NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bradford, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bradford, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1915. Since 1950, 100 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 100
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Bradford
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Bradford; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1892, a tropical storm with 53 mph winds when its centre passed 28 miles away. The record near Bradford begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was an unnamed storm in 1915, a tropical storm 17 miles away. Of the 605 Ohio cities on this site, 82% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Bradford. The highest rating among the 100 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 27, 2019, came within 21 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 11, 1965, killed 3 people. Of the 100, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 58 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on April 25, 2025. Bradford has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 83% of the 605 Ohio cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 52 times since 1962, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 605 Ohio cities, 72% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Bradford.
Compare Bradford's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bradford
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bradford: 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 Bradford
By decade
- 2020s21(1 EF3+)
- 2010s30(2 EF3+)
- 2000s7
- 1990s10(1 EF3+)
- 1980s12(1 EF3+)
- 1970s4
- 1960s10(4 EF3+)
- 1950s6(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 16 mi | 18.4 mi | 3 / 50 |
| May 27, 2019 | EF4 | 21 mi | 18.17 mi | 0 / 166 |
| Mar 14, 2024 | EF3 | 1 mi | 41.34 mi | 1 / 39 |
| May 27, 2019 | EF3 | 11 mi | 10.49 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F3 | 12 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 21 |
| Mar 10, 1986 | F3 | 23 mi | 7.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 24, 1961 | F3 | 21 mi | 38.6 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 28, 1961 | F3 | 17 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 22 |
| Jul 28, 1961 | F3 | 7 mi | 20.2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Nov 15, 1955 | F3 | 17 mi | 21 mi | 0 / 8 |
| May 7, 2024 | EF2 | 24 mi | 6.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 2022 | EF2 | 12 mi | 13.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 100, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bradford
The Storm Prediction Center has 52 hail reports within 10 miles of Bradford since 1962, made on 39 separate days. Of these, 25 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 18, 2000. The most recent report is from May 28, 2024. May has the most reports, 21.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bradford
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Piqua Wwtp, OH, 11 miles east of Bradford at 853 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 36°F and 21°F. May is the wettest at 4.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.3 inches; the year adds up to 40.9 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 17 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 111 nights a year. That 40.9 inches is more than at 51 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (40%). Versailles, 8 miles northwest, has its own station (Greenville Wtp, OH): 40.3 inches a year, 0.6 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 21 | 3.0 | 7 |
| Feb | 41 | 23 | 2.3 | 6 |
| Mar | 51 | 32 | 3.2 | 8 |
| Apr | 64 | 41 | 3.9 | 8 |
| May | 74 | 52 | 4.4 | 8 |
| Jun | 81 | 61 | 4.2 | 9 |
| Jul | 84 | 65 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Aug | 83 | 62 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Sep | 78 | 55 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Oct | 66 | 44 | 2.9 | 7 |
| Nov | 52 | 34 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Dec | 40 | 25 | 3.0 | 7 |
| Year | 63 | 43 | 40.9 | 81 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Piqua Wwtp, OH (853 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 Bradford
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 134 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bradford: 103 thunderstorm wind reports, 19 floods, 11 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 19, 1998. July has had the most flash floods, 3 of 11. Of the 597 Ohio cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 265 have had fewer than Bradford.
January 1, 2005: flood 8 miles from the centre of Bradford — $500,000 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
Darke County, which includes Bradford, has been named in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Tornadoes, on May 2, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Darke County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $20.3 million a year, the 40th highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $10.6 million (52%), 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.