NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Findlay, 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 Findlay, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 72 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 72
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
37 deaths in all
What the records show for Findlay
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Findlay; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 64 miles away. The record near Findlay begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 605 Ohio cities on this site, 53% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Findlay. The highest rating among the 72 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 11, 1965, came within 7 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on June 8, 1953, killed 17 people. Of the 72, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 26 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on May 7, 2024. Of the 605 Ohio cities, 55% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Findlay. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 70 times since 1973, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 605 Ohio cities, 49% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Findlay.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Findlay
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Findlay: 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 Findlay
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s9
- 2000s11(1 EF3+)
- 1990s10
- 1980s8(1 EF3+)
- 1970s10(3 EF3+)
- 1960s13(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 8, 1953 | F4 | 15 mi | 118 mi | 17 / 379 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 7 mi | 32.5 mi | 13 / 104 |
| May 10, 1973 | F3 | 17 mi | 50.1 mi | 6 / 100 |
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 22 mi | 5 mi | 1 / 22 |
| Oct 24, 2001 | F3 | 15 mi | 32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1971 | F3 | in town | 39.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1971 | F3 | 8 mi | 31.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 19, 1950 | F3 | 22 mi | 9.7 mi | 0 / 30 |
| May 30, 2008 | EF2 | 8 mi | 8.31 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F2 | 10 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 13, 1992 | F2 | 17 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 72, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Findlay
The Storm Prediction Center has 70 hail reports within 10 miles of Findlay since 1973, made on 52 separate days. Of these, 37 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 25, 2011. The most recent report is from March 14, 2024. May has the most reports, 23.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Findlay
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Findlay Wpcc, OH, 1 mile northwest of Findlay at 768 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 19°F. June is the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 37.8 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 15 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 117 nights a year. Snowfall averages 23.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 37.8 inches is more than at 21 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (16%). Mc Comb, 10 miles northwest, has its own station (Hoytville 2 NE, OH): 36.1 inches a year, 1.7 less than here, and the same July average high, 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 19 | 2.6 | 6 | 8.1 |
| Feb | 37 | 21 | 2.2 | 5 | 4.3 |
| Mar | 47 | 29 | 2.6 | 6 | 4.3 |
| Apr | 61 | 40 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.9 |
| May | 72 | 51 | 4.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 61 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 62 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 76 | 55 | 2.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 64 | 44 | 2.7 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 50 | 33 | 2.6 | 5 | 1.4 |
| Dec | 38 | 25 | 2.5 | 6 | 4.6 |
| Year | 60 | 42 | 37.8 | 76 | 23.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Findlay Wpcc, OH (768 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 Findlay
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 181 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Findlay: 155 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 floods and 6 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $126.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on November 5, 2017. July has had the most flash floods, 2 of 6. Of the 597 Ohio cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 110 have had fewer than Findlay.
August 21, 2007: flash flood in Findlay — $105.0 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain producing thunderstorms affected Hancock County during the late evening hours of August 20th and early morning hours of August 21st. Rainfall rates with the strongest storms approached three inches per hour.”
July 13, 2017: flood 2 miles from the centre of Findlay — $13.5 million damage.
NWS: “Major flooding occurred in Hancock county starting on July 13 and lasting through the 15th.”
February 28, 2011: flood 10 miles from the centre of Findlay — $1.2 million 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Findlay's ZIP code 45840 have filed 2,027 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $37.5 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1981: 277 claims (14% of all) and $1.9 million, then Late winter storms in 2011 with 198 and Tropical Storm Erin in 2007 with 20. The year with the most claims was 2007, with 906. 24% 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, 317 have fewer than Findlay.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1981 | 277 | $1.9 million |
| Late winter storms2011 | 198 | $2.5 million |
| Tropical Storm Erin2007 | 20 | $421,000 |
Hancock County, which includes Findlay, has been named in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Tornadoes, on May 2, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Hancock County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Relatively Low for 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 $30.9 million a year, the 23rd highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $18.8 million (61%), 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 Findlay
- Mc Comb, OH10 mi
- Arlington, OH10 mi
- North Baltimore, OH10 mi
- Carey, OH15 mi
- Fostoria, OH15 mi
- Bluffton, OH17 mi
- Pandora, OH17 mi
- Deshler, OH18 mi
- Forest, OH19 mi
- Leipsic, OH19 mi
- Wayne, OH19 mi
- Ada, OH20 mi
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