Possible Wood Co. tornado

PERRYSBURG - Tornado sirens had residents on edge in parts of Wood County and Northwest Ohio as a severe storm front moved through the area.

There was no confirmed tornado touchdown here in northern Wood County, where a funnel cloud was reported near Perrysburg around 7:30 p.m. in the vicinity of the Bass Pro Shop at Interstate 75 and Ohio 795.

Tornado warnings were issued earlier in the evening, around 6 p.m., for parts of Northwest Ohio after a funnel cloud was reported near the Ohio/Indiana line as the storm tracked northeast. Doppler radar also indicated rotation in the storm cells and the potential for a tornado.

Wood County Emergency Management Agency Director Bradley Gilbert said there were no reports of significant property damage or evidence of an actual tornado here in the county.

"We'll check today for damage, but I haven't received any confirmation of any tornado touchdown," Gilbert said this morning.

Gilbert's big concern now is potential flooding that could affect communities along the Maumee and Portage rivers later this week, particularly the towns of Grand Rapids in western Wood County and Pemberville on the eastern side.

Grand Rapids straddles the Maumee River, and Pemberville is along the Portage River. Both downtown business districts could be in danger of flooding if heavy rains move through the area throughout the day Tuesday as is being predicted by the National Weather Service.

"My concern is the potential for heavy rain tomorrow and the businesses in both of those communities," Gilbert said. "I want them to be on alert for potential flooding."

A flood warning remains in effect for this area, according to the National Weather Service. The NWS also is predicting as much as 1 1⁄2 inches of new rainfall throughout Tuesday. Showers are expected to begin sometime after 2 a.m. Tuesday and continue throughout the day and into the night. Showers are expected again on Wednesday morning.

That means the middle of this week could turn treacherous along the rivers, not to mention flooding of ditches and some rural roadways around the county.

Sunday's storm caused some minor flooding throughout the area.

Here in Wood County, there were reports of high water and some roads flooding around Pemberville and also other areas, including Kramer Road and Bloomdale Road near the Portage River. The Wood County Sheriff's Office also received reports of high water at Eagleville and Bushey roads near North Baltimore, in the Rudolph and Portage village areas, and along the 23000 block of Euler Road near Weston.

The Ohio Department of Transportation, District Two, Monday morning reported some state highways closed due to high water in Seneca and Sandusky counties, but no such state highway closures here in Wood County.

Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn said that aside from the heavy rains, it appears the worst of Sunday's storm, at least in terms of wind damage, occurred farther west and north of Wood County.

Defiance County on Sunday night was reporting property damage that may have been caused by a possible tornado touchdown. The city of Toledo in Lucas County also experienced high winds and heavy rains as the storm moved through Sunday evening.

"We really were fortunate the worst of it went north of us," Wasylyshyn said.

( The BG Sentinel-Tribune is a FOXToledo.com media affiliate)