Storms ravage southwest Ohio

XENIA - A tornado flattened buildings, uprooted trees and tossed vehicles in this southwest Ohio city, where a twister 26 years ago caused millions of dollars in damage. A second tornado swept through two central Ohio counties, the National Weather Service confirmed yesterday.

A man was killed in Wednesday night's storm in Xenia when a tree fell on a car. At least 115 others were injured.

About an hour later, at 8:30 p.m., a tornado went through Delaware and Licking counties. ''The track on that one was long and it was on the ground 80 percent of the time,'' said forecaster Ken Haydu.

Authorities in Xenia were still looking for other possible victims, planning to search again all buildings that were in the tornado's path, including a collapsed grocery store, said Charlie Leonard, assistant city manager. No victims had been found in earlier searches at the Groceryland store.

All that remained of the store was a tangle of steel girders, dry wall, insulation and groceries. But inside, cans of food still could be seen stacked neatly on a shelf.

The storm also destroyed or damaged other businesses and homes, overturned cars, uprooted trees and downed power lines along a two-mile path.

It was a frightening reminder of a tornado April 3, 1974 that hit Xenia and southwest Ohio, killing 33 people.

''It was about the same path as it was 26 years ago,'' resident Bob McKinney, 58, said yesterday as he walked around the Greene County Fairgrounds to see the damage. However, authorities said the damage appeared to be less.

Leonard said Wednesday's tornado followed a path parallel to the 1974 twister and appeared to be between 50 and several hundred yards wide.

''This was a major tornado, but it's nowhere near the area the '74 tornado covered,'' he said.

He said warnings were sounded but the tornado was moving too quickly for many people to respond to the sirens.

The man who was killed was not immediately identified. In all, 14 people were admitted to hospitals, including a woman who was with him and was in critical condition at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton. Three other people were in serious condition.

Injuries included broken bones, head injuries and cuts from flying debris.

The storm leveled several barns at the fairgrounds and blew a semitrailer across the road from a trucking company.

Art Sidell, 74, of Xenia, was in the rabbit barn when the power went off.

''About the time I headed for the door, the roof went off. I just dove under a table.

''After about 10 seconds it was over. I crawled out from under that table and there was debris everywhere. Not a scratch on me,'' he said yesterday.

In Delaware County, one house was destroyed and 14 were damaged. Power outages and minor injuries from the storms were reported in Warren County in southwest Ohio. Damage in Licking County was extensive.

Gov. Bob Taft, who declared an emergency in Xenia, a city of about 24,660 people about 20 miles from Dayton, toured the damage Thursday morning.

At a Wal-Mart store there, walls collapsed, ceiling tiles fell and cars were overturned when the storm hit about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

''There really was no warning,'' said Wal-Mart employee Travis Waddle, 20, of Beavercreek. ''I saw the tiles come down and people running and everybody screaming.''

The roof was blown off the Dayton Avenue Baptist Church, one of four area churches where damage was reported.

Ruby Godfrey, who was inside, heard hail pound the roof. ''We're hitting the floor, getting under pews. You heard the roar. You saw the roof flying off and then it was gone.''