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Mercer County, Ohio severe weather history spans 381 recorded events between 1959 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 49.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,330 nationally and #52 in Ohio.
381
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
50
Direct injuries
$47.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Mercer County, Ohio severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Mercer County, Ohio severe weather history averages 5.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 124 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 48 events fall before 1990 and 333 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Mercer County, Ohio record is tornado, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $39.5M 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 Mercer County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 189 | 0 | $1.1M | 87 | 1959–2026 |
| Hail | 74 | 0 | $18K | 2.5 | 1980–2026 |
| Flood | 59 | 0 | $474K | 0 | 2006–2026 |
| Tornado | 29 | 3 | $39.5M | F4 | 1965–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 27 | 0 | $6.3M | 0 | 1997–2020 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2013 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
Mercer County, Ohio severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
26 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 22 touched down inside it and 4 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 | 4 | 125 | 52.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2019-05-27 | EF3 | 1 | 8 | 10.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-06-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-11-05 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 38.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-11-05 | EF2 | 0 | 8 | 5.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-07-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-03-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 9.3 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Mercer County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 1965 | Tornado | 2 | 24 | $2.5M | |
| May 28, 2019 | Tornado | DURBIN | 1 | 8 | $15.0M |
| Nov 5, 2017 | Tornado | CELINA | 0 | 8 | $5.0M |
| Jun 2, 1980 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 29, 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | CELINA | 0 | 1 | $30K |
| Jun 29, 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | CELINA | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| Jun 25, 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | CELINA | 0 | 1 | $50K |
| Jun 13, 2000 | Lightning | CELINA | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Major flooding continued in Rockford, with total evacuations of around 300 homes. Numerous roads across the northern part of the county were flooded and closed. Several bridges were washed out. Flooding continued south of Celina where Beaver Creek remained out of its banks.
Major flooding continued. From July 4 through July 8, close to 400 homes sustained some damage from the flooding. Most of the flood damage occurred from Rockford and Mendon south to Celina. Numerous roads and bridges were washed out across the county.
Major flooding continued across the county, with travel virtually at a standstill as many of the county roads were underwater. The worst flooding continued from Celina where Grand Lake Saint Marys was out of its banks, north to Rockford and Mendon with the Saint Marys River in record flood. Homes and businesses were flooded in Rockford, Celina, Mendon, and Montezuma.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
42,484
Population (ACS)
$211K
Median home value
14
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2, 2024 | Tornado | TORNADOES | DR |
| Mar 31, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jun 18, 2019 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDE | DR |
| Jun 30, 2012 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS | EM |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Mercer County, Ohio?
381 events are on record between 1959 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $47.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Mercer County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 189 recorded events — 49.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Mercer County?
26 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 22 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Mercer County?
14 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Mercer County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Mercer County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Mercer County as very low risk, placing it in the 32 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Mercer 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
- Meigs County 274
- Miami County 406
- Medina County 522
- Monroe County 227
- Marion County 350
- Montgomery County 808
Cite this page
“Mercer County, Ohio.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/ohio/mercer-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.