Tornado photographer captures Ohio twister: 'Closer than I ever wanted to be'
Watch: Tornado photographer captures apocalyptic scene of Ohio twister moving toward his home
If the tornado had veered slightly from its path, Chad Steinke could have found himself in a drastically altered situation, with potentially severe consequences. (Credit: Chad Steinke via Storyful, FOX Weather)
FRYBURG, Ohio - "Oh my God! Thank God it ain’t in my house," Chad Steinke exclaimed as he filmed a massive tornado swirling near his home.
As the sun set Thursday over the tranquil town of Fryburg, Ohio, a powerful tornado wreaked havoc across its path.
The violent winds were so strong that they lifted and tossed debris high into the air, leaving a trail of destruction as it moved across the state. Three people died when a tornado tore through Logan County – one of five reported tornadoes in Ohio, according to Chief Deputy Joe Kopus with the sheriff's office.
As Steinke stood outside his home in Fryburg, he witnessed a tornado descending. He was situated on the southern side of the funnel cloud, where some of the drier air was drawn into the storm.
A powerful tornado was seen spinning through Fryburg, Ohio, on March 14, 2024. (Credit: Chad Steinke via Storyful)
"It was not raining at all," he recalled. "I ran into the house. When I realized it was a little further from the house than I thought, I just stepped out the door and started videotaping it."
SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK LEAVES AT LEAST 3 DEAD AS TORNADOES TEAR ACROSS MULTIPLE STATES
A powerful tornado was seen spinning through Fryburg, Ohio, on Thursday. A deadly severe weather outbreak swept across the Southern Plains and Midwest into the Ohio Valley, spawning several tornadoes and leaving trails of damage across multiple states.
According to Steinke, the tornado sounded deafeningly loud and was extremely frightening.
"I could feel myself being sucked out the door," he said. "Believe it or not, I could feel the pressure of it pulling me."
If the tornado had veered slightly from its path, Steinke could have found himself in a drastically altered situation, with potentially severe consequences.
"I felt pretty confident it was staying away," he said. "I could see the path where it was going, staying across the field, going through the woods. If it would have jumped, I'd definitely quit videoing and ran to the basement right away."
For Steinke as he stood there watching the force of Mother Nature, his mind raced with a mix of fear and familiarity. Though he had seen something similar before, it had never been this close or this real.
THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF YOU ARE DRIVING AND THERE IS A TORNADO ON THE GROUND
"This is definitely closer than I ever wanted to be to a tornado, but I felt like I was safe, so I picked up my phone and started videoing," he said.
The tornado caused damage as it moved across the state, eventually heading towards nearby Indian Lake in a southeasterly direction. Logan County officials reported at least three dead there and several homes damaged.
"We’re heartbroken by the devastation that’s come upon the Indian Lake community in the last several hours," said Logan County Commissioner Joe Antram.
Local authorities said the extent of the damage will likely be unknown until the sun's first daylight but were using snowplows to remove debris from roadways.
During severe weather, FOX Weather meteorologists advise residents to take shelter. If you are not in the path of the tornado and feel secure, videos like Steinke's can assist the National Weather Service with their evaluation.