Ohio high wind and dust storms

Every recorded high wind record since 1996 · 88 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 2,516 high wind and dust records in Ohio from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 80 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the September 14, 2008 high wind: 5 deaths, 2 injuries and $741 million in damage in 2025 dollars across 32 records. Ohio ranks 21st of 52 states and territories by count and 17th of 51 per square mile.

High wind and dust storms in Ohio, 1996 to 2026

Wind records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.

recorded, no damage figure
under $1 million
$1 million or more
$10 million or more
$100 million or more, or 10 deaths
$1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
a year with a death

Records: 2,5161996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000: 80average
Deaths: 2284 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars: $1.1Bas filed
Busiest year: 2001183 records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.

Are high wind and dust records common in Ohio?

Ohio averages about 80 high wind and dust records a year since 2000, 21st of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2001 (183). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Ohio records 616 high wind and dust records since 1996, 17th of 51 states and territories by that measure.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.

Which counties in Ohio have the most high wind and dust records?

Per square mile, Lake County leads Ohio: 66 days with a high wind record since 1996, 287.7 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Geauga County has the most wind records (109 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).

Lake County 287.7 (70)
Ottawa County 192.4 (54)
Erie County 191.0 (49)
Geauga County 164.8 (109)
Cuyahoga County 157.5 (92)
Summit County 130.8 (99)
Lorain County 126.4 (78)
Lucas County 120.7 (44)
Sandusky County 107.8 (44)
Mahoning County 104.5 (44)
Medina County 102.0 (43)
Holmes County 97.0 (41)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.

When is the windy season in Ohio?

Ohio's high wind and dust records by month. The busiest month is December (487 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 228 · Feb 421 · Mar 468 · Apr 228 · May 89 · Jun 3 · Jul 5 · Aug 6 · Sep 136 · Oct 168 · Nov 277 · Dec 487 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

What were the deadliest high wind and dust records in Ohio?

Ohio: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
Date	Record	Character	Killed	Injured	Damage
2008-09-14	High WindPreble County · forecast zone Preble One storm episode: 32 records in 32 places; the totals are the episode's. The remnants of hurricane Ike raced northeast through the midwest and merged with a frontal boundary across the lower Ohio Valley Sunday morning. Abundant sunshine promoted deep mixing of the atmosphere, and warm, dry air aloft translated down to the surface. Gusty winds in excess of 70 mph persisted for a period of ...	58 kt wind	5	2	$741M
2002-03-09	High WindSummit County · forecast zone Summit One storm episode: 21 records in 21 places; the totals are the episode's. A strong and very fast moving cold front raced east across northern Ohio during the late afternoon and early evening hours. Damaging winds occurred along and behind this front. A 41 year old male was struck and killed by a falling tree in Lorain (Lorain County). A second fatality occurred in Cuyahoga Falls (Summit ...	54 kt wind	2	8	$12M
2008-09-14	High WindLorain County · forecast zone Lorain One storm episode: 29 records in 28 places; the totals are the episode's. At daybreak on September 14th, the remnants of Hurricane Ike were centered over southeastern Missouri. This low moved rapidly northeast during the day reaching Northwest Ohio during the afternoon of the 14th. The low then moved up Lake Erie and over Lake Huron by the late evening hours. Damaging winds accompanied this ...	62 kt wind	2	7	$199M
2002-03-09	High WindHardin County · forecast zone Hardin One storm episode: 6 records in 6 places; the totals are the episode's. A widespread area of high winds blew down trees, power poles, and various other smaller structures and signs. At one time, approximately 100,000 people were without power. One man was killed when his semi tractor overturned, and several others were injured in automobile accidents, and when trees fell on the buildings ...	57 kt wind	1	12	$714K
2000-01-10	High WindMiami County · forecast zone Miami One storm episode: 2 records in 2 places; the totals are the episode's. In Miami county, a man was walking back to his house from getting his newspaper when a 3 foot diameter and 30 feet tall tree fell on him. He was killed from the impact of the tree. In Butler county, a 28 foot high cinderblock wall fell on scaffolding, on which 6 construction workers were standing. The scaffolding ...	40 kt wind	1	6	$43K
2009-02-11	High WindMadison County · forecast zone Madison A tractor trailer was blown over 2 miles south of Plain City. The trailer was blown onto a pickup truck, whose driver died in the accident.	61 kt wind	1	2	–
1996-10-30	High WindSummit County · forecast zone Summit One storm episode: 22 records in 22 places; the totals are the episode's. A deep low pressure moving east across Ontario Canada brought winds of 60 to 70 miles per hour, with higher gusts, to Northern Ohio. Trees, limbs and power lines were downed, some across roads, and others on cars, and buildings causing considerable damage. In Cuyahoga County, at Cleveland Hopkins Airport, a stewardess ...		1	2	$13M
2026-03-13	High WindClermont County · forecast zone Clermont One storm episode: 16 records in 16 places; the totals are the episode's. A deep low pressure system tracked east through the Great Lakes, combining with a low level jet over the Ohio Valley that shifted east in the afternoon.	50 kt wind	1	0	–
1998-03-27	High WindCuyahoga County · forecast zone Cuyahoga A 46 year old man was killed when a wind gust blew his motorcycle into a median wall on Interstate 71, near W. 150th St.		1	0	$4K
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	–

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

The costliest high wind and dust records in Ohio

Ohio: the most damaging storms since 1993, 2025 dollars
Date	Record	Character	Killed	Injured	Damage
2008-09-14	High WindPreble County · forecast zone Preble One storm episode: 32 records in 32 places; the totals are the episode's.	58 kt wind	5	2	$741M
2008-09-14	High WindLorain County · forecast zone Lorain One storm episode: 29 records in 28 places; the totals are the episode's.	62 kt wind	2	7	$199M
2012-10-29	High WindCuyahoga County · forecast zone Cuyahoga One storm episode: 13 records in 12 places; the totals are the episode's.	59 kt wind	0	0	$67M
2009-02-11	High WindRichland County · forecast zone Richland One storm episode: 29 records in 28 places, 2009-02-11 to 2009-02-12; the totals are the episode's.	56 kt wind	0	1	$16M
1996-10-30	High WindSummit County · forecast zone Summit One storm episode: 22 records in 22 places; the totals are the episode's.		1	2	$13M
2002-03-09	High WindSummit County · forecast zone Summit One storm episode: 21 records in 21 places; the totals are the episode's.	54 kt wind	2	8	$12M
2009-12-09	High WindLucas County · forecast zone Lucas One storm episode: 24 records in 24 places; the totals are the episode's.	50 kt wind	0	0	$12M
2008-09-14	High WindColumbiana County · forecast zone Columbiana One storm episode: 9 records in 9 places; the totals are the episode's.	50 kt wind	0	0	$6.5M

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.

Are high wind and dust records becoming more frequent in Ohio?

Ohio's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.

High wind and dust storms: Ohio and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
Decade	Ohio	United States	Ohio's share
1996-99	361	14,026	2.6%
2000s	1,185	37,254	3.2%
2010s	544	41,748	1.3%
2020-26	426	36,300	1.2%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent high wind and dust records in Ohio

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
Date	Record	Character	Damage
2026-04-27	Strong WindVan Wert County · forecast zone Van Wert	43 kt wind	$10K
2026-03-16	Strong WindWashington County · forecast zone Washington	36 kt wind	$500
2026-03-16	Strong WindJackson County · forecast zone Jackson	31 kt wind	$500
2026-03-16	Strong WindAthens County · forecast zone Athens	49 kt wind	$500
2026-03-15	High WindMontgomery County · forecast zone Montgomery	53 kt wind	–
2026-03-15	Strong WindWarren County · forecast zone Warren	44 kt wind	–
2026-03-15	Strong WindUnion County · forecast zone Union	45 kt wind	–
2026-03-15	Strong WindShelby County · forecast zone Shelby	45 kt wind	–
2026-03-15	Strong WindMontgomery County · forecast zone Montgomery	46 kt wind	–
2026-03-15	Strong WindMadison County · forecast zone Madison	43 kt wind	–
2026-03-15	Strong WindLicking County · forecast zone Licking	41 kt wind	–
2026-03-15	Strong WindHamilton County · forecast zone Hamilton	45 kt wind	–

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.