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Lorain County, Ohio severe weather history spans 766 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 58.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #323 nationally and #5 in Ohio.
766
Recorded events
21
Direct deaths
168
Direct injuries
$109.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Lorain County, Ohio severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lorain County, Ohio severe weather history averages 10.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 214 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 121 events fall before 1990 and 645 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Lorain County, Ohio record is tornado, responsible for 18 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $55.9M in reported property damage. In total, 11 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Lorain County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 448 | 0 | $9.3M | 87 | 1955–2026 |
| Hail | 179 | 0 | $760K | 2 | 1962–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 62 | 2 | $55.9M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Tornado | 36 | 18 | $36.9M | F4 | 1953–2025 |
| Waterspout | 12 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 1996–2001 |
| Flood | 11 | 1 | $5.6M | 0 | 2006–2023 |
| Lightning | 10 | 0 | $1.0M | 0 | 1996–2005 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2003 |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 2 | 0 | $125K | 0 | 1997–1998 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–1997 |
| Seiche | 1 | 0 | $0 | 60 | 1998–1998 |
Decade by decade
Lorain County, Ohio severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
32 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-11 | EF4 | 18 | 200 | 22.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1953-06-08 | EF4 | 17 | 379 | 118.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1992-07-12 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-07-12 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-08-26 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-06-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 9.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-08-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 11.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-04-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 11.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-07-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-06-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lorain County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 1965 | Tornado | 17 | 100 | $25.0M | |
| Jul 16, 2005 | Flash Flood | LORAIN | 2 | 0 | $1.2M |
| Jun 9, 1953 | Tornado | 1 | 47 | $0 | |
| Jun 22, 2006 | Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 0 | $4.5M |
| Jul 13, 1992 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 21, 1958 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $25K | |
| Jul 13, 1992 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| May 9, 1988 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The City of North Ridgeville sustained significant and widespread damage from a flash flood on the evening of May 12th. An estimated 300 homes and 1,000 businesses sustained damage from the flood waters. Heavy rain, measured at 6��� in two locations in town, fell within two hours. The intensity and magnitude of the rain has a return frequency of every 500 years. The storm drains were overwhelmed leading to backwater into area basements. The sewage plant on the French Creek sustained $20,000 in damages. The Mill Creek flooded condos on Mill Creek Boulevard resulting in 15 people rescued from the second floor or their homes. The Mill Creek shopping plaza was inundated from backup on storm drainage backups. The local schools sustained flood damage along with many recreational parks in low lying areas. The worst of the flooding occurred around 1030 pm through midnight. Several structures sustained major damage.
Widespread flash flooding across northern Lorain County due to heavy rainfall. Widespread basement and isolated first floor flooding reported in Lorain, Elyria, Amherst, Avon Lake, Avon, and North Ridgeville. Widespread flooded roadways reported. Post event damage assessments reported hundreds of homes and businesses flooded. Radar estimated rainfall of 3 to 4 inches falling in a three hour period, which matched several measured rain gauge reports from the area.
Thunderstorm winds well in excess of 60 mph caused extensive damage in the City of Lorain and Sheffield Lake. A school in Sheffield Lake lost a large section of roof and suffered extensive water damage. 46 homes in the area were damaged by the strong winds, flying debris and fallen trees. Of this total, eight homes were beyond repair and classified as being destroyed. Several homes in Lorain and surrounding areas were also damaged by fallen trees. Hundreds of trees were downed in the county.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
317,129
Population (ACS)
$223K
Median home value
19
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 |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Feb 15, 2005 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Sep 19, 2004 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lorain County, Ohio?
766 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 21 direct deaths and $109.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lorain County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 448 recorded events — 58.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lorain County?
32 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 30 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lorain County?
19 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lorain County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lorain County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lorain County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 86 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lorain 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
- Logan County 380
- Lucas County 589
- Licking County 573
- Madison County 272
- Lawrence County 412
- Mahoning County 433
Cite this page
“Lorain County, Ohio.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/ohio/lorain-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.