NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rootstown, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Rootstown, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 73 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 73
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
22 deaths in all
What the records show for Rootstown
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rootstown; the strongest was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm with 46 mph winds when its centre passed 15 miles away. The record near Rootstown begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 47 miles away. Of the 5 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Rootstown has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 46% of the 605 Ohio cities on this site. The strongest of the 73 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on May 31, 1985; its path came within 8 miles, and it killed 18 people. Of the 73, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 29 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 16. The most recent tornado was on August 6, 2024. Of the 605 Ohio cities, 53% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Rootstown. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 107 times since 1956, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Rootstown has more hail reports within 10 miles than 72% of the 605 Ohio cities.
Compare Rootstown's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rootstown
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 31 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 33 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 Rootstown: 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 Rootstown
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s13
- 2000s7
- 1990s15(1 EF3+)
- 1980s6(2 EF3+)
- 1970s11(2 EF3+)
- 1960s9
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1985 | F5 | 8 mi | 47 mi | 18 / 310 |
| May 2, 1983 | F3 | 23 mi | 12 mi | 1 / 25 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F3 | 13 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 12, 1978 | F3 | 25 mi | 7.3 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Jun 3, 1973 | F3 | 6 mi | 12.9 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 16, 1965 | F2 | 19 mi | 5.9 mi | 2 / 9 |
| Sep 30, 1954 | F2 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F2 | 22 mi | 10.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 19 mi | 7.2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F2 | 3 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 1985 | F2 | 23 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Jun 7, 1978 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 73, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rootstown
The Storm Prediction Center has 107 hail reports within 10 miles of Rootstown since 1956, made on 75 separate days. Of these, 59 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 12, 1956. The most recent report is from August 12, 2023. May has the most reports, 28.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rootstown
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Akron Fulton International Airport, OH, 14 miles west of Rootstown at 1,044 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 21°F. June and July are the wettest at 3.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.5 inches; the year adds up to 32.6 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 14 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 118 nights a year. That 32.6 inches is more than at 1 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (1%). Deerfield, 9 miles southeast, has its own station (Warren 3 S, OH): 40.8 inches a year, 8.2 more than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 21 | 1.8 | 4 |
| Feb | 40 | 22 | 1.5 | 4 |
| Mar | 49 | 30 | 2.5 | 6 |
| Apr | 62 | 40 | 2.8 | 6 |
| May | 73 | 51 | 3.6 | 8 |
| Jun | 81 | 60 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Jul | 85 | 64 | 3.7 | 7 |
| Aug | 84 | 62 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Sep | 77 | 55 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Oct | 65 | 44 | 2.5 | 6 |
| Nov | 52 | 35 | 2.3 | 5 |
| Dec | 41 | 27 | 2.0 | 5 |
| Year | 62 | 42 | 32.6 | 71 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Akron Fulton International Airport, OH (1,044 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 Rootstown
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 173 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rootstown: 160 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods and 3 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $10.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on June 24, 1996. July has had the most flash floods, 4 of 10. Of the 597 Ohio cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 231 have had fewer than Rootstown.
May 22, 2004: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Rootstown — $2.4 million damage.
July 10, 2013: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Rootstown — $2.4 million damage.
June 14, 2000: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Rootstown — $1.5 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
Portage County, which includes Rootstown, has been named in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 31, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Portage County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $28.9 million a year, the 27th highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $19.1 million (66%), 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.