NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lancaster, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lancaster, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 80 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 80
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Lancaster
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lancaster; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1892, a tropical storm with 54 mph winds when its centre passed 73 miles away. The record near Lancaster begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 8 miles away. None of the 6 systems has come since 2000. Lancaster has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 64% of the 605 Ohio cities on this site. The highest rating among the 80 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on October 13, 1999, came within 21 miles. Of the 80, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 46 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on March 30, 2025. Lancaster has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 57% of the 605 Ohio cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 81 times since 1961, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Lancaster has more hail reports within 10 miles than 56% of the 605 Ohio cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lancaster
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 55 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 Lancaster: 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 Lancaster
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s23
- 2000s12
- 1990s4(1 EF3+)
- 1980s8
- 1970s9(3 EF3+)
- 1960s11
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 1999 | F3 | 21 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 6 |
| May 10, 1973 | F3 | 18 mi | 89.6 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Feb 22, 1971 | F3 | 24 mi | 6.8 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Sep 3, 1970 | F3 | 17 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Feb 28, 2024 | EF2 | 23 mi | 14.04 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 2022 | EF2 | 24 mi | 9.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 2019 | EF2 | 13 mi | 5.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 20, 2011 | EF2 | 23 mi | 3.85 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 2010 | EF2 | 12 mi | 6.99 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 13, 1981 | F2 | 19 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 16, 1971 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 27, 1965 | F2 | 24 mi | 5.9 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 80, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lancaster
The Storm Prediction Center has 81 hail reports within 10 miles of Lancaster since 1961, made on 57 separate days. Of these, 37 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 11, 1980. The most recent report is from April 2, 2025. June has the most reports, 25.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lancaster
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lancaster, OH, in Lancaster at 827 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 38°F and 22°F. May and July are the wettest at 4.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.3 inches; the year adds up to 40.3 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 22 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 114 nights a year. That 40.3 inches is more than at 40 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (31%). Carroll, 8 miles northwest, has its own station (Lancaster Fairfield Airport, OH): 40.4 inches a year, 0.1 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 22 | 2.9 | 6 |
| Feb | 41 | 24 | 2.3 | 6 |
| Mar | 52 | 32 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Apr | 65 | 41 | 3.9 | 8 |
| May | 74 | 52 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Jun | 82 | 61 | 4.1 | 8 |
| Jul | 85 | 65 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Aug | 84 | 63 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Sep | 78 | 55 | 3.2 | 5 |
| Oct | 66 | 44 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Nov | 53 | 34 | 2.7 | 5 |
| Dec | 42 | 27 | 2.9 | 6 |
| Year | 63 | 43 | 40.3 | 77 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lancaster, OH (827 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 Lancaster
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 206 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lancaster: 162 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 floods, 19 flash floods, 4 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on April 20, 2011. July has had the most flash floods, 15 of 19. Of the 597 Ohio cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 410 have had fewer than Lancaster.
July 22, 2017: lightning strike in Lancaster — 1 injured.
NWS: “A person in a small metal shed was struck by lightning.”
July 27, 2025: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Lancaster — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Flash flooding along Fetters Run near College Avenue caused damage to the roadway, as well as significant damage to the Lancaster Festival stages, equipment, and vehicles.”
July 27, 2025: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Lancaster — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Multiple water rescues occurred in the apartment complex along Sater Drive where water was over three feet deep. Additionally, over 30 vehicles were flooded in deep water.”
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 Lancaster's ZIP code 43130 have filed 158 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $806,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1981: 20 claims (13% of all) and $66,000, then March storm in 2008 with 12. The year with the most claims was 2018, with 20. 22% 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, 288 have fewer than Lancaster.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1981 | 20 | $66,000 |
| March storm2008 | 12 | $12,000 |
Fairfield County, which includes Lancaster, has been named in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms, 1 flood). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 31, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Fairfield County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $39.0 million a year, the 19th highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $26.6 million (68%), 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 Lancaster
- Sugar Grove, OH8 mi
- Carroll, OH8 mi
- Amanda, OH9 mi
- Baltimore, OH10 mi
- Bremen, OH10 mi
- Rushville, OH11 mi
- Rockbridge, OH12 mi
- Lithopolis, OH12 mi
- Millersport, OH14 mi
- Stoutsville, OH14 mi
- Canal Winchester, OH14 mi
- Pickerington, OH15 mi
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