236
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$7.0M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Ottawa County, Ohio: 236 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 80. That places the county #768 nationally and #40 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Ottawa County, Ohio: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Ottawa County is the 2000s, when 59 of the county's 236 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Ottawa County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 58.9% of all recorded severe weather across 11 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #768 for this hazard and #40 within Ohio, putting it in the 75.5 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Ottawa County with 56 recorded events, while Feb is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2011 | PORT CLINTON | 50 | 0 | 5 | $20K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2026 | MARTIN | 61 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2026 | MARTIN | 57 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 2025 | CLAY CENTER | 51 | $0 |
| Sep 24, 2024 | ELMORE | 55 | $0 |
| Sep 24, 2024 | ELMORE | 55 | $2K |
| Aug 27, 2024 | CLAY CENTER | 55 | $8K |
| Jun 26, 2024 | ELMORE HAAR FLD ARPT | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 2024 | ELMORE | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 25, 2023 | PUT IN BAY | 55 | $0 |
| Aug 25, 2023 | ROCKY RIDGE | 60 | $3K |
Other hazards here
More from Ottawa County
- Hail 113
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Most of the damage in Ottawa County was caused by straight line winds. A gust of 92 miles per hour was measured in Erie Township. Sustained winds of 70 miles per hour were measured at Port Clinton. Many trees and power lines were downed, blocking several roads. Mobile homes were flipped over, some with people inside them in Oak Harbor, and roofs were blown off of barns.
A strong thunderstorm moved across Catawba Island from Lake Erie. Thunderstorm downburst winds estimated at 75 mph caused considerable damage from the west shore all the way to Marblehead. Over 250 trees were toppled or snapped in Danbury Township. Several homes sustained damage from fallen trees. Other homes lost roofing or siding and two vehicles were crushed by fallen trees. Large hail accompanied the strong winds and also caused extensive damage. Danbury Township Police were unable to conduct a storm survey because all of the departments police cruisers were damaged by the hail. Funnel clouds were reported in the area but there was no evidence of a touchdown.
Thunderstorm winds downed many trees across the county. Several buildings were also damaged. An automobile dealership near Oak Harbor lost part of it's roof and had several vehicles damaged. Two barns were heavily damaged along State Route 19 north of Oak Harbor and a third barn was damaged near Rocky Ridge. Over 2500 customers, most of them in Carroll Township and on Catawba Island, were without electricity during the peak of the storm.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Ottawa County, Ohio?
236 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Ottawa County between 1956 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Ottawa County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Ottawa County measured 80.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Ottawa County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Ottawa County, Ohio.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/ohio/ottawa-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.