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Geauga County, Ohio severe weather history spans 428 recorded events between 1959 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 62.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,140 nationally and #37 in Ohio.
428
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
24
Direct injuries
$23.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Geauga County, Ohio severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Geauga County, Ohio severe weather history averages 6.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 102 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 34 events fall before 1990 and 394 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Geauga County, Ohio record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $11.0M 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 Geauga County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 267 | 1 | $8.9M | 74 | 1960–2026 |
| Hail | 108 | 0 | $367K | 2 | 1960–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 27 | 0 | $11.0M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Tornado | 18 | 0 | $2.6M | F2 | 1959–2026 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $311K | 0 | 1996–1999 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–1997 |
| Winter Weather | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–1998 |
Decade by decade
Geauga County, Ohio severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
19 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 18 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-08-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-05-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-06-22 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 33.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1959-10-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-08-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-08-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-08-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-09-20 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-09-20 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-08-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Geauga County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 31, 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 0 | $400K |
| Jan 13, 1998 | Winter Weather | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 17 | $0 |
| May 29, 1995 | Tornado | Middlefield | 0 | 4 | $1.0M |
| Aug 7, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | PARKMAN | 0 | 1 | $20K |
| Jun 12, 1996 | Lightning | PARKMAN TOWNSHIP | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 11, 1996 | Lightning | TROY | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Trees and power poles downed throughout the county from thunderstorm winds of 60 to 80 mph. A 55 year old female was killed at Punderson State Park in Newbury Township when a 40 foot tree fell on her camper and crushed it. Twelve other campers in the park were severely damaged. A tree fell on a house in Newbury Township and destroyed the living, family and dining rooms. Dozens of trees were downed in Bainbridge where one house received extensive damage from a fallen tree. Dozens of trees and power poles were also downed in Burton Village and Chardon. A boat was overturned and destroyed in Chardon and several homes were damaged by fallen trees.
Heavy thunderstorm rains fell on northern Geauga County during the evening hours of July 27th and early morning hours of the 28th. Some rainfall totals from this period included: 6.51 inches southwest of Thompson; 5.11 inches near Chardon; 3.53 inches in Chesterland and 2.83 inches in Burton. Runoff from this rain caused rapid rises in area streams and rivers. Flooding was reported throughout northern Geauga County, but the worst damage occurred in Thompson and Claridon Townships. In Thompson Township, Talcott Creek went into flood and damaged many homes. A bridge on Moseley Road was heavily damaged. A house on Clay Street was destroyed after flood waters flowed through it. A total of 25 homes suffered major damage in Thompson Township with another 50 homes sustaining lesser damages. In Claridon Township, flood waters from overflowing Lake Aquilla damaged several homes on the east side of Aquilla Village. Many roads in the northern end of the county had to be closed because of flooding. Several hundred homes in the county also suffered basement flooding.
The tornado touched down near the Aims Department store just north of route 87 and moved northeast downing trees. An apartment complex suffered minor roof and structural damage. The tornado then moved into a residential neighborhood. Four homes were destroyed as the roofs were removed and each house lost one or two walls. Several outbuildings were also destroyed. About 12 other homes suffered minor to moderate damage. The tornado lifted just northeast of route 608 causing additional tree damage and minor damage to a few structures. Injuries were minor and consisted of lacerations and bruises. One woman was knocked unconscious by flying debris.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
95,481
Population (ACS)
$331K
Median home value
13
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jun 30, 2012 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS | EM |
| Apr 24, 2008 | Snowstorm | RECORD SNOW AND NEAR RECORD SNOW | EM |
| Aug 1, 2006 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Geauga County, Ohio?
428 events are on record between 1959 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $23.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Geauga County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 267 recorded events — 62.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Geauga County?
19 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 18 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Geauga County?
13 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Geauga County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Geauga County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Geauga County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 60 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Geauga 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
- Gallia County 322
- Greene County 577
- Fulton County 256
- Guernsey County 406
- Franklin County 1,024
- Hamilton County 921
Cite this page
“Geauga County, Ohio.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/ohio/geauga-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.