Tornado wreaks havoc on Dayton as 5 million lose power across Ohio

May 28, 2019, 5:23 AM UTC / Updated May 28, 2019, 9:09 AM UTC

By Alex Johnson

A tornado hit the the city of Dayton late Monday with severe weather knocking out power to around 5 million people across Ohio.

Extensive damage was reported north of Dayton. Officials confirmed several injuries in the wake of the storms. The Ohio Department of Transportation used snow plows to remove debris off Interstate 75.

The National Weather Service confirmed a “large and dangerous” tornado on the ground near the Dayton suburb of Trotwood in Montgomery County just after 11 p.m.

Dayton resident Tenley Taghi told NBC News the tornado left her street in ruins, adding that she didn’t hear any warning sirens.

“I saw the clouds spin backwards and the trees began to sway uncontrollably and we took shelter,” she added. “I was standing on the porch that is no longer standing.”

[11:00 PM] CONFIRMED LARGE AND DANGEROUS TORNADO ON THE GROUND NEAR TROTWOOD, OHIO. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. TAKE COVER NOW IN NORTHERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, OHIO. DO NOT TRY TO SPOT AT NIGHTTIME!

— NWS Wilmington OH (@NWSILN) May 28, 2019

Trotwood Mayor Mary McDonald said on Facebook that power lines and trees were down across the city of 25,000 residents.

“It’s like out of a movie, you can never prepare for something like this,” Trotwood resident Nathan Mann told NBC affiliate WDTN.

Four shelters offering food and water opened in Montgomery County overnight.

In Mercer County, around 80 miles northwest of Dayton, at least seven people were transported to hospitals for injuries sustained during the storm, according to officials. They did not detail the extent of the injuries.

WDTN reported that many trees were down and that numerous homes had been damaged in and near the town of Celina, which is located in Mercer County.

“It looks in areas like a war zone, some of the houses were completely moved off their foundations and gone,” Celina Mayor Jeffrey Hazel told WDTN.

The Mercer County Emergency Management Director says that emergency crews are focusing their efforts on search and rescue. Residents are asked to stay off roadways if possible. https://t.co/9GbvD8CyM9

— WDTN (@WDTN) May 28, 2019

The National Weather Service said the power outages were affecting 5 million people across the state.

The city of Dayton asked residents early Tuesday to conserve water after losing power to water plants and pumping stations.

Beavercreek, a Dayton suburb, issued an emergency declaration, saying that many gas leaks had been reported.

“We are still in the search and rescue mode,” the police department wrote in a Facebook post.