NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Salem, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Salem, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Sandy in 2012. Since 1950, 70 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 70
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
32 deaths in all
What the records show for Salem
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Salem; the strongest was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm with 46 mph winds when its centre passed 37 miles away. The record near Salem begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Sandy in 2012, a tropical storm 32 miles away. Of the 7 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Salem has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 90% of the 605 Ohio cities on this site. The strongest of the 70 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on May 31, 1985; its path came within 21 miles, and it killed 18 people. Of the 70, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 24 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 25. The most recent tornado was on May 7, 2024. Of the 605 Ohio cities, 58% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Salem. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 86 times since 1979, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Salem has more hail reports within 10 miles than 60% of the 605 Ohio cities.
Compare Salem's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Salem
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | SandyOct 31 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
| 2003 | IsabelSep 19 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 48 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 Salem: 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 Salem
By decade
- 2020s8
- 2010s10
- 2000s6
- 1990s20
- 1980s10(2 EF3+)
- 1970s6(1 EF3+)
- 1960s6
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1985 | F5 | 21 mi | 47 mi | 18 / 310 |
| May 31, 1985 | F3 | 21 mi | 39 mi | 9 / 120 |
| Aug 5, 1956 | F3 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Oct 12, 1978 | F3 | 2 mi | 7.3 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Nov 16, 1965 | F2 | 15 mi | 5.9 mi | 2 / 9 |
| Sep 30, 1954 | F2 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 3 |
| May 7, 2024 | EF2 | 22 mi | 15.32 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 29, 2021 | EF2 | 20 mi | 6.16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 9, 2001 | F2 | 20 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 8, 1992 | F2 | 24 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F2 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 27, 1987 | F2 | 16 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 70, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Salem
The Storm Prediction Center has 86 hail reports within 10 miles of Salem since 1979, made on 66 separate days. Of these, 35 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on June 2, 1998. The most recent report is from April 2, 2025. June has the most reports, 23.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Salem
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Warren 3 S, OH, 21 miles north of Salem at 900 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 59°F; January is the coolest, at 35°F and 17°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 40.8 inches over 91 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 11 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 147 nights a year. Snowfall averages 27.9 inches a year, most of it in January. That 40.8 inches is more than at 50 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (39%). Leetonia, 6 miles southeast, has its own station (New Castle 1 N, PA): 42.0 inches a year, 1.2 more than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 17 | 3.1 | 8 | 9.6 |
| Feb | 38 | 17 | 2.3 | 7 | 6.4 |
| Mar | 47 | 25 | 3.1 | 8 | 4.4 |
| Apr | 60 | 35 | 3.8 | 9 | 0.2 |
| May | 71 | 45 | 3.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 79 | 54 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 59 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 82 | 57 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 75 | 50 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 63 | 40 | 3.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 50 | 31 | 2.6 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Dec | 39 | 23 | 2.9 | 7 | 6.5 |
| Year | 60 | 38 | 40.8 | 91 | 27.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Warren 3 S, OH (900 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 Salem
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 185 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Salem: 168 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 floods, 7 flash floods and 2 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $5.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on August 9, 2007. August has had the most flash floods, 3 of 7. Of the 597 Ohio cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 148 have had fewer than Salem.
January 1, 2005: flood 9 miles from the centre of Salem — $1.1 million damage.
October 6, 2024: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Salem — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “A tree was reported down along Depot and Winona Road.”
August 9, 2007: thunderstorm wind in Salem — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “An NWS storm survey found a microburst hit Salem with maximum winds estimated at 85 MPH with maximum width about 200 yards. A roof was ripped off a gas station with minor damage to a supermarket.”
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
Columbiana County, which includes Salem, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 31, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Columbiana 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 hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $25.1 million a year, the 31st highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $19.4 million (77%), 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.