EF1 Tornado Damages Historic Hangar and Aircraft at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

A tornado with winds of 100 mph hit Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, causing significant damage to a historic hangar and several planes undergoing restoration.

• An EF1 tornado developed early Wednesday morning in Montgomery County, Ohio, and caused damage to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, including a historic World War II hangar.
• The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force's Restoration Hangar 4 and several other buildings on the base were damaged, with some planes in the process of being restored taking damage due to flying debris.
• No injuries were reported, and the museum's public area was not affected by the storm.
• Colonel Travis Pond, 88th Air Base Wing and installation commander, praised the quick response of security forces, fire department, and civil engineer airmen for their efforts in damage assessment and restoration.
• The damaged hangar, known for modifying B-29s for the atomic mission during WWII, is used for storage of artifacts awaiting restoration, some of which sustained minor damage.

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