Live
Active alerts for this county
Heat Advisory
Lucas; Wood; Ottawa; Sandusky; Erie; Lorain; Cuyahoga; Hancock; Seneca; Huron; Medina; Summit; Wyandot; Crawford; Richland; Ashland; Wayne; Marion; Morrow; Knox
Lucas County, Ohio severe weather history spans 589 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 56.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #619 nationally and #14 in Ohio.
589
Recorded events
24
Direct deaths
228
Direct injuries
$116.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Lucas County, Ohio severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lucas County, Ohio severe weather history averages 8.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 167 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 75 events fall before 1990 and 514 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Lucas County, Ohio record is tornado, responsible for 16 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $51.3M in reported property damage. In total, 12 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Lucas County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 332 | 8 | $4.7M | 90 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 201 | 0 | $2.1M | 3 | 1966–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 22 | 0 | $51.3M | 0 | 1997–2024 |
| Tornado | 12 | 16 | $32.1M | F4 | 1965–2023 |
| Storm Surge/Tide | 6 | 0 | $600K | 0 | 1997–1998 |
| Flood | 5 | 0 | $25.4M | 0 | 2007–2019 |
| Waterspout | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–1998 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $50K | 0 | 1997–1998 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $150K | 0 | 1999–1999 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2010 |
| Winter Weather | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–1998 |
| Seiche | 1 | 0 | $0 | 60 | 1998–1998 |
Decade by decade
Lucas County, Ohio severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
15 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 12 touched down inside it and 3 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 | 236 | 5.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-06-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-11-17 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 11.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2010-06-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1992-07-12 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-04-08 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-07-31 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-06-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-04-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-05-09 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lucas County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 1965 | Tornado | 16 | 207 | $25.0M | |
| Jun 3, 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | 3 | 1 | $0 | |
| Jul 2, 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | CRESTVIEW | 1 | 0 | $5K |
| Jul 5, 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | SYLVANIA | 1 | 0 | $750K |
| Oct 13, 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | TOLEDO | 1 | 0 | $100K |
| Jul 16, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Toledo | 1 | 0 | $3K |
| Sep 10, 1992 | Thunderstorm Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Jan 13, 1998 | Winter Weather | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 12 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorm downburst winds of more than 70 mph caused considerable damage in Sylvania, Sylvania Township, Holland, Springfield Township and the west and south sides of Toledo. A mesonet site in Springfield Township recorded an 89 mph gust. Hundreds of trees were downed by the strong winds. Many homes and buildings also sustained damage, mainly from lost roofing and siding. A few homes were heavily damaged by fallen trees. Over 36,000 electric customers lost power during this storm. A 35 year man was killed in Springfield Township along Dorcas Road. The man was trying to move his car in the driveway when a large tree fell on the vehicle. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Thunderstorm winds estimated at 50 to 55 mph toppled a crane hoisting a 5,000 pound bucket of concrete onto the roof a building in downtown Toledo. A 50 year old male worker on the roof was crushed by the falling bucket of concrete.
There was significant tree damage reported. Heavy industrial parts and storage containers were lifted and tossed in the air. A man in the town of Holland was killed when an uprooted tree fell on the car while he was sitting in the vehicle.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
428,018
Population (ACS)
$164K
Median home value
16
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 |
| Jul 2, 2006 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Sep 19, 2004 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Toledo 139
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lucas County, Ohio?
589 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 24 direct deaths and $116.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lucas County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 332 recorded events — 56.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lucas County?
15 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 12 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lucas County?
16 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lucas County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lucas County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lucas County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 92 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lucas 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
- Lorain County 766
- Madison County 272
- Logan County 380
- Mahoning County 433
- Licking County 573
- Marion County 350
Cite this page
“Lucas County, Ohio.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/ohio/lucas-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.