NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Richmond, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Richmond, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 41 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 41
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Richmond
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Richmond; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 51 mph winds when its centre passed 64 miles away. The record near Richmond begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 50 miles away. Of the 8 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Richmond has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 97% of the 605 Ohio cities on this site. The strongest of the 41 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F3 on May 8, 1969; its path came within 25 miles, and it killed 1 person. Of the 41, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 25 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on May 21, 2025. Of the 605 Ohio cities, 86% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Richmond. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 69 times since 1975, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 605 Ohio cities, 51% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Richmond.
Compare Richmond's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Richmond
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 31 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 29 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Richmond: 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 Richmond
By decade
- 2020s15
- 2010s8
- 2000s2
- 1990s6
- 1980s5
- 1970s1
- 1960s3(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8, 1969 | F3 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 1 / 14 |
| May 7, 2024 | EF2 | 10 mi | 15.32 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF2 | 20 mi | 15.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | EF2 | 12 mi | 6.16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | EF2 | 20 mi | 2.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 23, 2000 | F2 | 17 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 1954 | F2 | 16 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 26, 2024 | EF1 | 24 mi | 6.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 12, 2023 | EF1 | 24 mi | 1.59 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 21, 2021 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.43 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | EF1 | 4 mi | 2.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | EF1 | 9 mi | 2.17 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 41, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Richmond
The Storm Prediction Center has 69 hail reports within 10 miles of Richmond since 1975, made on 39 separate days. Of these, 42 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 March 28, 2020. The most recent report is from April 2, 2025. April has the most reports, 24.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Richmond
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Steubenville, OH, 8 miles southeast of Richmond at 992 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 19°F. June is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 43.2 inches over 91 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 10 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 116 nights a year. That 43.2 inches is more than at 90 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (70%). Amsterdam, 9 miles west, has its own station (Cadiz, OH): 42.7 inches a year, 0.5 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 19 | 3.5 | 8 |
| Feb | 40 | 21 | 2.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 49 | 27 | 3.2 | 8 |
| Apr | 62 | 38 | 3.7 | 9 |
| May | 72 | 49 | 4.3 | 9 |
| Jun | 79 | 58 | 4.9 | 9 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 3.5 | 7 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Oct | 64 | 42 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Nov | 51 | 32 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Dec | 41 | 25 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Year | 61 | 41 | 43.2 | 91 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Steubenville, OH (992 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 Richmond
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 205 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Richmond: 177 thunderstorm wind reports, 17 flash floods, 6 floods, 4 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $4.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 14, 2022. July has had the most flash floods, 5 of 17. Of the 597 Ohio cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 374 have had fewer than Richmond.
May 18, 2017: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Richmond — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
April 2, 2024: flood 10 miles from the centre of Richmond — $881,000 damage.
April 16, 2010: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Richmond — $500,000 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
Jefferson County, which includes Richmond, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 7 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 Jefferson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hurricanes, tornadoes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $22.4 million a year, the 32nd highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $18.4 million (82%), 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 Richmond
- Wintersville, OH6 mi
- Bloomingdale, OH6 mi
- Toronto, OH8 mi
- Steubenville, OH8 mi
- Amsterdam, OH9 mi
- Weirton, WV10 mi
- Mingo Junction, OH10 mi
- New Cumberland, WV11 mi
- Follansbee, WV12 mi
- Colliers, WV12 mi
- Salineville, OH14 mi
- Wellsville, OH14 mi
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