NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Athens, 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 Athens, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 19 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 19
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Athens
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Athens; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 19 miles away. The record near Athens begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 44 miles away. None of the 6 systems has come since 2000. Athens has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 64% of the 605 Ohio cities on this site. The strongest of the 19 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF3 on September 16, 2010; its path came within 20 miles, and it killed 1 person. Of the 19, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 14 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on August 12, 2023. Of the 605 Ohio cities, 99% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Athens. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 55 times since 1982, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 605 Ohio cities, 69% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Athens.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Athens
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Athens: 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 Athens
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s8(1 EF3+)
- 2000s2
- 1990s2
- 1980s1
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2010 | EF3 | 20 mi | 9.05 mi | 1 / 16 |
| Sep 16, 2010 | EF2 | 7 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Jul 10, 2003 | F2 | 24 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 12, 2023 | EF1 | 3 mi | 2.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 2022 | EF1 | 13 mi | 0.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 8, 2020 | EF1 | 22 mi | 0.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 22, 2017 | EF1 | 22 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 1, 2017 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.05 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 21, 2001 | F1 | 20 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F1 | 14 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 12, 1980 | F1 | 11 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 1968 | F1 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 19, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Athens
The Storm Prediction Center has 55 hail reports within 10 miles of Athens since 1982, made on 40 separate days. Of these, 23 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 26, 2019. The most recent report is from May 2, 2025. June has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Athens
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Athens Ou, OH, in Athens at 684 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 38°F and 22°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 11 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 124 nights a year. Snowfall averages 17.6 inches a year, most of it in February. That 41.6 inches is more than at 63 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (49%). Albany, 10 miles southwest, has its own station (Carpenter 2 S, OH): 43.2 inches a year, 1.6 more than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 22 | 2.9 | 7 | 5.8 |
| Feb | 42 | 23 | 2.9 | 6 | 5.9 |
| Mar | 52 | 30 | 3.6 | 7 | 2.3 |
| Apr | 65 | 40 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.1 |
| May | 72 | 50 | 4.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 59 | 4.5 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 63 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 65 | 42 | 2.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 53 | 32 | 2.9 | 6 | 0.5 |
| Dec | 43 | 27 | 3.2 | 7 | 3.0 |
| Year | 63 | 42 | 41.6 | 84 | 17.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Athens Ou, OH (684 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 Athens
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 172 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Athens: 121 thunderstorm wind reports, 31 floods, 17 flash floods and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $3.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on September 16, 2010. August has had the most flash floods, 6 of 17. Of the 597 Ohio cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 374 have had fewer than Athens.
September 16, 2010: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Athens — 6 injured, $2.0 million damage.
January 1, 2005: flood 6 miles from the centre of Athens — $425,000 damage.
June 4, 2002: thunderstorm wind in Athens — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous large trees and branches were blown down in the city. The Emergency Management Agency reported 2 houses were severely damaged by fallen trees.”
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 Athens's ZIP code 45701 have filed 50 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $474,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1997: 10 claims (20% of all) and $33,000. 28% 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, 196 have fewer than Athens.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1997 | 10 | $33,000 |
Athens County, which includes Athens, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 31, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Athens County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $25.5 million a year, the 30th highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $21.4 million (84%), 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.
Cities near Athens
- The Plains, OH4 mi
- Albany, OH10 mi
- Nelsonville, OH11 mi
- Glouster, OH13 mi
- Pomeroy, OH16 mi
- Coolville, OH16 mi
- Mc Arthur, OH20 mi
- Corning, OH20 mi
- Little Hocking, OH21 mi
- Stockport, OH22 mi
- Middleport, OH22 mi
- Logan, OH22 mi
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