MORE: Damage reported as storms pound region
As storms blew through the area around 3 a.m., Moore, 62, walked out of his apartment and talked to a neighbor.
He said after it started raining, he felt a gust of wind and pointed his flashlight to the northwest of his apartment, near where Smith Park is located.
His wife, Tiffany, came to the door and told Barry to get inside. He told her he saw what he described as a funnel cloud that never touched the ground.
“You could see the rotation in it,” he said. “Why it never formed I have no idea. I’m not a meteorologist. I just know what I saw.”
He said the cloud went up and down, then headed toward the east.
He’s thankful for “being alive” and glad the storm didn’t damage the city more.
National Weather Service investigators will be in Clinton County later today to assess whether a large swath of damage on U.S. 22/Ohio 3 in Wilmington was caused by a tornado.
More than 5,000 power outages have been reported in Butler County as of 11 a.m. today. The latest outage information for Duke Energy is available here.
The National Weather Service said in coordination with Warren County Emergency Management, it's believed the damage in Warren County has been caused by straight line winds. Rotation has not been seen in that area.
“We will continue coordination with Warren County EMA to ensure they don’t suspect tornadic damage. But current plans are to not survey the area,” according to the NWS.
Damages through Warren County include roofs blown off two barns on Clarksville Road; a lightning strike sparked a fire on Township Line, forcing residents from their home; and thousands are without power.
No serious injuries were reported.
DOWNLOAD OUR FREE WHIO WEATHER APP to get weather updates and alerts on your smartphone
TRACK SHOWERS AND STORMS ON LIVE DOPPLER 7 INTERACTIVE RADAR
About the Author
