Monroe County, Ohio
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 39111 · population 13,379 · 456 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 297 records for Monroe County, Ohio from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 222 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (113 records). The deadliest single record is the February 5, 2008 lightning: 1 death. FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1968, 20 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides” on April 8, 2019.
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
- 297on 222 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 21 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $38Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 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 Monroe County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 113 since 1967. 56% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1967 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 | 113 | 91 | 1967-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 87 of 88 |
| Floods | 75 | 57 | 1996-2024 | 1 | 0 | $34M | 39 of 88 |
| Hail | 41 | 30 | 1974-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 85 of 88 |
| Winter storms | 38 | 38 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $18K | 74 of 88 |
| High wind and dust storms | 10 | 10 | 2001-2022 | 0 | 0 | $356K | 86 of 88 |
| Drought | 8 | 8 | 1999-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 88 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2014-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 54 of 88 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1969-2024 | 0 | 1 | $2.5M | 87 of 88 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2018-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 of 88 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 1 | 0 | – | 59 of 88 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 38 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 Monroe County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Monroe County from 1969 to 2024, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 1 injury 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Monroe County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Ohio.
Every tornado record filed for Monroe County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-02-28 | Miltonsburg, Monroe County | EF2 4.05 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $470K |
| 1990-06-22 | Monroe County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1969-05-08 | Monroe County | F1 1 mi x 67 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 Monroe County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 6, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindMiltonsburg, Monroe County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-03-11 | Thunderstorm WindHamilton, Monroe County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindHillton, Monroe County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindLewisville, Monroe County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindBenwood, Monroe County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindKerr, Monroe County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2025-04-19 | Thunderstorm WindLebanon, Monroe County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-01-20 | Cold/Wind ChillMonroe County · forecast zone Monroe | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-10 | Winter WeatherMonroe County · forecast zone Monroe | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-02-28 | TornadoMiltonsburg, Monroe County | EF2 4.05 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $470K |
| 2022-06-16 | Thunderstorm WindStafford, Monroe County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-02-05 | LightningLewisville, Monroe County | 1 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-02-05 | LightningLewisville, Monroe County Emergency management reported lightning struck and killed a 60 year old man out tending cows in an open field in Lewisville. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1996-07-19 | Flash FloodRinard Mills, Monroe County A four-year old boy was swept into the flood waters of the Little Muskingum River and drowned after severe thunderstorms dropped heavy rains across southern Monroe County.Route 26 and other nearby roads were also flooded. Flood waters, along the Little Muskingum River near Rinard Mills, receded around 12 midnight EST. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-02-28 | TornadoMiltonsburg, Monroe County A NWS Storm Survey confirmed an EF-2 tornado tracked roughly 4 miles from Miltonsburg to Ozark in Monroe County. The tornado was embedded within a wider swath of straight-line wind damage. Maximum wind gusts were near 120mph. There was widespread tree damage and many outbuildings were affected. The most significant ... | EF2 4.05 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $470K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-06-27 | Flash FloodCountywide, Monroe County | 0 | 0 | $27M | |
| 1997-03-01 | Flash FloodWoodsfield, Monroe County | 0 | 0 | $5.5M | |
| 2004-09-17 | FloodMonroe County · forecast zone Monroe | 0 | 0 | $484K | |
| 2025-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindHillton, Monroe County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-04-19 | Thunderstorm WindLebanon, Monroe County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: May 8, 1969 (tornado, Monroe 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 Monroe 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 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 32 | 27 | 27 | 20 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 19 | 23 | 21 | 12 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 14 | 7 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 5 | 11 | 16 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
56% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1967 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 36 · Feb 29 · Mar 18 · Apr 19 · May 27 · Jun 62 · Jul 48 · Aug 21 · Sep 11 · Oct 4 · Nov 9 · Dec 13 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Monroe County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Monroe County: 18 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (10) and flood (7).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-03-31 | DR-4507 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3457 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-04-08 | DR-4424 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2018-04-17 | DR-4360 | Flood | Severe Storms, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2012-08-20 | DR-4077 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2012-06-30 | EM-3346 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms |
| 2011-07-13 | DR-4002 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-13 | EM-3250 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-02-15 | DR-1580 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2004-09-19 | DR-1556 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2004-01-26 | DR-1507 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides |
| 2003-08-01 | DR-1484 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Flooding, Severe Storms, and High Winds |
| 2003-03-14 | DR-1453 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Record/Near Record Snow |
| 1998-06-30 | DR-1227 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 1997-03-04 | DR-1164 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1996-06-24 | DR-1122 | Flood | Flooding |
| 1996-01-27 | DR-1097 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1990-06-06 | DR-870 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1980-08-23 | DR-630 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1978-01-26 | EM-3055 | Snowstorm | Blizzards & Snowstorms |
| 1972-07-19 | DR-345 | Flood | Tropical Storm Agnes |
| 1968-06-05 | DR-243 | Flood | Heavy Rains & 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 Monroe County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 75 flood or flash flood records for Monroe County from 1996 to 2024, on 57 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Monroe County ranks 1272nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.2 million on 108 claims filed in Monroe County; the most in one year was 52 in 2004. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 1 · 1979: 2 · 1980: 4 · 1981: 2 · 1984: 2 · 1985: 1 · 1987: 1 · 1994: 1 · 1996: 4 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 21 · 1999: 1 · 2001: 2 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 52 · 2005: 8 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2024: 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 Monroe County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Monroe County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $44K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $516K | 44 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $127K | 6.7 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.9M | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $48K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $123K | 2.7 a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $86K | once in about 44 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $71K | once in about 1,326 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Monroe 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 Monroe CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Monroe County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis