Muskingum County, Ohio

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 39119 · population 86,374 · 665 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 644 records for Muskingum County, Ohio from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 395 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (324 records). The deadliest single record is the March 10, 1986 tornado: 1 death and 3 injuries. FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1969, 16 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Landslides” on October 2, 2026.

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
644on 395 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
334 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$77Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
25strongest EF2
FEMA declarations
18latest 2026

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 Muskingum County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 324 since 1955. 55% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 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.

Muskingum County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 324 201 1955-2026 1 2 $4.0M 62 of 88
Hail 115 68 1967-2026 0 0 – 67 of 88
Floods 85 59 1996-2026 0 0 $45M 63 of 88
Winter storms 50 50 1996-2026 0 0 $18K 79 of 88
Tornadoes 25 20 1954-2024 1 32 $26M 45 of 88
High wind and dust storms 20 20 1997-2026 0 0 $1.2M 74 of 88
Extreme cold 10 10 2009-2025 0 0 – 43 of 88
Drought 8 8 1999-2024 0 0 – 31 of 88
Heavy rain 4 4 2012-2021 0 0 – 33 of 88
Lightning 2 2 1999-2012 1 0 $177K 44 of 88
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 1 1 2019-2019 0 0 – 48 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 Muskingum County had?

NOAA records 25 tornadoes in Muskingum County from 1954 to 2024, the strongest rated EF2, with 1 death and 32 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 25 tornadoes whose track touched Muskingum County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 25, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Muskingum County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1986-03-10 17:45, as SPC files itNew ConcordF25 mi1

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Ohio.

Every tornado record filed for Muskingum County (25)
Every tornado recorded in Muskingum County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2024-06-05 Frayszeburg, Muskingum County EF2 1.25 mi x 120 yd 0 8 –
2024-05-07 Frayszeburg, Muskingum County EF1 0.42 mi x 128 yd 0 0 $94K
2024-04-02 Mc Donald, Muskingum County EF1 0.54 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $9K
2024-04-02 Zanesville Parr Airport, Muskingum County EF1 8.16 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $941K
2024-04-02 Bloomfield, Muskingum County EF0 1.21 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $423K
2021-10-16 Chandlersville, Muskingum County EF1 1.37 mi x 350 yd 0 0 –
2019-06-24 Adams Mills, Muskingum County EF1 0.14 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $6K
2019-06-05 Frayszeburg, Muskingum County EF1 2.82 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2019-05-28 Roseville, Muskingum County EF1 0.31 mi x 750 yd 0 0 $58K
2014-08-11 Trinway, Muskingum County EF0 0.16 mi x 25 yd 0 0 $1K
1998-06-27 Zanesville, Muskingum County F1 2 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $36K
1998-06-27 Otsego, Muskingum County F1 2.5 mi x 150 yd 0 2 $453K
1986-03-10 Muskingum County F2 5 mi x 100 yd 1 3 $250K step
1985-05-31 Muskingum County F1 6.5 mi x 77 yd 0 5 $2.5M step
1981-06-13 Muskingum County F1 4.9 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $250K step
1981-06-13 Muskingum County F2 2.3 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $2.5M step
1981-04-13 Muskingum County F1 2 mi x 40 yd 0 0 $250K step
1976-07-11 Muskingum County F1 0.5 mi x 150 yd 0 0 –
1973-08-14 Muskingum County F2 12.5 mi x 33 yd 0 0 $25K step
1970-09-08 Muskingum County F1 0 0 $250K step
1968-06-25 Muskingum County F2 2.3 mi x 177 yd 0 5 $250K step
1965-11-16 Muskingum County F2 4.1 mi x 50 yd 0 5 $250K step
1958-07-22 Muskingum County F1 0 1 $25K step
1958-07-22 Muskingum County F2 12.6 mi x 33 yd 0 3 –
1954-06-26 Muskingum County F1 0 0 $25K 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 Muskingum County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 6, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

The 12 most recent records kept for Muskingum County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-06 HailDresden, Muskingum County 1.50 in hail 0 0 –
2026-06-06 HailOtsego, Muskingum County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-06-06 Thunderstorm WindBlack Run, Muskingum County 56 kt wind 0 0 $5K
2026-06-06 Thunderstorm WindFrayszeburg, Muskingum County 56 kt wind 0 0 $5K
2026-06-06 Thunderstorm WindOtsego, Muskingum County 56 kt wind 0 0 $5K
2026-06-06 Thunderstorm WindDresden, Muskingum County 56 kt wind 0 0 $5K
2026-06-06 Thunderstorm WindFrayszeburg, Muskingum County 50 kt wind 0 0 $3K
2026-05-24 Flash FloodCannelville, Muskingum County 0 0 $5K
2026-05-24 Flash FloodDuncan Falls, Muskingum County 0 0 $1K
2026-05-24 Flash FloodGaysport, Muskingum County 0 0 $2K
2026-03-22 HailEllis, Muskingum County 1.50 in hail 0 0 –
2026-03-16 Winter WeatherMuskingum County · forecast zone Muskingum 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 Muskingum County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1986-03-10 TornadoMuskingum County F2 5 mi x 100 yd 1 3 $250K step
2012-06-29 Thunderstorm WindFreeland, Muskingum County One woman was killed and another man injured when the barn they were in collapsed due to the straight line winds. They were checking on their animals when the barn collapsed. The man was able to escape. The woman was not. 60 kt wind 1 1 $51K
2012-07-03 LightningZanesville, Muskingum County A 60 year old man was struck and killed by lightning while standing under a tree. 1 0 –
2024-06-05 TornadoFrayszeburg, Muskingum County A strong tornado occurred during the overnight hours of June 6th in a strengthening convective cell as it descended on the west side of Frazeysburg in a cornfield. The tornado then knocked over a phone pole before removing the second story of a home on W 3rd Street and caused one of the load bearing walls to collapse. ... EF2 1.25 mi x 120 yd 0 8 –
1985-05-31 TornadoMuskingum County F1 6.5 mi x 77 yd 0 5 $2.5M step
1968-06-25 TornadoMuskingum County F2 2.3 mi x 177 yd 0 5 $250K step
1965-11-16 TornadoMuskingum County F2 4.1 mi x 50 yd 0 5 $250K step
1958-07-22 TornadoMuskingum County F2 12.6 mi x 33 yd 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 Muskingum County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1998-06-27 Flash FloodCountywide, Muskingum County 0 0 $43M
2011-04-20 Thunderstorm WindDuncan Falls, Muskingum County 65 kt wind 0 0 $1.3M
2024-04-02 TornadoZanesville Parr Airport, Muskingum County EF1 8.16 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $941K
2004-09-17 FloodMuskingum County · forecast zone Muskingum 0 0 $547K
1998-06-27 TornadoOtsego, Muskingum County F1 2.5 mi x 150 yd 0 2 $453K
2024-04-02 TornadoBloomfield, Muskingum County EF0 1.21 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $423K
2024-05-07 TornadoFrayszeburg, Muskingum County EF1 0.42 mi x 128 yd 0 0 $94K
2019-05-28 TornadoRoseville, Muskingum County EF1 0.31 mi x 750 yd 0 0 $58K

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 31, 1985 (tornado, Muskingum County); June 13, 1981 (tornado, Muskingum 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 Muskingum 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).

Muskingum County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind181323614572101
Hail021915193930
Floods––––14352016
Winter storms––––581423
Tornadoes32352046
High wind and dust storms––––1955

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

What time of year?

55% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 39 · Feb 32 · Mar 36 · Apr 56 · May 77 · Jun 181 · Jul 103 · Aug 59 · Sep 18 · Oct 9 · Nov 12 · Dec 22 (records).

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

Federal disaster declarations for Muskingum County

FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Muskingum County: 13 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (7) and flood (4).

Declarations including Muskingum County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2026-10-02DR-4945FloodSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Landslides
2020-03-31DR-4507BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3457BiologicalCovid-19
2019-06-18DR-4447TornadoSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslide
2019-04-08DR-4424FloodSevere Storms, Flooding, and Landslides
2018-04-17DR-4360FloodSevere Storms, Landslides, and Mudslides
2012-08-20DR-4077Severe StormSevere Storms and Straight-Line Winds
2012-06-30EM-3346Severe StormSevere Storms
2005-09-13EM-3250HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2005-02-15DR-1580Severe StormSevere Winter Storms, Flooding, and Mudslides
2004-09-19DR-1556Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2003-03-14DR-1453Severe StormSevere Winter Storm and Record/Near Record Snow
1998-06-30DR-1227Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes
1990-06-06DR-870Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1980-08-23DR-630FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
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 Muskingum County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 85 flood or flash flood records for Muskingum County from 1996 to 2026, on 59 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Muskingum County ranks 998th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.2 million on 182 claims filed in Muskingum County; the most in one year was 31 in 2005. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1978: 17 · 1979: 3 · 1980: 13 · 1981: 3 · 1982: 3 · 1985: 1 · 1986: 2 · 1990: 5 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 16 · 2000: 1 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 21 · 2005: 31 · 2008: 13 · 2011: 2 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2019: 6 · 2020: 6 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 6 · 2024: 7 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 10; 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 Muskingum County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Muskingum County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $29.4 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Muskingum County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Riverine FloodingRelatively Moderate$24M2 a year (modeled)
HailRelatively Moderate$841K3.1 a year (modeled)
Ice StormRelatively Moderate$250Konce in about 2 years (modeled)
LightningRelatively Moderate$499K44 a year (modeled)
DroughtRelatively Moderate$452K5.6 modeled event-days a year
Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate$115K9 a year (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively Moderate$758K1.6 a year (modeled)
LandslideRelatively Low$28K1.2 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 Muskingum County

  1. Licking County 753
  2. Muskingum County 644
  3. Perry County 551
  4. Coshocton County 543
  5. Guernsey County 510
  6. Morgan County 377
  7. Noble County 321

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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