Worst Tornado Outbreak So Far This Year In Midwest, South

Serious destruction in Indian Lake, Ohio. Photo from 
From Above Aerial LLC

Thursday and Thursday night's severe weather outbreak in the Midwest hit with unexpected fury, spinning off tornadoes that killed at least three  people and left dozens injured.  

The tornadoes on Thursday seemed to concentrate their fury on Indiana and Ohio, where several strong tornadoes were reported.

Logan County, Ohio was reportedly especially hard hit. 

Videos posted on social media showed intense looking tornadoes sweeping across the late winter landscape of Ohio. 

Another powerful tornado caused severe damage and perhaps dozens of injuries in the adjacent towns of Winchester and Selma, Indiana. 

Indiana and Ohio were not the only states hit. Suspected tornadoes also struck Arkansas and Texas. As of mid-afternoon, fifteen tornadoes had been confirmed. Officials with National Weather Service offices in damaged areas are still doing storm surveys to obtain a full count of the number of twisters. 

The tornado and tornado alerts extended a huge 1,000-mile distance from northern Texas to northern Ohio. And here's an oddity: The line of intense storms extended almost exactly along the path of the upcoming April 8 total solar eclipse. Except of course there was no dangerous weather along the eclipse path in New York, Vermont and beyond. 

Tornado activity as intense as Thursdays is rare for as far north as Ohio this early in the season.  

It's been that kind of early storm season so far. Wisconsin had its first February tornado on record.  Tornadoes in early March were reported as far north as Michigan and southwestern New York.  Ohio was also hit in late February as six tornadoes spread widespread damage in the middle of the state. 

Some tornadoes are possible in the South today, but the activity shouldn't be as intense and tragic as it was Thursday. 

After today and for the next week or so, tornado and severe weather should be fairly low key. However, long range forecasts seem to indicate a weather pattern more conducive toward tornadoes and hail toward the end of this month. 

That long range forecast is not cast in stone, but the U.S. is now in that dangerous season of tornadoes and giant hail.