Huron County, Ohio

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 39077 · population 58,532 · 492 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 602 records for Huron County, Ohio from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 409 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (292 records). The deadliest single record is the May 10, 1973 tornado: 5 deaths and 100 injuries. FEMA has issued 14 declarations naming the county since 1969, 11 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms” on June 30, 2012.

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
602on 409 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
9134 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$152Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
37strongest F3
FEMA declarations
14latest 2020

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 Huron County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 292 since 1963. 48% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1963 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.

Huron County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 292 214 1963-2026 0 10 $8.6M 23 of 88
Hail 126 86 1963-2026 0 0 $371K 21 of 88
High wind and dust storms 45 43 1996-2024 0 0 $10M 16 of 88
Floods 40 33 1996-2024 1 0 $46M 72 of 88
Tornadoes 37 28 1972-2025 6 114 $39M 10 of 88
Winter storms 37 37 1996-2022 0 6 $19M 80 of 88
Extreme cold 12 12 1996-2022 0 0 $334K 21 of 88
Drought 5 5 1996-1999 0 0 $27M 38 of 88
Lightning 4 4 1997-2008 2 4 $184K 20 of 88
Heat 2 2 1999-1999 0 0 – 61 of 88
Heavy rain 2 2 1996-1997 0 0 $63K 54 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 Huron County had?

NOAA records 37 tornadoes in Huron County from 1972 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 6 deaths and 114 injuries recorded in the county. That is 10th of 88 Ohio counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 38 tornadoes whose track touched Huron County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 37: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 7 people, 6 of them in Huron County.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Huron County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1973-05-10 15:40, as SPC files itWillardF350.1 mi6
1986-03-10 16:03, as SPC files itWillardF28 mi1

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Ohio.

Every tornado record filed for Huron County (37)
Every tornado recorded in Huron County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2025-06-18 East Townsend, Huron County EF1 7.98 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $20K
2024-06-29 Centerton, Huron County EF0 0.17 mi x 25 yd 0 0 –
2023-06-15 Boughtonville, Huron County EF1 4.03 mi x 250 yd 0 0 $58K
2023-06-15 Steuben, Huron County EF0 0.66 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $5K
2023-06-15 Peru, Huron County EF0 1.64 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $5K
2023-06-15 Olena, Huron County EF1 8.63 mi x 1,100 yd 0 0 $160K
2023-06-15 Monroeville, Huron County EF2 8.7 mi x 2,200 yd 0 0 $262K
2022-05-03 Hunts Corner, Huron County EF1 0.43 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $50K
2022-03-23 Celeryville, Huron County EF0 0.81 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $5K
2019-08-06 Norwalk, Huron County EF1 1.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2017-11-05 West Clarksfield, Huron County EF1 1.83 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $301K
2017-11-05 Fitchville, Huron County EF0 3.25 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $150K
2017-11-05 Peru, Huron County EF1 2.96 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $241K
2017-11-05 Steuben, Huron County EF0 0.59 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $241K
2013-07-10 Weavers Corners, Huron County EF0 4.09 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $63K
2011-05-25 Monroeville, Huron County EF1 7.96 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $328K
2003-07-10 Collins, Huron County F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd 0 0 $64K
2002-11-10 Hunts Corner, Huron County F1 7.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $1.3M
2000-09-20 Monroeville, Huron County F2 1.5 mi x 100 yd 0 1 $454K
1999-07-09 New London, Huron County F1 0 0 $177K
1998-07-21 Willard, Huron County F0 9 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $181K
1994-09-30 Norwalk, Huron County F1 0.2 mi x 25 yd 0 0 $100K
1992-07-12 Huron County F2 0.5 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $25K step
1991-05-30 Huron County F1 6 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $250K step
1989-11-27 Huron County F2 15 mi x 73 yd 0 1 $2.5M step
1986-05-15 Huron County F0 1 mi x 73 yd 0 0 $25K step
1986-03-10 Huron County F2 8 mi x 200 yd 1 10 $2.5M step
1983-05-02 Huron County F2 2 mi x 50 yd 0 2 $250K step
1978-06-26 Huron County F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $25K step
1977-06-30 Huron County F2 0.7 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $250K step
1977-06-30 Huron County F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $250K step
1976-04-25 Huron County F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $3K step
1975-09-05 Huron County F1 10.2 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $25K step
1973-06-26 Huron County F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $250 step
1973-06-26 Huron County F1 0.5 mi x 17 yd 0 0 $250 step
1973-05-10 Huron County F3 11 mi x 50 yd 5 100 $2.5M step
1972-08-17 Huron County F2 2.8 mi x 183 yd 0 0 $250K step

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 Huron County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 14, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

The 12 most recent records kept for Huron County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-17 Thunderstorm WindWillard, Huron County 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-06-14 Thunderstorm WindMilan, Huron County 52 kt wind 0 0 $1K
2026-04-15 HailPeru, Huron County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-14 Thunderstorm WindGreenwich, Huron County 55 kt wind 0 0 $1K
2026-03-31 Thunderstorm WindEast Townsend, Huron County 61 kt wind 0 0 $3K
2025-06-25 Thunderstorm WindPeru, Huron County 61 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-06-24 Thunderstorm WindHartland Center, Huron County 55 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-06-18 Thunderstorm WindWakeman, Huron County 60 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-06-18 Thunderstorm WindWakeman, Huron County 70 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-06-18 Thunderstorm WindHartland Station, Huron County 60 kt wind 0 0 –
2025-06-18 Thunderstorm WindOlena, Huron County 61 kt wind 0 0 $20K
2025-06-18 Thunderstorm WindPeru, Huron County 60 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

Records with deaths or injuries in Huron County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1973-05-10 TornadoHuron County F3 11 mi x 50 yd 5 100 $2.5M step
1986-03-10 TornadoHuron County F2 8 mi x 200 yd 1 10 $2.5M step
2008-06-26 LightningWakeman, Huron County A married couple was struck by lightning while standing outside of their rural Huron County home. The husband was temporarily knocked unconscious and sustained burns to his ankle. His 51 year old wife was also knocked unconscious. She was taken to a nearby hospital where she died early the next day. Witnesses stated ... 1 1 –
2011-02-28 Flash FloodNorwalk, Huron County A motorist on South Norwalk Road entered flooded waters of a tributary of the Huron River, Cole Creek, in the town of Norwalk. The car was washed into the creek where the driver was killed. Witness report water depths of 2 to 3 feet over the bridge at time of incident. 1 0 –
1999-06-11 LightningWakeman, Huron County A 59 year old man man was struck by lightning bolt that traveled through a nearby tree. The man had been camping and was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. 1 0 –
2000-08-06 Thunderstorm WindWillard, Huron County A thunderstorm downburst with winds estimated around 100 mph moved east along US Highway 224 in southern Huron County. Many trees were downed in Willard with the first significant damage occurring in New Haven Township just southeast of Willard where a mobile home was destroyed along State Route 61. The damage path ... 0 6 $600K
1998-01-13 Winter WeatherCountywide, Huron County A combination of occasional rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow, particularly on Tuesday the 13th, caused icy roads, bridges, sidewalks and other exposed surfaces. Many schools were closed. Hospital emergency rooms treated numerous ice related injuries (mostly from slips and falls). Even salt trucks had trouble ... 0 4 –
2000-06-16 LightningWillard, Huron County A 56 year woman and two 14 year old boys were struck by lightning at Willard High School during a track meet. The woman received only minor injuries, but both boys were hospitalized overnight. 0 3 –

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.

The costliest records in Huron County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2006-06-22 FloodCountywide, Huron County 0 0 $28M
1999-09-01 DroughtHuron County · forecast zone Huron 0 0 $27M
2006-06-21 Flash FloodCountywide, Huron County 0 0 $12M
2004-12-22 Winter StormHuron County · forecast zone Huron 0 0 $8.0M
2005-01-05 Ice StormHuron County · forecast zone Huron 0 0 $6.6M
1998-08-25 Flash FloodCountywide, Huron County 0 0 $1.8M
2002-11-10 TornadoHunts Corner, Huron County F1 7.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $1.3M
2003-08-21 Thunderstorm WindStrongs Ridge, Huron County 61 kt wind 0 0 $1.3M

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: May 10, 1973 (tornado, Huron County, 5 killed); March 10, 1986 (tornado, Huron County, 1 killed); November 27, 1989 (tornado, Huron County).

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 Huron 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).

Huron County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind0183160757245
Hail0241813502712
High wind and dust storms––––132291
Floods––––171157
Tornadoes00945379
Winter storms––––61885

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

48% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1963 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 28 · Feb 26 · Mar 36 · Apr 45 · May 88 · Jun 135 · Jul 100 · Aug 63 · Sep 25 · Oct 10 · Nov 27 · Dec 19 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Huron County

FEMA's register lists 14 declarations that include Huron County: 6 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (5) and snowstorm (4).

Declarations including Huron County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2020-03-31DR-4507BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3457BiologicalCovid-19
2012-06-30EM-3346Severe StormSevere Storms
2008-04-24EM-3286SnowstormRecord Snow and Near Record Snow
2006-07-02DR-1651Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight Line Winds, and Flooding
2005-09-13EM-3250HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2005-02-15DR-1580Severe StormSevere Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides
2005-01-11EM-3198SnowstormSnow
2004-09-19DR-1556Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2003-09-23EM-3187OtherPower Outage
2002-11-18DR-1444Severe StormSevere Storms and Tornadoes
1978-01-26EM-3055SnowstormBlizzards & Snowstorms
1977-02-02EM-3029SnowstormSnowstorms
1969-07-15DR-266TornadoTornadoes, Severe Storms & Flooding

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 Huron County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 40 flood or flash flood records for Huron County from 1996 to 2024, on 33 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Huron County ranks 1478th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $801,000 on 71 claims filed in Huron County; the most in one year was 13 in 2006. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1978: 3 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 2 · 1982: 4 · 1985: 1 · 1986: 1 · 1987: 2 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 2 · 1992: 1 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 6 · 2004: 2 · 2006: 13 · 2007: 4 · 2008: 7 · 2009: 2 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 7 · 2012: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2014: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 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 Huron County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Huron County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $16.6 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Huron County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
LightningRelatively High$1.2M40 a year (modeled)
HailRelatively Moderate$810K3.7 a year (modeled)
Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate$172K9.6 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively Moderate$1.1M2.3 a year (modeled)
Ice StormRelatively Moderate$195Konce in about 2 years (modeled)
TornadoRelatively Moderate$2.3Monce in about 4 years (modeled)
Riverine FloodingRelatively Low$9.4M1.1 a year (modeled)
Cold WaveRelatively Low$940K4.3 a year (modeled)

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Huron County

  1. Lorain County 940
  2. Richland County 685
  3. Huron County 602
  4. Erie County 561
  5. Seneca County 558
  6. Ashland County 544
  7. Sandusky County 497
  8. Crawford County 437

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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