Tornado Damages National Museum of U.S. Air Force’s Restoration Hangar

The storage hangar is one of three WWII-era structures located on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.

Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 02:33 PM ET

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The damaged facility—known as Restoration Hangar 4—is one of three historic buildings in Area B of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. [Credit: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

An EF1 tornado struck Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, damaging a historic World War II hangar and several other base buildings.
The affected hangar, Restoration Hangar 4, is used by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force for artifact restoration, and several aircraft and a missile system sustained damage from flying debris.
The damaged hangars hold significant historical value, having been constructed during WWII and used for modifying B-29s for the atomic mission.
The public exhibition areas of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force were not damaged, and base officials are prioritizing safety and damage assessment.

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A historic World War II hangar belonging to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and several other buildings at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, were damaged by a tornado, according to the U.S. Air Force.

The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that around 4:37 a.m. EST, an EF1 tornado first developed in Montgomery County, south of the air base near Dayton. In neighboring Greene County, where Wright-Patterson AFB is located, high winds ripped sheet metal off the hangar used by the museum for restoration.