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Fayette County, Ohio severe weather history spans 291 recorded events between 1958 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 57.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,831 nationally and #67 in Ohio.
291
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
8
Direct injuries
$7.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Fayette County, Ohio severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Fayette County, Ohio severe weather history averages 4.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 94 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 27 events fall before 1990 and 264 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Fayette County, Ohio record is tornado, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $6.2M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Fayette County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 167 | 0 | $1.1M | 70 | 1958–2025 |
| Hail | 67 | 0 | $132K | 2 | 1967–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 20 | 0 | $52K | 0 | 1997–2026 |
| Tornado | 18 | 1 | $6.2M | F3 | 1965–2025 |
| Flood | 18 | 0 | $9K | 0 | 2006–2026 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Fayette 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: 14 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-11-16 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-03-10 | EF2 | 1 | 10 | 28.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-09-14 | EF2 | 0 | 6 | 35.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-03-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-05-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2016-06-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-05-27 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-05-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-05-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-02 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 9.1 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Fayette County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 10, 1986 | Tornado | 1 | 0 | $2.5M | |
| Nov 16, 1965 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $250K | |
| Oct 13, 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | BLOOMINGBURG | 0 | 2 | $50K |
| Jul 13, 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | JEFFERSONVILLE | 0 | 1 | $20K |
| May 27, 2004 | Tornado | ROCK MILLS | 0 | 1 | $50K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado appears to have first formed along State Route 734 to the east of West Lancaster Road NW, where minor tree damage was noted. The tornado strengthened to low end EF1 as it crossed Jeffersonville-West Lancaster Road. One outbuilding was destroyed while two other buildings experienced significant removal of roof covering. Several hardwood trees were also snapped. Debris was observed in a field for over 1/2 mile east of Jeffersonville-West Lancaster Road. ||Damage to numerous power poles was noted near the Jefferson Industrial Park and nearby metal roof panels of a service station were removed. Some of the last damage was noted in Jefferson Crossing, where numerous RVs were flipped at a RV business. The tornado dissipated shortly after crossing I-71.
Along the path of the tornado, several trees were snapped and several structures lost parts or all of their roofs. The heaviest damage occurred to a large storage facility which suffered major roof loss and total collapse of the northern half of the structure. On the western edge of Washington Court House there was roof damage to two businesses in addition to tree damage. This damage is consistent with winds around 85 miles per hour.
A National Weather Service storm survey confirmed a tornado about five miles north of Bloomingburg. The tornado damaged the flat metal roof of a small barn and a large section of roof from another barn. A large tree in the path of the tornado was also down. The maximum estimated wind speed based on damage was eighty-five miles per hour.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
28,876
Population (ACS)
$171K
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 |
| 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 Fayette County, Ohio?
291 events are on record between 1958 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $7.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Fayette County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 167 recorded events — 57.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Fayette County?
19 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 14 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Fayette County?
11 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Fayette County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Fayette County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Fayette County as very low risk, placing it in the 26 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Fayette 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
- Fairfield County 503
- Franklin County 1,024
- Erie County 408
- Fulton County 256
- Delaware County 428
- Gallia County 322
Cite this page
“Fayette County, Ohio.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/ohio/fayette-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.