NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Galion, 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 Galion, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 89 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 89
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
15 deaths in all
What the records show for Galion
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Galion; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1892, a tropical storm with 55 mph winds when its centre passed 41 miles away. The record near Galion begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 30 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 Galion. The highest rating among the 89 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on June 13, 1981, came within 12 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 10, 1973, killed 6 people. Of the 89, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 22 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 19. The most recent tornado was on April 17, 2024. Galion has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 70% of the 605 Ohio cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 64 times since 1960, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 605 Ohio cities, 57% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Galion.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Galion
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 41 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 Galion: 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 Galion
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s7
- 2000s7
- 1990s14
- 1980s21(1 EF3+)
- 1970s23(1 EF3+)
- 1960s8
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 1973 | F3 | 25 mi | 50.1 mi | 6 / 100 |
| Jun 13, 1981 | F3 | 12 mi | 3.8 mi | 4 / 56 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F2 | 17 mi | 22.2 mi | 4 / 62 |
| Mar 10, 1986 | F2 | 24 mi | 8 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Mar 14, 2024 | EF2 | 17 mi | 10.29 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 2019 | EF2 | 10 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Nov 5, 2017 | EF2 | in town | 1.09 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 4, 2017 | EF2 | 5 mi | 16.67 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 23, 2000 | F2 | 6 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 13, 1992 | F2 | 25 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 1990 | F2 | 11 mi | 22 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 27, 1989 | F2 | 25 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 89, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Galion
The Storm Prediction Center has 64 hail reports within 10 miles of Galion since 1960, made on 51 separate days. Of these, 28 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 5 days, most recently June 29, 2012. The most recent report is from May 21, 2022. June has the most reports, 25.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Galion
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Galion Wtr Wks, OH, in Galion at 1,170 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 33°F and 18°F. June is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 43.0 inches over 89 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 18 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 130 nights a year. Snowfall averages 25.9 inches a year, most of it in January. That 43.0 inches is more than at 85 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (66%). Caledonia, 10 miles southwest, has its own station (Marion Municipal Airport, OH): 37.5 inches a year, 5.5 less than here, and the same July average high, 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 18 | 3.2 | 8 | 9.9 |
| Feb | 36 | 19 | 2.2 | 6 | 4.9 |
| Mar | 47 | 28 | 2.8 | 7 | 4.0 |
| Apr | 60 | 38 | 4.2 | 9 | 0.4 |
| May | 71 | 49 | 4.5 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 61 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 76 | 53 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 63 | 42 | 3.1 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 49 | 32 | 3.2 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Dec | 39 | 25 | 3.3 | 7 | 5.6 |
| Year | 60 | 40 | 43.0 | 89 | 25.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Galion Wtr Wks, OH (1,170 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 Galion
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 110 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Galion: 99 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 flash floods and 5 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $4.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 29, 2012. July has had the most flash floods, 3 of 6. Of the 597 Ohio cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 110 have had fewer than Galion.
September 20, 2002: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Galion — 2 injured, $200,000 damage.
August 12, 1997: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Galion — 1 injured, $4,000 damage.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Galion — $2.0 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 Galion's ZIP code 44833 have filed 62 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1980, and were paid $1.0 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Late winter storms in 2011: 18 claims (29% of all) and $501,000, then Flooding in 1987 with 16. 56% 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, 218 have fewer than Galion.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Late winter storms2011 | 18 | $501,000 |
| Flooding1987 | 16 | $227,000 |
Crawford County, which includes Galion, has been named in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 severe storms, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 flood). The latest major disaster declaration was Tornadoes, on May 2, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Crawford County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, 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 $12.3 million a year, the 65th highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.6 million (62%), 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 Galion
- Crestline, OH6 mi
- Caledonia, OH10 mi
- Bucyrus, OH11 mi
- Mount Gilead, OH12 mi
- Lexington, OH12 mi
- Shelby, OH14 mi
- Mansfield, OH15 mi
- Cardington, OH16 mi
- Bellville, OH17 mi
- Nevada, OH19 mi
- Marion, OH19 mi
- Fredericktown, OH20 mi
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