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Seneca County, Ohio severe weather history spans 463 recorded events between 1959 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 53.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,009 nationally and #31 in Ohio.
463
Recorded events
7
Direct deaths
37
Direct injuries
$31.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Seneca County, Ohio severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Seneca County, Ohio severe weather history averages 6.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 141 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 69 events fall before 1990 and 394 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Seneca County, Ohio record is tornado, responsible for 6 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $19.4M in reported property damage. In total, 10 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Seneca County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 248 | 0 | $6.3M | 70 | 1962–2026 |
| Hail | 158 | 0 | $579K | 3 | 1959–2026 |
| Tornado | 23 | 6 | $19.4M | F3 | 1960–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 23 | 0 | $3.3M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 5 | 1 | $1.5M | 0 | 2007–2021 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $75K | 0 | 1999–2002 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2001 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–1997 |
| Winter Weather | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–1998 |
| High Wind | 1 | 0 | $0 | 50 | 2014–2014 |
Decade by decade
Seneca County, Ohio severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
25 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-05-10 | EF3 | 6 | 100 | 50.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1965-04-11 | EF3 | 4 | 30 | 15.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2002-11-10 | EF3 | 1 | 2 | 21.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-06-02 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-11-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2002-11-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1992-07-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 16.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-11-16 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-02-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1951-04-28 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 15.2 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Seneca County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 1965 | Tornado | 4 | 30 | $250K | |
| Nov 10, 2002 | Tornado | TIFFIN | 1 | 2 | $12.8M |
| Dec 22, 2013 | Flood | TIFFIN ARPT | 1 | 0 | $5K |
| May 10, 1973 | Tornado | 1 | 0 | $2.5M | |
| Jan 13, 1998 | Winter Weather | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 16, 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Jul 6, 1999 | Lightning | TIFFIN | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The Sandusky River at Tiffin came out of its banks after a heavy rain event on the 21st and 22nd. The river 11.11 feet, 0.61 feet above moderate flood stage. Flooding impacted Route 53 north of U.S. 224. Floodwaters also inundated Township Road 131. In the city of Tiffin, Water Street, Marlyn Street, Front Street, and Davis Street were inundated. There was one fatality on Maryln Street due to the flooding.
Portions of the Heidelberg University campus in Tiffin and the local YMCA were flooded as Rock Creek came out of it's banks. Waist deep water was reported in the Clinton Mobile Home park. The Riverbend Apartments experienced flooding in the lower-level apartments. At least 30 vehicles were damaged by flooding on the Heidelberg campus. Two drivers were rescued from submerged vehicles on county road 16 in Bloomville. One rescue occurred at US 224 just east of county road 17. Additional water rescues occurred at SR 19, CR 16, and TR 218.
After lifting in downtown Fostoria (near the Hancock County border) the tornado touched down again on the northeastern edge of Fostoria. The tornado moved northeast from this location and damaged several homes before reaching the Fostoria Airport where a hanger and office building were damaged. From the airport, the tornado continued northeast across open farmland for a few miles and finally dissipated northwest of Amsden near the intersection of County Road 3 and Township Road 172. Several more homes and barns were damaged along the last half of the tornado track. Many cars were also damaged and hundreds of trees and power poles toppled. The damage path from this tornado in Seneca County was roughly five and a half miles in length and around 25 yards in width.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
54,770
Population (ACS)
$155K
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 |
| Jun 30, 2012 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS | EM |
| Aug 27, 2007 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Feb 15, 2005 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Tiffin 119
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Seneca County, Ohio?
463 events are on record between 1959 and 2026, causing 7 direct deaths and $31.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Seneca County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 248 recorded events — 53.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Seneca County?
25 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 20 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Seneca County?
13 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Seneca County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Seneca County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Seneca County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 47 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Seneca 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
- Scioto County 537
- Shelby County 362
- Sandusky County 366
- Stark County 694
- Ross County 417
- Summit County 732
Cite this page
“Seneca County, Ohio.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/ohio/seneca-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.