NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Atwater, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Atwater, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 76 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 76
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
21 deaths in all
What the records show for Atwater
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Atwater; the strongest was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm with 46 mph winds when its centre passed 18 miles away. The record near Atwater begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 47 miles away. Of the 5 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Atwater has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 46% of the 605 Ohio cities on this site. The strongest of the 76 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on May 31, 1985; its path came within 13 miles, and it killed 18 people. Of the 76, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 33 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on August 6, 2024. Atwater has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 50% of the 605 Ohio cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 74 times since 1956, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Atwater has more hail reports within 10 miles than 53% of the 605 Ohio cities.
Compare Atwater's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Atwater
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 31 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 38 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 Atwater: 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 Atwater
By decade
- 2020s12
- 2010s12
- 2000s9
- 1990s17(1 EF3+)
- 1980s5(1 EF3+)
- 1970s10(2 EF3+)
- 1960s8
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1985 | F5 | 13 mi | 47 mi | 18 / 310 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F3 | 16 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 12, 1978 | F3 | 21 mi | 7.3 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jun 3, 1973 | F3 | 11 mi | 12.9 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 16, 1965 | F2 | 14 mi | 5.9 mi | 2 / 9 |
| Sep 30, 1954 | F2 | 19 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 15 mi | 7.2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F2 | 2 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1985 | F2 | 21 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Jun 7, 1978 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 1977 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 16, 1976 | F2 | 20 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 76, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Atwater
The Storm Prediction Center has 74 hail reports within 10 miles of Atwater since 1956, made on 48 separate days. Of these, 36 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 8, 2007. The most recent report is from August 12, 2023. June has the most reports, 26.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Atwater
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Akron Fulton International Airport, OH, 14 miles west of Atwater 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%). Hartville, 8 miles southwest, 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 Atwater
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 119 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Atwater: 113 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 flash floods and 3 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on June 24, 1996.
August 14, 2002: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Atwater — $500,000 damage.
May 21, 2004: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Atwater — $150,000 damage.
April 10, 2013: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Atwater — $150,000 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
Portage County, which includes Atwater, has been named in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 31, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Portage County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $28.9 million a year, the 27th highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $19.1 million (66%), 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.