NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Kenton, 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 Kenton, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 51 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 51
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
16 deaths in all
What the records show for Kenton
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Kenton; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1892, a tropical storm with 55 mph winds when its centre passed 3 miles away. The record near Kenton begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 66 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 Kenton. The strongest of the 51 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 11, 1965; its path came within 20 miles, and it killed 13 people. Of the 51, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 20 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on March 14, 2024. Of the 605 Ohio cities, 80% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Kenton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 29 times since 1959, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 605 Ohio cities, 94% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Kenton.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Kenton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 3 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 Kenton: 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 Kenton
By decade
- 2020s12(1 EF3+)
- 2010s4
- 2000s4(1 EF3+)
- 1990s6
- 1980s6
- 1970s8(2 EF3+)
- 1960s8(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 20 mi | 32.5 mi | 13 / 104 |
| Mar 14, 2024 | EF3 | 16 mi | 31.33 mi | 3 / 27 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F3 | 17 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 2, 1971 | F3 | 20 mi | 31.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 24, 1971 | F3 | 20 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 19, 1950 | F3 | 23 mi | 9.7 mi | 0 / 30 |
| Mar 14, 2024 | EF2 | 19 mi | 19.48 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 10, 1975 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 10, 1973 | F2 | 10 mi | 58.2 mi | 0 / 14 |
| May 6, 1971 | F2 | 23 mi | 7.4 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 15, 1964 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Jun 15, 1964 | F2 | 17 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 51, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Kenton
The Storm Prediction Center has 29 hail reports within 10 miles of Kenton since 1959, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 15 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently June 29, 2003. The most recent report is from July 26, 2018. June has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Kenton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Kenton, OH, in Kenton at 997 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 33°F and 18°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 16 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 124 nights a year. Snowfall averages 25.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 37.7 inches is more than at 20 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (16%). Belle Center, 13 miles southwest, has its own station (Bellefontaine, OH): 42.7 inches a year, 5.0 more than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 18 | 2.6 | 6 | 9.3 |
| Feb | 36 | 21 | 2.6 | 5 | 7.4 |
| Mar | 47 | 29 | 2.8 | 7 | 4.5 |
| Apr | 60 | 39 | 3.7 | 9 | 0.3 |
| May | 72 | 50 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 60 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 83 | 62 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 77 | 54 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 64 | 43 | 2.6 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 50 | 33 | 2.9 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Dec | 38 | 24 | 2.8 | 5 | 3.5 |
| Year | 60 | 41 | 37.7 | 75 | 25.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Kenton, OH (997 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 Kenton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 83 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Kenton: 54 thunderstorm wind reports, 23 floods, 4 flash floods and 2 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $631,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 29, 2012.
November 17, 2013: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Kenton — $200,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Kenton's ZIP code 43326 have filed 16 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 2006, and were paid $283,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 44% 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, 71 have fewer than Kenton.
Hardin County, which includes Kenton, has been named in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 5 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 31, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Hardin County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $10.6 million a year, the 72nd highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.2 million (59%), 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 Kenton
- Mount Victory, OH9 mi
- Forest, OH11 mi
- Belle Center, OH13 mi
- Ada, OH14 mi
- West Mansfield, OH16 mi
- Arlington, OH17 mi
- Huntsville, OH17 mi
- Harrod, OH18 mi
- Lakeview, OH18 mi
- Upper Sandusky, OH21 mi
- Bellefontaine, OH21 mi
- Richwood, OH21 mi
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