NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Akron, OH
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Akron, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 92 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 92
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
39 deaths in all
What the records show for Akron
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Akron; the strongest was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm with 46 mph winds when its centre passed 4 miles away. The record near Akron begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 63 miles away. Of the 6 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Akron has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 64% of the 605 Ohio cities on this site. The strongest of the 92 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on May 31, 1985; its path came within 21 miles, and it killed 18 people. Of the 92, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 43 have come since 2000. May and July have had the most tornadoes, 18 each. The most recent tornado was on July 28, 2025. Akron has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 74% of the 605 Ohio cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 214 times since 1955, with stones up to 4.25 inches. Akron has more hail reports within 10 miles than 99% of the 605 Ohio cities.
Compare Akron's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Akron
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 31 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 22 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Akron: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Akron
By decade
- 2020s15
- 2010s16
- 2000s12
- 1990s18(2 EF3+)
- 1980s6(2 EF3+)
- 1970s11(1 EF3+)
- 1960s11(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1985 | F5 | 21 mi | 47 mi | 18 / 310 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 25 mi | 22 mi | 18 / 200 |
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 19 mi | 12 mi | 1 / 25 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F3 | 5 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F3 | 21 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jun 3, 1973 | F3 | 10 mi | 12.9 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 16, 1965 | F2 | 23 mi | 5.9 mi | 2 / 9 |
| Aug 24, 2023 | EF2 | 25 mi | 1.52 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 2010 | EF2 | 22 mi | 11.47 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F2 | 18 mi | 10.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 14 mi | 7.2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F2 | 15 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 92, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Akron
The Storm Prediction Center has 214 hail reports within 10 miles of Akron since 1955, made on 119 separate days. Of these, 111 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.25 inches, fell on June 8, 2007. The most recent report is from April 2, 2025. June has the most reports, 62.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Akron
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Akron Fulton International Airport, OH, 3 miles southeast of Akron at 1,044 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 21°F. June and July are the wettest at 3.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.5 inches; the year adds up to 32.6 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 14 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 118 nights a year. That 32.6 inches is more than at 1 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (1%). Uniontown, 9 miles southeast, has its own station (Akron Canton Regional Airport, OH): 41.4 inches a year, 8.8 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 21 | 1.8 | 4 |
| Feb | 40 | 22 | 1.5 | 4 |
| Mar | 49 | 30 | 2.5 | 6 |
| Apr | 62 | 40 | 2.8 | 6 |
| May | 73 | 51 | 3.6 | 8 |
| Jun | 81 | 60 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Jul | 85 | 64 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Aug | 84 | 62 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Sep | 77 | 55 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Oct | 65 | 44 | 2.5 | 6 |
| Nov | 52 | 35 | 2.3 | 5 |
| Dec | 41 | 27 | 2.0 | 5 |
| Year | 62 | 42 | 32.6 | 71 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Akron Fulton International Airport, OH (1,044 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Akron
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 281 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Akron: 256 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 flash floods and 3 floods. They killed 2 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $54.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 99 mph, on June 12, 1998. August has had the most flash floods, 7 of 22. Of the 597 Ohio cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 444 have had fewer than Akron.
July 10, 2013: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of Akron — 1 killed, $3.8 million damage.
NWS: “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.”
May 22, 2024: thunderstorm wind in Akron — 1 killed, $20,000 damage.
NWS: “Weakened tree fell onto home in Akron and killed occupant. Thunderstorm was likely sub-severe per radar data.”
July 21, 1998: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Akron — 1 injured, $50,000 damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Akron's 13 ZIP codes have filed 251 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $3.3 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2013, with 46. 6% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 318 Ohio cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 303 have fewer than Akron.
Summit County, which includes Akron, has been named in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 severe storms, 3 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 31, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Summit County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $102.2 million a year, the 7th highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $65.0 million (64%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.