Hurricane History Map

Hurricanes that hit Ohio: hurricane history

21 storms have passed within 50 km of Ohio from 1879 to 2005, drawn on the map and coloured by intensity.

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Years1842 to 2026
Ocean basin

Choosing a minimum category hides storms with no wind speed in the record. To see which storms have passed near you, search a town or ZIP code, or tap the map.

Key
  • Tropical depression Winds below 34 knots (39 mph)
  • Tropical storm 34 to 63 knots (39 to 73 mph)
  • Category 1 64 to 82 knots (74 to 95 mph)
  • Category 2 83 to 95 knots (96 to 110 mph)
  • Category 3 96 to 112 knots (111 to 129 mph), major
  • Category 4 113 to 136 knots (130 to 156 mph), major
  • Category 5 137 knots (157 mph) or more, major
  • Unknown intensity No wind speed in the record
  • Post-tropical Storm has become post-tropical (dashed line)

How to read the lines. Each line is the track of one storm, drawn through its six-hourly positions and coloured by its intensity at each point (the Saffir-Simpson scale), so a line changes colour as the storm strengthens or weakens. Tap a line for its details, or tap anywhere else to see which storms have passed nearby. Weaker storms appear as you zoom in. Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones are the same kind of storm with different names in different oceans.

Storms near Ohio

The record holds 21 tropical cyclones whose tracks passed within 50 km of Ohio between 1879 and 2005. The busiest month is September, with 8 of them. The strongest, measured where each came closest to the place, reached tropical storm strength. 1 of the storms have no wind speed in the record.

  • 21storms within 50 km
  • 0major (category 3 to 5) near here
  • 0at category 1 strength or more

A storm counts once, however many times it came close. The category is the storm's strongest point within 50 km, which can be weaker than its peak elsewhere.

How strong were the storms near Ohio?

Category near hereStormsShare
Tropical depression1467%
Tropical storm629%
Category 100%
Category 200%
Category 300%
Category 400%
Category 500%
Unknown intensity15%

The agency behind most of the intensity figures here is the NOAA National Hurricane Center (HURDAT2, Atlantic).

Ohio storms over time

Storms by decade
Bar chart of storms by period. The most is 4 in 2000s.1870s11880s11890s21910s11930s11950s21960s21970s31980s11990s32000s4

The 2000s only run to 2005, so that bar is for a shorter period. This place's record starts in 1879, and records before the satellite era (about the 1960s) are far less complete.

Show the numbers
PeriodCount
1870s1
1880s1
1890s2
1910s1
1930s1
1950s2
1960s2
1970s3
1980s1
1990s3
2000s4

Earlier decades hold fewer storms partly because they were harder to see. Before weather satellites (about the 1960s) many storms that stayed at sea went unrecorded, so compare decades with care.

Storms by month
Bar chart of storms by period. The most is 8 in Sep.Jan0Feb0Mar0Apr0May0Jun3Jul3Aug4Sep8Oct3Nov0Dec0
Show the numbers
PeriodCount
Jan0
Feb0
Mar0
Apr0
May0
Jun3
Jul3
Aug4
Sep8
Oct3
Nov0
Dec0

Strongest storms near Ohio

  • Hugo (1989)10 September 1989 to 25 September 1989, Tropical storm (55 kt) near here, peak Category 5 (140 kt), 918 hPa
  • Isabel (2003)6 September 2003 to 20 September 2003, Tropical storm (50 kt) near here, peak Category 5 (145 kt), 915 hPa
  • Unnamed storm of August 1888 (North Atlantic)14 August 1888 to 24 August 1888, Tropical storm (45 kt) near here, peak Category 3 (110 kt)
  • Connie (1955)3 August 1955 to 15 August 1955, Tropical storm (45 kt) near here, peak Category 4 (120 kt), 944 hPa
  • Audrey (1957)24 June 1957 to 29 June 1957, Tropical storm (35 kt) near here, peak Category 3 (110 kt), 946 hPa
  • Frederic (1979)29 August 1979 to 15 September 1979, Tropical storm (35 kt) near here, peak Category 4 (115 kt), 943 hPa

Most recent storms near Ohio

  • Arlene (2005)8 June 2005 to 14 June 2005, Tropical depression (20 kt) near here, peak Tropical storm (60 kt), 990 hPa
  • Frances (2004)25 August 2004 to 10 September 2004, Tropical depression (25 kt) near here, peak Category 4 (125 kt), 937 hPa
  • Isabel (2003)6 September 2003 to 20 September 2003, Tropical storm (50 kt) near here, peak Category 5 (145 kt), 915 hPa
  • Isidore (2002)14 September 2002 to 27 September 2002, Tropical depression (20 kt) near here, peak Category 3 (110 kt), 934 hPa
  • Fran (1996)23 August 1996 to 10 September 1996, Tropical depression (30 kt) near here, peak Category 3 (105 kt), 946 hPa

Many of these storms killed people and destroyed homes. The figures are the official record's, and this page says nothing about their human cost.

Notable storms near Ohio with their own pages

  • Hugo (1989)10 September 1989 to 25 September 1989, peak Category 5 (140 kt), 918 hPa
  • Isabel (2003)6 September 2003 to 20 September 2003, peak Category 5 (145 kt), 915 hPa
  • Connie (1955)3 August 1955 to 15 August 1955, peak Category 4 (120 kt), 944 hPa
  • Audrey (1957)24 June 1957 to 29 June 1957, peak Category 3 (110 kt), 946 hPa
  • Frederic (1979)29 August 1979 to 15 September 1979, peak Category 4 (115 kt), 943 hPa
  • Opal (1995)27 September 1995 to 6 October 1995, peak Category 4 (130 kt), 919 hPa
  • Fran (1996)23 August 1996 to 10 September 1996, peak Category 3 (105 kt), 946 hPa
  • Frances (2004)25 August 2004 to 10 September 2004, peak Category 4 (125 kt), 937 hPa
  • Isidore (2002)14 September 2002 to 27 September 2002, peak Category 3 (110 kt), 934 hPa

Ohio counties

Every county that a storm has come near is listed, most storms first. 56 of them have at least 3 storms and their own page.

CountyStormsStrongest near the county
Gallia County9Tropical storm
Lawrence County9Tropical storm
Meigs County9Tropical storm
Scioto County9Tropical storm
Adams County8Tropical storm
Athens County8Tropical storm
Brown County8Tropical storm
Jackson County7Tropical storm
Vinton County7Tropical storm
Washington County7Tropical storm
Butler County6Tropical depression
Defiance County6Tropical depression
Hamilton County6Tropical depression
Morgan County6Tropical storm
Putnam County6Tropical depression
Van Wert County6Tropical depression
Williams County6Tropical depression
Allen County5Tropical depression
Clermont County5Tropical depression
Fulton County5Tropical depression
Henry County5Tropical depression
Highland County5Tropical depression
Jefferson County5Tropical storm
Mercer County5Tropical depression
Monroe County5Tropical storm
Paulding County5Tropical depression
Pike County5Tropical storm
Warren County5Tropical depression
Wood County5Tropical depression
Auglaize County4Tropical depression
Belmont County4Tropical storm
Columbiana County4Tropical storm
Darke County4Tropical depression
Hancock County4Tropical depression
Lucas County4Tropical depression
Mahoning County4Tropical storm
Miami County4Tropical depression
Montgomery County4Tropical depression
Noble County4Tropical storm
Ottawa County4Tropical depression
Preble County4Tropical depression
Ross County4Tropical depression
Sandusky County4Tropical depression
Seneca County4Tropical depression
Shelby County4Tropical depression
Ashtabula County3Tropical storm
Carroll County3Tropical storm
Clark County3Tropical depression
Clinton County3Tropical depression
Fayette County3Tropical depression
Greene County3Tropical depression
Hardin County3Tropical depression
Harrison County3Tropical storm
Hocking County3Tropical depression
Logan County3Tropical depression
Trumbull County3Tropical storm
Champaign County2Tropical depression
Coshocton County2Tropical storm
Erie County2Tropical depression
Geauga County2Tropical storm
Guernsey County2Tropical storm
Huron County2Tropical depression
Lake County2Tropical storm
Lorain County2Tropical depression
Marion County2Tropical depression
Muskingum County2Tropical storm
Portage County2Tropical storm
Stark County2Tropical storm
Tuscarawas County2Tropical storm
Union County2Tropical depression
Wyandot County2Tropical depression
Ashland County1Tropical depression
Crawford County1Tropical depression
Cuyahoga County1Tropical depression
Delaware County1Tropical depression
Fairfield County1Tropical depression
Holmes County1Tropical depression
Knox County1Tropical depression
Licking County1Tropical depression
Madison County1Tropical depression
Medina County1Tropical depression
Morrow County1Tropical depression
Perry County1Tropical depression
Pickaway County1Tropical depression
Richland County1Tropical depression
Summit County1Tropical depression
Wayne County1Tropical depression

Other states

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