NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rockford, 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 Rockford, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 113 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 113
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
9 deaths in all
What the records show for Rockford
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rockford; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 54 miles away. The record near Rockford begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 605 Ohio cities on this site, 53% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Rockford. The highest rating among the 113 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on November 10, 2002, came within 8 miles. Of the 113, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 69 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 22. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Rockford has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 92% of the 605 Ohio cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 46 times since 1981, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 605 Ohio cities, 79% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Rockford.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rockford
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Rockford: 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 Rockford
By decade
- 2020s20
- 2010s28(1 EF3+)
- 2000s21(3 EF3+)
- 1990s18(1 EF3+)
- 1980s10
- 1970s8
- 1960s5(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 10, 2002 | F4 | 8 mi | 52.8 mi | 4 / 17 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 2 mi | 52.5 mi | 4 / 125 |
| Feb 18, 1992 | F4 | 7 mi | 2.8 mi | 0 / 6 |
| May 27, 2019 | EF3 | 9 mi | 10.84 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F3 | 10 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 24, 2001 | F3 | 22 mi | 32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 2024 | EF2 | 17 mi | 6.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 2024 | EF2 | 13 mi | 8.14 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 18, 2021 | EF2 | 18 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 18, 2021 | EF2 | 17 mi | 5.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 5, 2017 | EF2 | 11 mi | 5.41 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Nov 5, 2017 | EF2 | 8 mi | 38.72 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 113, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rockford
The Storm Prediction Center has 46 hail reports within 10 miles of Rockford since 1981, made on 36 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on July 10, 2017. The most recent report is from March 14, 2024. June has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rockford
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Celina 3 NE, OH, 11 miles southeast of Rockford at 866 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 19°F. July is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.3 inches; the year adds up to 40.1 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 12 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 116 nights a year. Snowfall averages 28.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 40.1 inches is more than at 39 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (30%). Ohio City, 7 miles north, has its own station (Van Wert 1 S, OH): 40.6 inches a year, 0.5 more than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 19 | 2.8 | 7 | 10.8 |
| Feb | 38 | 22 | 2.3 | 5 | 7.1 |
| Mar | 49 | 30 | 2.9 | 7 | 4.1 |
| Apr | 63 | 40 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.5 |
| May | 73 | 51 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 60 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 63 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 77 | 54 | 2.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 65 | 44 | 2.9 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 50 | 33 | 3.2 | 6 | 1.3 |
| Dec | 38 | 24 | 2.6 | 6 | 4.9 |
| Year | 61 | 42 | 40.1 | 79 | 28.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Celina 3 NE, OH (866 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 Rockford
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 145 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rockford: 102 thunderstorm wind reports, 36 floods, 5 flash floods, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $744,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 29, 1998. May has had the most flash floods, 3 of 5. Of the 597 Ohio cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 83 have had fewer than Rockford.
July 20, 2023: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Rockford — 1 killed.
June 22, 2006: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Rockford — $100,000 damage.
March 8, 2009: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Rockford — $100,000 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
Mercer County, which includes Rockford, has been named in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 6 severe storms, 3 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies, 1 flood). The latest major disaster declaration was Tornadoes, on May 2, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Mercer County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $18.0 million a year, the 49th highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.2 million (51%), 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 Rockford
- Ohio City, OH7 mi
- Celina, OH11 mi
- Monroe, IN13 mi
- Berne, IN14 mi
- Coldwater, OH14 mi
- Van Wert, OH14 mi
- Geneva, IN16 mi
- Decatur, IN17 mi
- Spencerville, OH17 mi
- Convoy, OH17 mi
- Saint Marys, OH18 mi
- Saint Henry, OH19 mi
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