 tornadoes scarred nearby Putnam County
  • 2012 Derecho: A deadly wind wall killed 22 across Ohio
  • 1920: Ohio’s deadliest tornado killed 55 here

“These flat fields funnel weather like a cannon,” said longtime farmer Ben Yoder, salvaging grain bins crushed by the storm.

How to Help

  • Report damage: Call Van Wert EMA at (419) 238-1300
  • Downed wires: Stay back—dial AEP Ohio at 800-672-2231
  • Volunteer: Meet at the Fairgrounds at 7 a.m. daily with gloves, chain saws, and water

As residents piled debris onto curbs Thursday, high schoolers handed out bottled water and hugs. “Look around,” said volunteer coordinator Lydia Moore, gesturing to neighbors sharing generators. “Storms show us who we really are.” For Van Wert—a community picking up pieces under a blazing June sun—rebuilding begins one chain saw cut at a time.