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Knox County, Ohio severe weather history spans 368 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 65.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,391 nationally and #54 in Ohio.
368
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
23
Direct injuries
$19.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Knox County, Ohio severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Knox County, Ohio severe weather history averages 5.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 118 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 27 events fall before 1990 and 341 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Knox County, Ohio record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $10.8M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Knox County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 241 | 1 | $5.9M | 70 | 1968–2026 |
| Hail | 80 | 0 | $210K | 1.75 | 1961–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 20 | 0 | $10.8M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Tornado | 14 | 0 | $1.6M | F2 | 1957–2026 |
| Flood | 9 | 0 | $704K | 0 | 2007–2020 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $160K | 0 | 1999–2001 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–1997 |
| Winter Weather | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–1998 |
Decade by decade
Knox County, Ohio severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
13 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-09-20 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 21.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1982-03-31 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 9 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1981-06-08 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-04-02 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1957-06-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-06-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2000-09-20 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-06-05 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 3.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-08-03 | EF0 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Knox County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | HOWARD | 1 | 4 | $50K |
| Apr 3, 1982 | Tornado | 0 | 9 | $250K | |
| Mar 31, 1982 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $250K | |
| Jun 9, 1981 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Jul 22, 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | PIPESVILLE | 0 | 1 | $75K |
| Aug 3, 2006 | Tornado | MT VERNON | 0 | 1 | $325K |
| Jun 8, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Mount Vernon | 0 | 1 | $700K |
| Apr 2, 1970 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Thunderstorm winds downed many trees near Apple Valley Lake in northeastern Knox County. A vehicle travelling on U.S. 36 just west of Howard was struck by a falling tree. A two year old female inside the car was killed and four other occupants were seriously injured.
Another round of thunderstorms with torrential rains produced additional flooding and contributed to ongoing flooding. Many roads were closed or remained closed. Forty families had to be evacuated from their homes. Before the thunderstorms moved away 10 inches or more of rainfall had occurred since early morning. Flood waters persisted in some areas for several days. The county was declared a state and federal disaster area.
Continuing heavy thunderstorm rains brought major flooding, which continued in many areas through the day. Approximately one hundred people were evacuated from their homes. A number of people were trapped by the rising flood waters in vehicles and buildings and had to be rescued. At least nine bridges were washed out; roads were washed away. Many buildings and crops were damaged and several buildings were destroyed.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
63,142
Population (ACS)
$239K
Median home value
13
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Aug 20, 2012 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR |
| Jun 30, 2012 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS | EM |
| Oct 24, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WIND STORM ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL DEPRESSION IKE | DR |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Knox County, Ohio?
368 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $19.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Knox County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 241 recorded events — 65.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Knox County?
13 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 11 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Knox County?
13 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Knox County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Knox County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Knox County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 61 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Knox 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
- Jefferson County 353
- Lake County 387
- Jackson County 258
- Lawrence County 412
- Huron County 494
- Licking County 573
Cite this page
“Knox County, Ohio.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/ohio/knox-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.