NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Nelsonville, 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 Nelsonville, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 24 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 24
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Nelsonville
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Nelsonville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 30 miles away. The record near Nelsonville begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 34 miles away. None of the 6 systems has come since 2000. Nelsonville has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 64% of the 605 Ohio cities on this site. The highest rating among the 24 tornadoes within 25 miles is EF2, reached 4 times; the most recent, on June 8, 2022, came within 19 miles. Of the 24, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 18 have come since 2000. September has had the most tornadoes, 7. The most recent tornado was on September 25, 2024. Of the 605 Ohio cities, 96% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Nelsonville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 57 times since 1982, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 605 Ohio cities, 65% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Nelsonville.
Compare Nelsonville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Nelsonville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 30 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 Nelsonville: 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 Nelsonville
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s10
- 2000s3
- 1990s2
- 1980s1
- 1970s1
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 8, 2022 | EF2 | 19 mi | 9.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 2019 | EF2 | 22 mi | 5.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 2010 | EF2 | 3 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Sep 16, 2010 | EF2 | 21 mi | 6.99 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 12, 2023 | EF1 | 14 mi | 2.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 8, 2022 | EF1 | 10 mi | 0.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 22, 2017 | EF1 | 18 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 2010 | EF1 | 19 mi | 4.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 16, 2010 | EF1 | 25 mi | 0.97 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 23, 2000 | F1 | 21 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 23, 2000 | F1 | 19 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F1 | 22 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 24, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Nelsonville
The Storm Prediction Center has 57 hail reports within 10 miles of Nelsonville since 1982, made on 35 separate days. Of these, 39 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently April 28, 2016. The most recent report is from May 2, 2025. April has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Nelsonville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Logan, OH, 10 miles northwest of Nelsonville at 722 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 19°F. June and July are the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 43.1 inches over 89 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 13 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 135 nights a year. That 43.1 inches is more than at 86 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (67%). The Plains, 8 miles southeast, has its own station (Athens Ou, OH): 41.6 inches a year, 1.5 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 19 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Feb | 42 | 21 | 2.9 | 7 |
| Mar | 52 | 28 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Apr | 65 | 37 | 4.1 | 8 |
| May | 74 | 48 | 4.3 | 10 |
| Jun | 81 | 57 | 4.7 | 9 |
| Jul | 85 | 61 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Aug | 84 | 59 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Sep | 78 | 52 | 2.9 | 6 |
| Oct | 67 | 40 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Nov | 54 | 30 | 2.8 | 7 |
| Dec | 43 | 23 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Year | 64 | 40 | 43.1 | 89 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Logan, OH (722 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 Nelsonville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 186 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Nelsonville: 100 thunderstorm wind reports, 57 floods, 27 flash floods and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 1 person and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $5.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on September 16, 2010. June has had the most flash floods, 10 of 27. Of the 597 Ohio cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 493 have had fewer than Nelsonville.
May 4, 2012: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of Nelsonville — 1 killed, $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Small streams across the northern portion of the county flooded. An elderly couple was driving home along Linscott Run.”
September 16, 2010: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Nelsonville — 6 injured, $2.0 million damage.
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Nelsonville — $2.5 million damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees or large branches fell across the county. Nearly 24,000 customers lost electricity.”
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 Nelsonville's ZIP code 45764 have filed 36 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $110,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 19% 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, 169 have fewer than Nelsonville.
Athens County, which includes Nelsonville, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 31, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Athens County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; 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 $25.5 million a year, the 30th highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $21.4 million (84%), 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.