NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Big Prairie, 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 Big Prairie, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 60 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 60
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Big Prairie
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Big Prairie; the strongest was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm with 46 mph winds when its centre passed 2 miles away. The record near Big Prairie begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Opal in 1995. 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 Big Prairie. The highest rating among the 60 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 15 times; the most recent, on September 16, 2010, came within 12 miles. Of the 60, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 23 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on July 28, 2025. Of the 605 Ohio cities, 72% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Big Prairie. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 60 times since 1970, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 605 Ohio cities, 62% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Big Prairie.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Big Prairie
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 55 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 Big Prairie: 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 Big Prairie
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s8
- 2000s9
- 1990s11
- 1980s10
- 1970s10
- 1960s5
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2010 | EF2 | 12 mi | 11.47 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 2006 | F2 | 16 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 12, 2003 | F2 | 14 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F2 | 23 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F2 | 23 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 1990 | F2 | 16 mi | 22 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 8, 1981 | F2 | 16 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 8, 1981 | F2 | 15 mi | 3.8 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 31, 1976 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 10, 1973 | F2 | 6 mi | 6.2 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 10, 1973 | F2 | 24 mi | 40.4 mi | 0 / 8 |
| May 10, 1973 | F2 | 15 mi | 58.2 mi | 0 / 14 |
The strongest 12 of 60, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Big Prairie
The Storm Prediction Center has 60 hail reports within 10 miles of Big Prairie since 1970, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 34 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on September 7, 2020. The most recent report is from May 5, 2025. June has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Big Prairie
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Millersburg, OH, 11 miles southeast of Big Prairie at 819 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 60°F; January is the coolest, at 36°F and 18°F. June is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.1 inches; the year adds up to 40.8 inches over 85 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 12 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 141 nights a year. Snowfall averages 20.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 40.8 inches is more than at 49 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (38%). Shreve, 5 miles northeast, has its own station (Wooster Exp Station, OH): 42.0 inches a year, 1.2 more than here, and the same July average high, 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 18 | 2.9 | 7 | 7.3 |
| Feb | 39 | 19 | 2.1 | 6 | 4.8 |
| Mar | 49 | 27 | 3.1 | 7 | 2.9 |
| Apr | 62 | 36 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.2 |
| May | 72 | 47 | 4.2 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 56 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 60 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 58 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 76 | 51 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 65 | 40 | 3.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 52 | 31 | 2.8 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Dec | 40 | 24 | 2.9 | 7 | 4.2 |
| Year | 61 | 39 | 40.8 | 85 | 20.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Millersburg, OH (819 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 Big Prairie
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 100 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Big Prairie: 93 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 floods and 3 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 13, 2022.
June 24, 2014: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Big Prairie — $875,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain on the evening of June 23rd brought widespread flooding to Holmes County. The torrential rain with rates estimated around 4 inches per hour between 9 and 10 PM caused streams and creeks to rise.”
February 28, 2011: flood 3 miles from the centre of Big Prairie — $300,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain and rapid snow melt led to widespread flooding across Holmes County. Rainfall totals across the county ranged from one to three inches on February 27th and 28th.”
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Big Prairie — $300,000 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
Holmes County, which includes Big Prairie, has been named in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 31, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Holmes County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $11.7 million a year, the 66th highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.6 million (65%), 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 Big Prairie
- Shreve, OH5 mi
- Loudonville, OH7 mi
- Holmesville, OH8 mi
- Killbuck, OH11 mi
- Perrysville, OH12 mi
- Jeromesville, OH13 mi
- Millersburg, OH13 mi
- Fredericksburg, OH13 mi
- Wooster, OH13 mi
- Danville, OH15 mi
- Apple Creek, OH16 mi
- Lucas, OH18 mi
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