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Hamilton County, Ohio severe weather history spans 921 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 49.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #191 nationally and #3 in Ohio.
921
Recorded events
22
Direct deaths
594
Direct injuries
$167.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Hamilton County, Ohio severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Hamilton County, Ohio severe weather history averages 12.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 397 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 98 events fall before 1990 and 823 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Hamilton County, Ohio record is tornado, responsible for 13 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $138.9M 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 Hamilton County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 451 | 2 | $8.9M | 87 | 1955–2026 |
| Hail | 210 | 0 | $5.2M | 2.75 | 1960–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 146 | 3 | $13.4M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Flood | 62 | 0 | $146K | 0 | 2007–2025 |
| Tornado | 18 | 13 | $138.9M | F5 | 1954–2020 |
| Lightning | 18 | 4 | $660K | 0 | 1996–2019 |
| Heavy Rain | 16 | 0 | $22K | 0 | 2011–2016 |
Decade by decade
Hamilton County, Ohio severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
18 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | EF5 | 3 | 210 | 20.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1999-04-09 | EF4 | 4 | 65 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF4 | 2 | 39 | 19.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-02 | EF4 | 0 | 37 | 33.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1969-08-09 | EF3 | 4 | 247 | 22.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-10-01 | EF3 | 0 | 17 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1958-07-11 | EF2 | 0 | 8 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-06-02 | EF1 | 0 | 15 | 6.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-10-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-09-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Hamilton County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 9, 1969 | Tornado | 4 | 240 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 9, 1999 | Tornado | BLUE ASH | 4 | 65 | $82.0M |
| Apr 3, 1974 | Tornado | 3 | 190 | $0 | |
| Jul 18, 2001 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 3 | 0 | $3.6M |
| Apr 3, 1974 | Tornado | 2 | 39 | $250K | |
| Aug 30, 2019 | Lightning | CUMMINGSVILLE | 2 | 1 | $1K |
| Jul 5, 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | EVENDALE | 2 | 0 | $5K |
| Sep 2, 2000 | Lightning | MACK | 1 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado began with F2 intensity in Blue Ash in the northeast corner of the county. This tornado moved through Montgomery, Symmes Township, and Loveland before entering Warren county. The intensity of the tornado was F2 and F3 at many points along the track, intensifying to a low end F4 while in Montgomery. The width of the tornado ranged from 100 yards to 1/4 mile wide. Four fatalities occurred; two in a home and the other two in vehicles. About 91 homes and apartments were destroyed along with 37 businesses. Additionally, 197 homes and apartments suffered major damage with 477 others also incurring damage. Twenty six businesses had major damage with 18 others also incurring damage.
389 dwellings sustained damage due to flooding. Several businesses were flooded along Mill Creek in Sharonville. Two people, a young woman, 21, and her father, 48, died in their flooded basement in Fairfax, when Little Duck Creek flooded in their neighborhood. A young woman, 16, was swept away while attempting to escape a vehicle which had become trapped in high water on a bridge. Total estimate of public assistance is 3,565,315.
Three women were jogging in Spring Grove Cemetery when a thunderstorm rolled in. The women took cover under a large oak tree, but all three women were hit when lightning struck. One women was killed immediately, the other two were injured. A second women passed away five days later. F27UT. F55UT.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk rating
830,774
Population (ACS)
$242K
Median home value
18
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Apr 17, 2018 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Jun 30, 2012 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS | EM |
| Jul 13, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Oct 24, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WIND STORM ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL DEPRESSION IKE | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Hamilton County, Ohio?
921 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 22 direct deaths and $167.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Hamilton County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 451 recorded events — 49.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Hamilton County?
18 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 16 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Hamilton County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Hamilton County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Hamilton County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hamilton County as relatively high risk, placing it in the 96 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Hamilton 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
- Guernsey County 406
- Hancock County 411
- Greene County 577
- Hardin County 243
- Geauga County 428
- Harrison County 270
Cite this page
“Hamilton County, Ohio.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/ohio/hamilton-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.