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Clark County, Ohio severe weather history spans 467 recorded events between 1962 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 57.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #993 nationally and #30 in Ohio.
467
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
21
Direct injuries
$7.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Clark County, Ohio severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Clark County, Ohio severe weather history averages 7.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 175 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 52 events fall before 1990 and 415 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Clark County, Ohio record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $5.9M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Clark County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 267 | 0 | $1.2M | 77 | 1964–2025 |
| Hail | 87 | 0 | $34K | 2.75 | 1974–2026 |
| Flood | 38 | 0 | $237K | 0 | 2007–2025 |
| Tornado | 33 | 0 | $5.9M | F5 | 1962–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 32 | 1 | $190K | 0 | 1996–2020 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2014 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2003 |
Decade by decade
Clark County, Ohio severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
33 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 31 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | EF5 | 36 | 1,150 | 31.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-02-28 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 21.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-07-19 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-02-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-06-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 16.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-04-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-05-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-05-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-11-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-05-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Clark County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 1998 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 0 | $50K |
| Apr 20, 1986 | Tornado | 0 | 6 | $250K | |
| May 10, 1973 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $3K | |
| Feb 28, 2024 | Tornado | PITCHIN | 0 | 3 | $1.0M |
| May 10, 1996 | Lightning | SPRINGFIELD | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 3, 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Aug 4, 2003 | Lightning | SOUTH VIENNA | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jan 5, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | ENON | 0 | 1 | $75K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
From 2.5 to 5 inches of rain fell across Clark county with much of it falling in only a few hours. Numerous roads were flooded and people were rescued from their vehicles. A man was swept into Buck Creek and killed. The creek was 9 feet higher than normal.
The first known damage from this tornado was in a stand of trees southwest of Selma Pike. Additional tree damage was found on Selma Pike south of Shawnee High School, where several trees were snapped. The tornado then strengthened and broadened as it moved east-northeast, eventually reaching EF2 intensity as it crossed Mitchell Road, Ridge Rd, and Highway 41, where three homes had complete roof loss. Intermittent EF1 and EF2 damage, consisting of around a dozen barns and outbuildings destroyed and more homes with complete roof loss, then continued for around 10 miles before the tornado entered Madison County about 1.5 miles east of Brighton at 0506EST. The tornado ended in Madison County at 0515EST, 4 miles north northeast of London.
The tornado first touched down on the southwest side of Park Layne and then moved to the northwest for 0.4 miles before exiting Clark County about 1.2 miles west-southwest of Park Layne. The tornado continued in Miami County for another 4.1 miles, before dissipating at 2032EST. While in Clark County, the tornado caused damage to some commercial buildings and trees on the western side of Park Layne. Damage here was consistent with maximum winds of 100 mph (EF1). The maximum width in Clark county was 300 yards. This tornado was rated an EF1 in both Clark and Miami Counties.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
135,158
Population (ACS)
$170K
Median home value
11
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Aug 20, 2012 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR |
| Jun 30, 2012 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS | EM |
| Oct 24, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WIND STORM ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL DEPRESSION IKE | DR |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Springfield 111
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Clark County, Ohio?
467 events are on record between 1962 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $7.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Clark County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 267 recorded events — 57.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Clark County?
33 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 31 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Clark County?
11 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Clark County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Clark County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clark County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 77 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Clark County, Ohio severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Champaign County 283
- Clermont County 639
- Carroll County 387
- Clinton County 541
- Butler County 597
- Columbiana County 614
Cite this page
“Clark County, Ohio.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/ohio/clark-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.