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Summit County, Ohio severe weather history spans 732 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 53.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #367 nationally and #6 in Ohio.
732
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
12
Direct injuries
$506.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Summit County, Ohio severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Summit County, Ohio severe weather history averages 10.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 198 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 82 events fall before 1990 and 650 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Summit County, Ohio record is flash flood, responsible for 4 direct deaths. The costliest is hail, with $297.3M 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 Summit County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 391 | 1 | $13.2M | 87 | 1955–2026 |
| Hail | 254 | 0 | $297.3M | 4.25 | 1955–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 54 | 4 | $170.0M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Tornado | 18 | 0 | $25.3M | F3 | 1963–2024 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $215K | 0 | 1996–2004 |
| Flood | 5 | 0 | $305K | 0 | 2011–2020 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2001 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–1997 |
Decade by decade
Summit County, Ohio severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
20 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 16 touched down inside it and 4 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-05-02 | EF3 | 1 | 25 | 12.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1992-07-12 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-06-03 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 12.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2002-11-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-06-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-04-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-08-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-04-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 9.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-04-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-07-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Summit County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 2003 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 3 | 0 | $100.0M |
| May 22, 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | AKRON | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| Jul 10, 2013 | Flash Flood | AKRON | 1 | 0 | $3.8M |
| Jun 24, 2004 | Lightning | PENINSULA | 0 | 9 | $0 |
| Apr 15, 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | MACEDONIA | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| Jul 22, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 1 | $50K |
| Jun 27, 1995 | Hail | Countywide | 0 | 1 | $30K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
On Wednesday afternoon, July 10, the City of Akron experienced 3 to 4 inches of rain in an hour and a half. Flooding occurred causing the closings of roadways and expressways. Along with the roadway flooding, the City received reports of nearly 200 flooded basements. Widespread flooding was reported throughout the city and numerous homes, businesses, and vehicles were inundated by the rain.
Weakened tree fell onto home in Akron and killed occupant. Thunderstorm was likely sub-severe per radar data. The nearby Akron-Fulton International Airport ASOS recorded a peak convective wind gust of 44 mph at 9:26 AM EST. No other reports of thunderstorm-related damage or severe convective weather were received as the cluster of storms moved through the Akron area.
A severe thunderstorm moved across Summit County and caused unprecedented damage. Hail as large as softballs fell across much of the county. Extensive damage was done to homes and vehicles in Akron and surrounding areas. Nearly 51,100 insurance claims were filed for damage in the county. The south side of Akron was the hardest hit.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
537,864
Population (ACS)
$209K
Median home value
14
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 |
| Oct 24, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WIND STORM ASSOCIATED WITH TROPICAL DEPRESSION IKE | DR |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Sep 19, 2004 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Summit County, Ohio?
732 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 5 direct deaths and $506.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Summit County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 391 recorded events — 53.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Summit County?
20 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 Summit County?
14 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Summit County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Summit County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Summit County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 91 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Summit 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
- Stark County 694
- Trumbull County 681
- Shelby County 362
- Tuscarawas County 615
- Seneca County 463
- Union County 274
Cite this page
“Summit County, Ohio.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/ohio/summit-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.