DAYTON, OHIO — One person is dead and several are injured after multiple tornadoes ravaged Ohio late Monday night.

Celina, Ohio, Mayor Jeffrey Hazel told The Washington Post that Melvin Dale Hanna, 81, died after a tornado sent a vehicle crashing through his home. The town, about 60 miles north of Dayton, suffered severe damage late Monday night, Hazel said. About 40 homes had been damaged or destroyed, water service was disrupted, and the gas had been turned off for fear of leaks.

At a Tuesday morning news conference, Hazel confirmed seven other injuries in Celina, three of which he categorized as “serious,” WDTN reported.

“We are somewhat reeling from the tornado from last night,” Hazel told The Post. “There’s a lot of folks right now that are all out cleaning, they’re starting to pick up debris.”

In Dayton, no fatalities and only three minor injuries had been reported in a “miraculous” development, the city’s fire chief, Jeffrey L. Payne, said at a news conference Tuesday morning.

The National Weather Service confirmed that several tornadoes, including one described as “large and destructive,” touched down near Dayton, reportedly injuring several people, triggering mass power outages across the state, and causing extensive damage to homes, businesses and roads at the end of Memorial Day.

The full extent of the destruction emerged as the sun rose Tuesday morning, revealing caving roofs and tangled power lines. Some structures were reduced to rubble. Debris littered the roadways.

Payne said that emergency responders would assess buildings for casualties and structural damage, and noted that there was a danger of gas leaks.

“It’s going to be hazardous,” he said.

Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley said that “the damage was significant and many citizens and folks are without basic services.”

Authorities announced early Tuesday that the National Guard was being deployed to the area. The Ohio Department of Transportation said crews were using snowplows to help clean up debris that was covering Interstate 75 north of downtown Dayton. While there were no remaining tornado warnings, there were active flood warnings until early Tuesday.

The storms caused a power outage that had affected both water plants and pump stations, the latter of which would not receive backup power until at least midday, officials said. City leaders issued a boil warning for the region’s water, and public schools announced they would be closed on Tuesday.

“Our community has been tested before and we have always risen above it,” Whaley said. “Be safe out there, don’t do anything stupid, and have a good day.”

Source: Washington Post