NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Belle Center, 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
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Belle Center, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 58 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 58
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Belle Center
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Belle Center; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1892, a tropical storm with 54 mph winds when its centre passed 3 miles away. The record near Belle Center begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 71 miles away. None of the 4 systems has come since 2000. Of the 605 Ohio cities on this site, 53% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Belle Center. The strongest of the 58 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 11, 1965; its path came within 16 miles, and it killed 3 people. The deadliest, an EF3 on March 14, 2024, killed 3 people. Of the 58, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 29 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on July 19, 2025. Of the 605 Ohio cities, 74% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Belle Center. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 34 times since 1980, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 605 Ohio cities, 90% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Belle Center.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Belle Center
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Belle Center: 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 Belle Center
By decade
- 2020s14(1 EF3+)
- 2010s9
- 2000s6(1 EF3+)
- 1990s8
- 1980s5
- 1970s8(2 EF3+)
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s2(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 16 mi | 18.4 mi | 3 / 50 |
| Mar 14, 2024 | EF3 | 6 mi | 31.33 mi | 3 / 27 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F3 | 17 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 10, 1973 | F3 | 20 mi | 89.6 mi | 0 / 8 |
| May 24, 1971 | F3 | 8 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 19, 1950 | F3 | 21 mi | 9.7 mi | 0 / 30 |
| Mar 14, 2024 | EF2 | 17 mi | 19.48 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 26, 2010 | EF2 | 20 mi | 3.92 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 1981 | F2 | 23 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 10, 1973 | F2 | 23 mi | 58.2 mi | 0 / 14 |
| May 14, 1970 | F2 | 16 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 16, 1965 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 58, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Belle Center
The Storm Prediction Center has 34 hail reports within 10 miles of Belle Center since 1980, made on 26 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently May 2, 2025. The most recent report is from May 2, 2025. May has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Belle Center
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Bellefontaine, OH, 11 miles south of Belle Center at 1,176 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 18°F. June is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 42.7 inches over 84 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 8 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 127 nights a year. That 42.7 inches is more than at 81 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (63%). Kenton, 13 miles northeast, has its own station (Kenton, OH): 37.7 inches a year, 5.0 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 18 | 3.0 | 7 |
| Feb | 37 | 20 | 2.5 | 5 |
| Mar | 48 | 29 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Apr | 61 | 39 | 4.1 | 9 |
| May | 71 | 51 | 4.3 | 9 |
| Jun | 80 | 60 | 5.0 | 8 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Aug | 81 | 62 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Oct | 64 | 43 | 2.8 | 6 |
| Nov | 50 | 32 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Dec | 38 | 24 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Year | 60 | 41 | 42.7 | 84 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Bellefontaine, OH (1,176 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 Belle Center
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 119 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Belle Center: 73 thunderstorm wind reports, 28 floods, 17 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $583,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on September 26, 2003. June has had the most flash floods, 8 of 17. Of the 597 Ohio cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 374 have had fewer than Belle Center.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Belle Center — $100,000 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
Logan County, which includes Belle Center, has been named in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1978, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Tornadoes, on May 2, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Logan County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $18.8 million a year, the 46th highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $12.8 million (68%), 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 Belle Center
- Huntsville, OH5 mi
- Lakeview, OH7 mi
- Bellefontaine, OH11 mi
- Kenton, OH13 mi
- West Mansfield, OH15 mi
- Mount Victory, OH15 mi
- Harrod, OH16 mi
- De Graff, OH16 mi
- Ada, OH18 mi
- West Liberty, OH18 mi
- Wapakoneta, OH21 mi
- Botkins, OH22 mi
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