Ohio tornadoes
Every recorded tornado since 1950 · 88 counties with a record
Ohio has recorded 1,402 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 26 a year since 2000, with 73 rated F3/EF3 or stronger (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). The deadliest was the April 3, 1974 Xenia tornado (36 deaths in Ohio). Ohio ranks 22nd of 52 states and territories by count and 19th of 51 per square mile.
Tornadoes in Ohio, 1950 to 2025
Tornadoes per year (SPC; a tornado that crossed a state line counts in each state it touched).
- 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
- 1996: tornado reports rose with NEXRAD Doppler radar, mid-1990s (SPC)
- Tornadoes
- 1,4021950 to 2025
- A year since 2000
- 26average
- Deaths
- 1994,713 injuries
- F3/EF3 or stronger
- 735% of tornadoes
- Busiest year
- 202474 tornadoes
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025 (state segments). SPC severe weather database.
Are tornadoes common in Ohio?
Ohio averages about 26 tornadoes a year since 2000, 22nd of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2024 (74). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Ohio records 343 tornadoes since 1950, 19th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA SPC, tornadoes 1950-2025, 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 tornadoes?
Per square mile, Van Wert County leads Ohio: 33 days with a tornado record since 1950, 80.7 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Van Wert County has the most tornado records (42 since 1950); 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).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1950 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is tornado season in Ohio?
Ohio's tornadoes by month. The busiest month is June (293 tornadoes).
The values, month by month
Jan 9 · Feb 34 · Mar 97 · Apr 189 · May 249 · Jun 293 · Jul 209 · Aug 136 · Sep 65 · Oct 54 · Nov 60 · Dec 7 (records).
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments by the month they began, 1950-2025.
What were the deadliest tornadoes in Ohio?
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Killed | Injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | Xenia · Greene, Clark | F5 | 31.3 mi | 36 | 1,150 |
| 1965-04-11 | Strongsville · Lorain, Cuyahoga | F4 | 22 mi | 18 | 200 |
| 1953-06-08 | Cleveland · Henry, Wood, Sandusky, Erie | F4 | 118 mi | 17 | 379 |
| 1965-04-11 | Toledo · LucasWhole track: MI, OH; 18 deaths | F4 | 5.6 mi | 16 | 207 |
| 1965-04-11 | Bluffton · Allen, Hancock | F4 | 32.5 mi | 13 | 104 |
| 1985-05-31 | Niles · Portage, TrumbullWhole track: OH, PA; 18 deaths | F5 | 33 mi | 10 | 250 |
| 1968-04-23 | Gallipolis · Scioto, Lawrence, Gallia | F5 | 34 mi | 7 | 93 |
| 2010-06-05 | Walbridge to Clay Center · Wood, Ottawa | EF4 | 8.8 mi | 7 | 28 |
| 1973-05-10 | Willard · Seneca, Huron | F3 | 50.1 mi | 6 | 100 |
| 1969-08-09 | Cincinnati · Hamilton, Clermont | F3 | 22.2 mi | 4 | 247 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (state segments: deaths and path inside Ohio), 1950-2025; counties are the first four the SPC lists for the segment. SPC severe weather database.
Where have the strongest tornadoes tracked in Ohio?
- F2/EF2
- F3/EF3
- F4/EF4
- F5/EF5
- no end point filed
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, start and end points of each track; county lines: Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (2017), via us-atlas. SPC severe weather database. Census cartographic boundary files.
The strongest tornadoes in Ohio
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | Xenia · Greene, Clark | F5 | 31.3 mi | 533 yd | 36 |
| 1985-05-31 | Niles · Portage, Trumbull | F5 | 33 mi | 450 yd | 10 |
| 1968-04-23 | Gallipolis · Scioto, Lawrence, Gallia | F5 | 34 mi | 400 yd | 7 |
| 1974-04-03 | Sayler Park · Hamilton | F5 | 6.8 mi | 533 yd | 3 |
| 1965-04-11 | Strongsville · Lorain, Cuyahoga | F4 | 22 mi | 400 yd | 18 |
| 1953-06-08 | Cleveland · Henry, Wood, Sandusky, Erie | F4 | 118 mi | 100 yd | 17 |
| 1965-04-11 | Toledo · Lucas | F4 | 5.6 mi | 200 yd | 16 |
| 1965-04-11 | Bluffton · Allen, Hancock | F4 | 32.5 mi | 400 yd | 13 |
| 2010-06-05 | Walbridge to Clay Center · Wood, Ottawa | EF4 | 8.8 mi | 400 yd | 7 |
| 2002-11-10 | Van Wert · Van Wert, Paulding, Putnam, Defiance | F4 | 52.8 mi | 880 yd | 4 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database; F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after.
The longest tornado paths in Ohio
| Date | Tornado and counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-06-08 | Cleveland · Henry, Wood, Sandusky, Erie | F4 | 118 mi | 100 yd | 17 |
| 1973-05-10 | Columbus · Champaign, Clark, Madison, Franklin | F3 | 89.6 mi | 300 yd | 0 |
| 1973-05-10 | Harpster to Lexington · Wyandot, Marion, Morrow, Richland | F2 | 58.2 mi | 267 yd | 0 |
| 1969-05-10 | Hamilton to Lebanon · Butler, Warren, Clinton, Greene | F3 | 54.5 mi | 400 yd | 0 |
| 2002-11-10 | Van Wert · Van Wert, Paulding, Putnam, Defiance | F4 | 52.8 mi | 880 yd | 4 |
| 1968-04-23 | West Union · Brown, Adams, Scioto | F4 | 51.6 mi | 550 yd | 1 |
| 1973-05-10 | Willard · Seneca, Huron | F3 | 50.1 mi | 27 yd | 6 |
| 1973-05-10 | Rittman · Ashland, Wayne | F2 | 40.4 mi | 667 yd | 0 |
| 1971-06-02 | Findlay · Putnam, Hancock, Wyandot | F3 | 39.6 mi | 200 yd | 0 |
| 1965-04-11 | Pickaway, Fairfield, Perry | F1 | 38.4 mi | 300 yd | 0 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments: path length and width inside the state. SPC severe weather database.
Tornadoes in every Ohio county
All 88 counties: tornadoes whose track touched each, and the strongest
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database: whole tornadoes whose track touched the county (any state segment listing it). SPC severe weather database.
The costliest tornadoes in Ohio
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-27 | TornadoPyrmont, Montgomery County The tornado initially touched down just west of Brookville and areas on the south side of Brookville sustained heavy damage, consistent with high-end EF2 wind speeds. Numerous homes suffered significant roof damage and removal, including exterior wall collapse and complete garage destruction. The tornado then carved a ... | EF4 18.17 mi x 1,050 yd | 1 | 166 | $577M |
| 1999-04-09 | TornadoBlue Ash, Hamilton County A tornado began with F2 intensity in Blue Ash in the northeast corner of the county. This tornado moved through Montgomery, Symmes Township, and Loveland before entering Warren county. The intensity of the tornado was F2 and F3 at many points along the track, intensifying to a low end F4 while in Montgomery. The width ... | F4 8 mi x 440 yd | 4 | 65 | $145M |
| 2010-06-05 | TornadoMoline, Wood County A devastating tornado moved across portions of northern Wood County during the late evening hours of June 5th. The tornado reached a peak intensity of EF4 and was responsible for the deaths of seven people. Five of the victims died immediately with the other two passing away from their injuries at later dates. The ... | EF4 6.5 mi x 400 yd | 7 | 28 | $135M |
| 2002-04-28 | TornadoCrystal Spgs, Stark County A strong F2 tornado touched down at 158 pm edt and caused major damage and two minor injuries along a path of just over seven miles. Major damage occurred along the path which was nearly a quarter mile in width at times. The initial touchdown occurred west of the intersection of Arlington Avenue and Windy Lane Street ... | F2 7.2 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 2 | $75M |
| 2006-10-11 | TornadoNew Albany, Franklin County A tornado touched down and moved through the Upper Albany West subdivision. Sixty-seven homes were damaged, sixteen of those severely and an additional eight completely destroyed. Many of the homes sustained significant roof, siding and window damage. Much of the damage was F1, with some low end F2 damage to around ... | F2 0.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $73M |
| 2019-05-27 | TornadoNew Germany, Greene County The tornado first touched down in Riverside in far eastern Montgomery County at 2212EST before quickly moving into western Greene County at 2213EST. The tornado continued to move east across western and central Greene County before lifting along U.S. 68, about 5 miles north of Xenia. There were two locations along the ... | EF3 9.37 mi x 1,230 yd | 0 | 0 | $58M |
| 2002-11-10 | TornadoWillshire, Van Wert County This tornado touched down in the southwest corner of Van Wert County about 4 miles northeast of Willshire and moved northeast across the western portion of the city of Van Wert, and then crossed U.S. 30 and continued northeast before exiting the county about 7 miles east of Scott. NWS ground and aerial surveys showed ... | F4 21.6 mi x 880 yd | 2 | 17 | $49M |
| 2010-09-16 | TornadoWooster, Wayne County A tornado touched down in Wayne County two miles southwest of downtown Wooster around 5:26 pm. This tornado strengthened to EF2 intensity and continued on the ground for over 11 miles before finally lifting two miles west of Dalton. Extensive damage occurred along the damage path with dozens of homes and buildings ... | EF2 11.47 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $47M |
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 $250M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 3, 1974 (tornado, Greene County, 36 killed); May 31, 1985 (tornado, Trumbull County, 10 killed); May 31, 1985 (tornado, Portage County); May 31, 1985 (tornado, Trumbull County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are tornadoes becoming more frequent in Ohio?
Ohio's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. The Storm Prediction Center notes that tornado reports rose especially around the installation of the NEXRAD Doppler radar network in the mid-1990s, so a rising count is partly better detection; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Ohio | United States | Ohio's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 65 | 4,837 | 1.3% |
| 1960s | 130 | 6,863 | 1.9% |
| 1970s | 180 | 8,633 | 2.1% |
| 1980s | 147 | 8,250 | 1.8% |
| 1990s | 201 | 12,205 | 1.6% |
| 2000s | 156 | 12,892 | 1.2% |
| 2010s | 283 | 12,232 | 2.3% |
| 2020-25 | 240 | 8,234 | 2.9% |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments.
The most recent tornadoes in Ohio
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-25 | TornadoSeneraville Res, Noble County | EF0 4.73 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2026-06-18 | TornadoPoplar Grove, Pike County | EF2 8.59 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K |
| 2026-06-18 | TornadoSt Charles, Butler County | EF0 1.68 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-14 | TornadoNew Middleton, Columbiana County | EF1 10.82 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 0 | $32K |
| 2026-04-04 | TornadoSherwood, Defiance County | EF1 4.08 mi x 225 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-31 | TornadoMoreland, Wayne County | EF0 0.11 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $45K |
| 2026-03-31 | TornadoNovelty, Geauga County | EF1 1.5 mi x 120 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2026-03-26 | TornadoKenton, Hardin County | EF1 0.13 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $65K |
| 2026-03-26 | TornadoFredericktown, Knox County | EF0 0.07 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2026-03-26 | TornadoMt Gilead, Morrow County | EF1 1.53 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $35K |
| 2026-03-11 | TornadoSt Johns, Auglaize County | EF0 0.57 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2026-03-11 | TornadoAnna, Shelby County | EF0 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $60K |
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.
Federal disaster declarations for tornadoes in Ohio
FEMA has declared 18 disasters in Ohio for tornadoes, counting its incident type and declarations that name tornado in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 18 were major disasters, the latest on October 2, 2026.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-02 | DR-4945 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Landslides | 7 |
| 2024-05-02 | DR-4777 | Tornadoes | 11 |
| 2019-06-18 | DR-4447 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslide | 12 |
| 2007-08-27 | DR-1720 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes | 8 |
| 2006-07-02 | DR-1651 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight Line Winds, and Flooding | 6 |
| 2003-08-01 | DR-1484 | Tornadoes, Flooding, Severe Storms, and High Winds | 15 |
| 2002-11-18 | DR-1444 | Severe Storms and Tornadoes | 20 |
| 2000-09-26 | DR-1343 | Severe Storms and Tornado | 1 |
| 1998-06-30 | DR-1227 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes | 23 |
| 1992-08-04 | DR-951 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | 24 |
| 1990-06-06 | DR-870 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding | 25 |
| 1985-06-03 | DR-738 | Severe Storms & Tornadoes | 6 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Van Wert County: the county's whole recordThe Ohio county with the most tornadoes per square mile
- Tornadoes across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in OhioTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
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