NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Novelty, 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 Novelty, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 62 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 62
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
40 deaths in all
What the records show for Novelty
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Novelty; the strongest was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm with 46 mph winds when its centre passed 8 miles away. The record near Novelty begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 60 miles away. Of the 6 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Novelty has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 64% of the 605 Ohio cities on this site. The strongest of the 62 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on May 31, 1985; its path came within 22 miles, and it killed 18 people. Of the 62, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 31 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on August 12, 2025. Of the 605 Ohio cities, 70% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Novelty. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 129 times since 1970, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Novelty has more hail reports within 10 miles than 82% of the 605 Ohio cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Novelty
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 31 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 22 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Novelty: 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 Novelty
By decade
- 2020s15
- 2010s13
- 2000s3
- 1990s9(1 EF3+)
- 1980s6(3 EF3+)
- 1970s5(1 EF3+)
- 1960s7(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1985 | F5 | 22 mi | 47 mi | 18 / 310 |
| Jun 8, 1953 | F4 | 20 mi | 118 mi | 17 / 379 |
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 9 mi | 12 mi | 1 / 25 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F3 | 22 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1985 | F3 | 18 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 30 |
| Jun 3, 1973 | F3 | 20 mi | 12.9 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 29, 1966 | F3 | 6 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Aug 20, 1962 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.5 mi | 4 / 20 |
| Aug 24, 2023 | EF2 | 13 mi | 0.69 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 24, 2023 | EF2 | 9 mi | 1.52 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F2 | 8 mi | 10.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 28, 1995 | F2 | 14 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 62, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Novelty
The Storm Prediction Center has 129 hail reports within 10 miles of Novelty since 1970, made on 72 separate days. Of these, 57 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 21, 2022. The most recent report is from May 5, 2025. May has the most reports, 48.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Novelty
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Kirtland-Holden 2, OH, 10 miles north of Novelty at 1,030 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 19°F. July is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 48.2 inches over 99 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 9 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 124 nights a year. That 48.2 inches is more than at 124 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (96%). Newbury, 5 miles east, has its own station (Chardon, OH): 50.7 inches a year, 2.5 more than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 82°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Cleveland, OH, 16 miles west, averaged 75°F in August and 40°F in January and February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 19 | 3.5 | 10 | 40 |
| Feb | 36 | 20 | 2.7 | 6 | 40 |
| Mar | 45 | 28 | 3.3 | 8 | 42 |
| Apr | 58 | 38 | 4.1 | 9 | 49 |
| May | 69 | 49 | 4.1 | 9 | 57 |
| Jun | 77 | 58 | 4.0 | 8 | 66 |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 5.2 | 8 | 74 |
| Aug | 80 | 61 | 4.4 | 7 | 75 |
| Sep | 74 | 55 | 4.6 | 7 | 72 |
| Oct | 62 | 45 | 3.9 | 8 | 64 |
| Nov | 49 | 35 | 4.1 | 10 | 54 |
| Dec | 39 | 25 | 4.3 | 10 | 42 |
| Year | 59 | 41 | 48.2 | 99 | 56 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Kirtland-Holden 2, OH (1,030 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Cleveland, OH, from NOAA Tides & Currents. 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 Novelty
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 260 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Novelty: 231 thunderstorm wind reports, 18 flash floods and 11 floods. They killed 2 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $8.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on August 6, 2024. August has had the most flash floods, 6 of 18. Of the 597 Ohio cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 393 have had fewer than Novelty.
July 31, 1999: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Novelty — 1 killed, $400,000 damage.
February 28, 2011: flood 10 miles from the centre of Novelty — 1 killed, $300,000 damage.
August 10, 2017: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Novelty — $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 Novelty's ZIP code 44072 have filed 18 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1985, and were paid $164,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 39% 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, 86 have fewer than Novelty.
Geauga County, which includes Novelty, has been named in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 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 Geauga County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hail and inland flooding; Relatively Low for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $19.8 million a year, the 42nd highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $14.0 million (71%), 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 Novelty
- Chesterland, OH3 mi
- Chagrin Falls, OH5 mi
- Newbury, OH5 mi
- Gates Mills, OH5 mi
- Mayfield Heights, OH7 mi
- Solon, OH8 mi
- Richmond Heights, OH9 mi
- Beachwood, OH10 mi
- Chardon, OH10 mi
- Burton, OH10 mi
- Willoughby, OH11 mi
- South Euclid, OH11 mi
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