Tim Klopfenstein and two friends survey the damage to a 113-year-old barn from Saturday’s tornado.
Jessica Orozco | The Lima News
WAPAKONETA — Collapsed barns, uprooted trees, scattered sheet metal and missing roofs.
Two days after an EF1 tornado struck Wapakoneta, the community is cleaning up damage to homes, barns and businesses.
According to the National Weather Service, the tornado touched down in Wapakoneta at around 12:54 a.m. and traveled 17.2 miles toward Waynesfield before lifting up near the Allen/Auglaize County line at 1:07 a.m. Wind speeds reached 110 mph.
An EF1 tornado is considered weak on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, but with winds speeds between 86 and 110 mph, it is often destructive. An EF2 is considered strong with wind speeds between 111 and 135 mph.
The National Weather Service reported seven injuries as a result of the storm and significant damage to property.
According to the NWS, the tornado first caused damage on Owl Creek Road, knocking two large trees down at one home and destroying a barn at another. It strengthened as it moved northeast, ripping off a portion of a warehouse’s roof and snapping power poles.
The tornado collapsed a large greenhouse, then crossed U.S. Route 35 and Interstate 75, damaging a roof and collapsing part of a wall to an industrial building, according to the NWS. It was here that winds reached 110 mph.
Continuing northeast, the storm damaged several farmhouses and other buildings between Wapakoneta and Uniopolis, according to the NWS. Trees were knocked down and uprooted along the tornado’s path to the county line before it appeared to lift.
Crews are working in Wapakoneta to restore power, including by removing tree branches and other debris from power lines.
On Brown Road, Tim Klopfenstein’s 113-year-old barn was severely damaged as the tornado tore through his property.
Klopfenstein said when his phone went off early Saturday morning, he and his wife thought it was an Amber Alert.
“It wasn’t five minutes later that we heard this howl like I can’t explain to you,” Klopfenstein said.
He said the two rushed to the basement and on the way downstairs they heard a snap — which he now knows was the sound of the tornado taking parts of the barn. Klopfenstein said he was lucky that the storm only caused minor damages to his home — a broken window, missing siding and missing roof shingles.
The Klopfensteins have steers that survived the storm.
Klopfenstein said friends, neighbors and volunteers are helping clean and repair the damage to his property. He said he couldn’t clean up without them.
Michael Kreitzer, who lives on Middle Pike, said his phone saved his life on Saturday. He said he heard the sirens, grabbed some personal items and his cat, Luna, and headed to the basement.
Kreitzer said while he was in the basement he was sure his home would collapse under the wind. But when the tornado passed and he went upstairs, Kreitzer said he saw his stove light on and assumed there wasn’t much damage — after all, he still had electricity.
Kreitzer said he couldn’t open his bedroom door and wasn’t sure why. He now knows that the roof partially collapsed, blocking the door.
When it became light outside, Kreitzer said he surveyed the damage — the roof and a wall to his bedroom collapsed, three barns containing sentimental items destroyed, another barn cracked, trees downed and strewn across the yard, nails, glass and personal items everywhere.
Kreitzer said other damages to the home are minor, and he is grateful it is still livable — although sleeping in a recliner isn’t the most comfortable, he is happy to have his house.
Kreitzer pays a man to farm beans and corn on the 188-acre property, and there was no equipment in the barns save for a tractor in the barn still standing that is now trapped under debris. He said he will work with him to clean up the property, including figuring out how to dispose of large pieces of wood, without incurring a large bill.
The man said he is working with contractors to protect the holes in his home before rain and high winds hit this week.
Several family heirlooms and pieces of history were destroyed in the storm, but some — like a 1900s-era buggy — were saved.
“I’m just glad I survived to my 68th birthday,” Kreitzer said, whose birthday is Monday.
