Lucas County, Ohio

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 39095 · population 431,225 · 340 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 724 records for Lucas County, Ohio from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 436 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (336 records). The deadliest single record is the April 11, 1965 tornado: 16 deaths and 207 injuries. FEMA has issued 16 declarations naming the county since 1965, 13 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
724on 436 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
24230 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$413Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
12strongest F4
FEMA declarations
16latest 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 Lucas County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 336 since 1956. 51% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1956 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.

Lucas County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 336 223 1956-2026 8 5 $6.9M 5 of 88
Hail 201 95 1966-2026 0 0 $3.3M 5 of 88
Floods 53 51 1996-2024 0 0 $108M 23 of 88
Winter storms 45 45 1996-2025 0 14 $18M 56 of 88
High wind and dust storms 44 41 1996-2021 0 0 $17M 8 of 88
Tornadoes 12 11 1965-2023 16 210 $251M 42 of 88
Extreme cold 10 10 1996-2022 0 0 $291K 15 of 88
Hurricanes and tropical storms 6 6 1997-1998 0 0 $1.1M 3 of 88
Drought 5 5 1996-1999 0 0 $7.1M 20 of 88
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 5 3 1997-2010 0 0 – 7 of 88
Heat 2 2 1999-1999 0 0 – 45 of 88
Heavy rain 2 2 1997-1998 0 0 $154K 34 of 88
Lightning 2 2 1999-1999 0 1 $266K 29 of 88
Rip currents and high surf 1 1 1998-1998 0 0 – 3 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 Lucas County had?

NOAA records 12 tornadoes in Lucas County from 1965 to 2023, the strongest rated F4, with 16 deaths and 210 injuries recorded in the county. That is 42nd 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 12 tornadoes whose track touched Lucas County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 12, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 18 people, 16 of them in Lucas County.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Lucas County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1965-04-11 20:30, as SPC files itToledoCrossed MI, OHF45.6 mi18

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Ohio.

Every tornado record filed for Lucas County (12)
Every tornado recorded in Lucas County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2023-06-15 Niles Beach, Lucas County EF0 0.24 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $5K
2023-06-15 National Airport, Lucas County EF2 3.81 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $170K
2018-07-31 Booth, Lucas County EF1 6.78 mi x 25 yd 0 0 $176K
2013-11-17 Booth, Lucas County EF2 4.24 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $1.4M
2011-04-19 South Shr Park, Lucas County EF0 0.78 mi x 25 yd 0 0 $262K
2010-06-05 Whitehouse, Lucas County EF1 3.4 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $102K
2008-04-11 Curtice, Lucas County EF1 5.25 mi x 35 yd 0 0 $274K
2000-05-09 Sylvania, Lucas County F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $257K
1992-07-12 Lucas County F2 5 mi x 200 yd 0 1 $2.5M step
1981-04-17 Lucas County F0 0.3 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $25K step
1980-04-08 Lucas County F2 0.8 mi x 127 yd 0 2 $2.5M step
1965-04-11 Lucas County F4 5.6 mi x 200 yd 16 207 $25M 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 Lucas County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 11, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

The 12 most recent records kept for Lucas County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-11 Thunderstorm WindSylvania, Lucas County 52 kt wind 0 0 $2K
2026-06-11 Thunderstorm WindSylvania, Lucas County 52 kt wind 0 0 $1K
2026-05-18 Thunderstorm WindMidway, Lucas County 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-05-18 Thunderstorm WindHolland, Lucas County 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-04-13 Thunderstorm WindLakeshore, Lucas County 60 kt wind 0 0 $7K
2026-03-31 Thunderstorm WindBailey, Lucas County 61 kt wind 0 0 $12K
2026-03-26 HailToledo, Lucas County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-03-26 HailIronville, Lucas County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-03-26 HailNeapolis, Lucas County 1.25 in hail 0 0 –
2026-03-26 HailToledo, Lucas County 0.75 in hail 0 0 –
2026-03-26 HailSylvania, Lucas County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-03-26 HailCentennial, Lucas County 1.00 in hail 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 Lucas County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1965-04-11 TornadoLucas County F4 5.6 mi x 200 yd 16 207 $25M step
1990-06-03 Thunderstorm WindLucas County 3 1 –
2019-07-02 Thunderstorm WindCrestview, Lucas County There was significant tree damage reported. Heavy industrial parts and storage containers were lifted and tossed in the air. A man in the town of Holland was killed when an uprooted tree fell on the car while he was sitting in the vehicle. 70 kt wind 1 0 $6K
2012-07-05 Thunderstorm WindSylvania, Lucas County Thunderstorm downburst winds of more than 70 mph caused considerable damage in Sylvania, Sylvania Township, Holland, Springfield Township and the west and south sides of Toledo. A mesonet site in Springfield Township recorded an 89 mph gust. Hundreds of trees were downed by the strong winds. Many homes and buildings ... 77 kt wind 1 0 $964K
1999-10-13 Thunderstorm WindToledo, Lucas County Thunderstorm winds estimated at 50 to 55 mph toppled a crane hoisting a 5,000 pound bucket of concrete onto the roof a building in downtown Toledo. A 50 year old male worker on the roof was crushed by the falling bucket of concrete. 1 0 $177K
1995-07-16 Thunderstorm WindToledo, Lucas County Large limbs were downed. A 28-year-old man was killed after he unknowningly touched a vehicle which was in contact with a live electric line which had been downed after tree limbs were blown down across the wires. M28VE 1 0 $6K
1992-09-09 Thunderstorm WindLucas County 1 0 –
1998-01-13 Winter WeatherCountywide, Lucas 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 12 –

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 Lucas County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2006-06-21 Flash FloodCountywide, Lucas County 0 0 $61M
2019-07-01 FloodToledo, Lucas County 0 0 $17M
2015-06-26 FloodBerkey, Lucas County 0 0 $11M
2008-09-14 High WindLucas County · forecast zone Lucas 52 kt wind 0 0 $11M
1999-09-01 DroughtLucas County · forecast zone Lucas 0 0 $7.1M
2000-07-29 Flash FloodCountywide, Lucas County 0 0 $6.0M
2008-07-02 Flash FloodMaumee, Lucas County 0 0 $3.4M
2002-01-30 Ice StormLucas County · forecast zone Lucas 0 0 $2.0M

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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 11, 1965 (tornado, Lucas County, 16 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 Lucas 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).

Lucas County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind310112158848267
Hail0481523696616
Floods––––2214611
Winter storms––––623115
High wind and dust storms––––1023101
Tornadoes01021242

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

What time of year?

51% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1956 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 28 · Feb 30 · Mar 51 · Apr 55 · May 107 · Jun 166 · Jul 124 · Aug 85 · Sep 23 · Oct 15 · Nov 21 · Dec 19 (records).

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

Federal disaster declarations for Lucas County

FEMA's register lists 16 declarations that include Lucas County: 10 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (5) and flood (3).

Declarations including Lucas County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2020-03-31DR-4507BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3457BiologicalCovid-19
2012-06-30EM-3346Severe StormSevere Storms
2006-07-02DR-1651Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight Line Winds, and Flooding
2005-09-13EM-3250HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2004-09-19DR-1556Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2003-09-23EM-3187OtherPower Outage
2000-08-21DR-1339Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
1992-08-04DR-951Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1978-01-26EM-3055SnowstormBlizzards & Snowstorms
1977-02-02EM-3029SnowstormSnowstorms
1974-05-31DR-436FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1973-04-27DR-377FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1972-11-24DR-362FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1969-07-15DR-266TornadoTornadoes, Severe Storms & Flooding
1965-04-14DR-191TornadoTornadoes & 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 Lucas County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 53 flood or flash flood records for Lucas County from 1996 to 2024, on 51 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Lucas County ranks 287th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $7.7 million on 1,201 claims filed in Lucas County; the most in one year was 161 in 2006. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1978: 60 · 1979: 7 · 1980: 101 · 1981: 98 · 1982: 82 · 1983: 21 · 1984: 17 · 1985: 94 · 1986: 20 · 1987: 6 · 1989: 17 · 1990: 15 · 1991: 4 · 1992: 5 · 1993: 2 · 1994: 1 · 1995: 2 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 24 · 1998: 49 · 1999: 1 · 2000: 108 · 2001: 2 · 2002: 12 · 2003: 3 · 2004: 3 · 2005: 10 · 2006: 161 · 2007: 4 · 2008: 43 · 2009: 43 · 2010: 3 · 2011: 28 · 2013: 12 · 2014: 20 · 2015: 77 · 2016: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 13 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 5 · 2021: 4 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 8; 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 Lucas County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lucas County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $111 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 Lucas County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Ice StormVery High$1.7M1.3 a year (modeled)
TornadoRelatively High$18Monce in about 4 years (modeled)
HailRelatively High$3.2M3.2 a year (modeled)
Riverine FloodingRelatively High$71M1.8 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively High$2.7M4.2 a year (modeled)
Cold WaveRelatively High$7.5M4.4 a year (modeled)
LightningRelatively High$1.1M39 a year (modeled)
Winter WeatherRelatively High$284K9.2 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 Lucas County

  1. Lucas County 724
  2. Lenawee County, MI 666
  3. Monroe County, MI 644
  4. Wood County 624
  5. Ottawa County 533
  6. Henry County 371
  7. Fulton County 360

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

Next