Delaware County, Ohio
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 39041 · population 213,208 · 443 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 603 records for Delaware County, Ohio from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 426 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (265 records). The deadliest single record is the April 11, 1965 tornado: 4 deaths and 35 injuries. FEMA has issued 15 declarations naming the county since 1965, 13 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Tornadoes” on May 2, 2024.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 603on 426 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 648 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $164Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 14strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 15latest 2024
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Delaware County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 265 since 1966. 57% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1966 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among Ohio's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 265 | 176 | 1966-2026 | 0 | 5 | $2.6M | 34 of 88 |
| Winter storms | 124 | 124 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 4 | $990K | 19 of 88 |
| Hail | 95 | 67 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 0 | $104M | 33 of 88 |
| Floods | 72 | 49 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $740K | 45 of 88 |
| High wind and dust storms | 15 | 14 | 2000-2026 | 2 | 1 | $25M | 70 of 88 |
| Tornadoes | 14 | 13 | 1958-2024 | 4 | 38 | $28M | 49 of 88 |
| Heat | 5 | 5 | 1999-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 of 88 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 4 | 2011-2013 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 19 of 88 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 4 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $806K | 69 of 88 |
| Drought | 2 | 2 | 1999-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | 64 of 88 |
| Lightning | 2 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 58 of 88 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Delaware County had?
NOAA records 14 tornadoes in Delaware County from 1958 to 2024, the strongest rated F2, with 4 deaths and 38 injuries recorded in the county. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 15 tornadoes whose track touched Delaware County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 14: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 4 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-11 22:30, as SPC files it | Magnetic Springs to Fulton | F2 | 22.2 mi | 4 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Ohio.
Every tornado record filed for Delaware County (14)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-06-05 | East Liberty, Delaware County | EF0 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2024-04-17 | Harlem, Delaware County | EF1 0.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 2024-03-14 | Stratford, Delaware County | EF1 16.79 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $941K |
| 2024-03-14 | Ostrander, Delaware County | EF1 3.88 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $47K |
| 2020-09-07 | Kilbourne, Delaware County | EF0 3.21 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2016-08-20 | Delaware County | EF0 3.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2014-02-21 | Kilbourne, Delaware County | EF0 0.13 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $125K |
| 2013-06-13 | Radnor, Delaware County | EF0 0.21 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $260K |
| 2010-09-16 | Galena, Delaware County | EF0 0.12 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2000-09-20 | Harlem, Delaware County | F2 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $1.7M |
| 1997-08-17 | Sunbury, Delaware County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $92K |
| 1978-04-19 | Delaware County | F1 6.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1965-04-11 | Delaware County | F2 12.3 mi x 400 yd | 4 | 35 | $2.5M step |
| 1958-08-14 | Delaware County | F1 | 0 | 1 | – |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Delaware County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 6, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($3,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindPowell, Delaware County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-06-06 | HailHarlem, Delaware County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-06 | HailAfrica, Delaware County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindLewis Center, Delaware County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $250 |
| 2026-06-06 | HailShawnee Hills, Delaware County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-23 | FloodRadnor, Delaware County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-23 | FloodOstrander, Delaware County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindDelaware County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2026-04-22 | HailPowell, Delaware County | 0.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-22 | HailAfrica, Delaware County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-13 | Strong WindDelaware County · forecast zone Delaware | 39 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-13 | High WindDelaware County · forecast zone Delaware | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-11 | TornadoDelaware County | F2 12.3 mi x 400 yd | 4 | 35 | $2.5M step |
| 2008-09-14 | High WindDelaware County · forecast zone Delaware Strong winds of 40 to 50 miles per hour were sustained for several hours. Gusts over 60 mph were common. Widespread damage occurred across the region, from trees being blown down on powerlines, to significant crop losses and structural damage. A man was electrocuted at the Scioto juvenile correctional facility while ... | 50 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $25M |
| 2023-03-25 | High WindDelaware County · forecast zone Delaware During a fishing tournament on Hoover Reservoir Lake, a boat capsized with two men on board. One of the men did not resurface and was found the next day. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2011-02-01 | Ice StormDelaware County · forecast zone Delaware Three quarters of an inch of ice was measured in Delaware. Two separate couples were taken to area hospitals and treated for carbon monoxide poisoning at local hospitals. They were both running generators due to power outages from the storm, one in an enclosed garage. | 0 | 4 | – | |
| 2017-07-22 | Thunderstorm WindTroyton, Delaware County A camper trailer was overturned at Delaware State Park. A tree also fell onto a tent of campers. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 3 | $6K |
| 2000-09-20 | TornadoHarlem, Delaware County A tornado touched down in the southeastern part of the county, along Harlem road and then raced rapidly eastward to the Licking county line. Two high tension power line towers were bent over and 14 houses were either damaged or destroyed. | F2 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $1.7M |
| 2010-09-16 | Thunderstorm WindPowell, Delaware County Trees were reported down around the area due to damaging thunderstorm winds. A portion of the roof was peeled off of the Olentangy High School gym. One woman was injured when a tree fell onto her home causing severe damage to the roof. The woman was taken to a nearby hospital for possible concussion. | 61 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $54K |
| 1994-07-07 | Thunderstorm WindDelaware County Trees and limbs were downed, at least one falling on a house. Outbuildings were damaged. A 36 year-old man had to be hospitalized after lightning hit the barn he was in as he sat in a metal chair. | 0 | 1 | $10K |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-04-20 | HailPowell, Delaware County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $104M |
| 2000-09-20 | TornadoHarlem, Delaware County | F2 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $1.7M |
| 1996-07-18 | LightningDelaware County | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 1994-07-02 | Thunderstorm WindAshley, Delaware County | 0 | 0 | $995K | |
| 2004-06-15 | Flash FloodDelaware County | 0 | 0 | $391K | |
| 2013-06-13 | TornadoRadnor, Delaware County | EF0 0.21 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $260K |
| 2014-02-21 | TornadoKilbourne, Delaware County | EF0 0.13 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $125K |
| 1997-08-17 | TornadoSunbury, Delaware County | F0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $92K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 11, 1965 (tornado, Delaware County, 4 killed).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Delaware County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 6 | 7 | 18 | 51 | 47 | 70 | 66 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 9 | 22 | 65 | 28 |
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 21 | 19 | 29 | 13 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 24 | 32 | 12 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 9 | 2 | 4 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
57% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1966 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 47 · Feb 38 · Mar 40 · Apr 43 · May 62 · Jun 116 · Jul 119 · Aug 42 · Sep 34 · Oct 3 · Nov 23 · Dec 36 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Delaware County
FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Delaware County: 9 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (6) and tornado (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-02 | DR-4777 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
| 2020-03-31 | DR-4507 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3457 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2012-06-30 | EM-3346 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms |
| 2008-10-24 | DR-1805 | Severe Storm | Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike |
| 2008-04-24 | EM-3286 | Snowstorm | Record Snow and Near Record Snow |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3250 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-02-15 | DR-1580 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2005-01-11 | EM-3198 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2004-09-19 | DR-1556 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2004-06-03 | DR-1519 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2003-03-14 | DR-1453 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Record/Near Record Snow |
| 1978-01-26 | EM-3055 | Snowstorm | Blizzards & Snowstorms |
| 1974-04-04 | DR-421 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
| 1965-04-14 | DR-191 | Tornado | Tornadoes & Severe Storms |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Delaware County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 72 flood or flash flood records for Delaware County from 1996 to 2026, on 49 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Delaware County ranks 1300th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $995,000 on 101 claims filed in Delaware County; the most in one year was 9 in 2005. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 4 · 1980: 7 · 1981: 1 · 1987: 4 · 1989: 2 · 1990: 8 · 1991: 1 · 1995: 1 · 1997: 4 · 1998: 1 · 2000: 1 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 5 · 2005: 9 · 2007: 5 · 2008: 3 · 2009: 1 · 2011: 4 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 5 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 4 · 2016: 8 · 2017: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 9 · 2021: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2025: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Delaware County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Delaware County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $69.4 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $603K | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $1.2M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $2.9M | 3.3 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $49M | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $7.4M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 44 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $2.1M | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $2.2M | 3.6 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Delaware County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in OhioEvery Ohio tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in OhioThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Ohio recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Delaware CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Delaware County's FEMA declarations (CSV)15 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis