NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Chillicothe, 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 Chillicothe, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 55 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 55
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Chillicothe
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Chillicothe; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1892, a tropical storm with 53 mph winds when its centre passed 64 miles away. The record near Chillicothe begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 1 mile away. None of the 5 systems has come since 2000. Chillicothe has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 46% of the 605 Ohio cities on this site. The highest rating among the 55 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on October 13, 1999, came within 8 miles. Of the 55, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 36 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 10. The most recent tornado was on September 25, 2024. Of the 605 Ohio cities, 78% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Chillicothe. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 51 times since 1966, with stones up to 5 inches. Of the 605 Ohio cities, 73% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Chillicothe.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Chillicothe
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 39 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 Chillicothe: 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 Chillicothe
By decade
- 2020s12
- 2010s15
- 2000s9
- 1990s2(1 EF3+)
- 1980s6
- 1970s6(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 1999 | F3 | 8 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Sep 3, 1970 | F3 | 22 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF2 | 21 mi | 1.87 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 2022 | EF2 | 13 mi | 9.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 15, 2021 | EF2 | 17 mi | 0.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 2019 | EF2 | 18 mi | 5.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 22, 1971 | F2 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 8, 1965 | F2 | 14 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 9 |
| May 26, 1962 | F2 | 4 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 22, 1958 | F2 | 17 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 13, 2022 | EF1 | 22 mi | 1.87 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 15, 2021 | EF1 | 11 mi | 2.72 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 55, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Chillicothe
The Storm Prediction Center has 51 hail reports within 10 miles of Chillicothe since 1966, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 32 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 5 inches, fell on May 1, 2012. The most recent report is from May 4, 2025. May has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Chillicothe
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Waverly, OH, 15 miles south of Chillicothe at 572 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 22°F. May and June are the wettest at 4.4 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 43.7 inches over 82 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 26 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 124 nights a year. Snowfall averages 11.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 43.7 inches is more than at 96 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (74%). Kingston, 10 miles northeast, has its own station (Circleville, OH): 41.1 inches a year, 2.6 less than here, and the same July average high, 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 22 | 3.2 | 7 | 5.0 |
| Feb | 44 | 24 | 3.1 | 7 | 3.5 |
| Mar | 54 | 31 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.9 |
| Apr | 66 | 41 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 75 | 52 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 55 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 68 | 43 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 55 | 32 | 2.9 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 44 | 27 | 3.4 | 7 | 2.0 |
| Year | 65 | 43 | 43.7 | 82 | 11.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Waverly, OH (572 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 Chillicothe
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 148 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Chillicothe: 114 thunderstorm wind reports, 27 floods and 7 flash floods. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $911,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on May 11, 2014. June has had the most flash floods, 4 of 7. Of the 597 Ohio cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 148 have had fewer than Chillicothe.
March 1, 2018: flood 5 miles from the centre of Chillicothe — 1 killed.
NWS: “Trego Creek was running high due to recent heavy rains. An 8 year old boy drowned after being swept away in the creek.”
May 11, 2014: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Chillicothe — $200,000 damage.
March 3, 2023: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Chillicothe — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Widespread tree and powerline damage was reported from Chillicothe to about 6 miles southeast of Chillicothe. S.”
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 Chillicothe's ZIP code 45601 have filed 102 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $799,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1992: 18 claims (18% of all) and $200,000. The year with the most claims was 2005, with 18. 25% 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, 268 have fewer than Chillicothe.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1992 | 18 | $200,000 |
Ross County, which includes Chillicothe, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 31, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Ross County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and strong wind; 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 $21.5 million a year, the 37th highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $14.8 million (69%), 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 Chillicothe
- Kingston, OH10 mi
- Londonderry, OH12 mi
- Frankfort, OH13 mi
- Waverly, OH14 mi
- Laurelville, OH17 mi
- Bainbridge, OH18 mi
- Circleville, OH19 mi
- Williamsport, OH19 mi
- Piketon, OH20 mi
- Stoutsville, OH21 mi
- New Holland, OH22 mi
- Greenfield, OH23 mi
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