NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Vermilion, 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 Vermilion, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 71 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 71
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
36 deaths in all
What the records show for Vermilion
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Vermilion; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1892, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 47 miles away. The record near Vermilion begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 44 miles away. None of the 4 systems has come since 2000. Of the 605 Ohio cities on this site, 53% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Vermilion. The highest rating among the 71 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 11, 1965, came within 14 miles. Of the 71, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 30 have come since 2000. August has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on August 13, 2025. Of the 605 Ohio cities, 57% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Vermilion. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 58 times since 1962, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 605 Ohio cities, 64% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Vermilion.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Vermilion
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 22 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Vermilion: 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 Vermilion
By decade
- 2020s16
- 2010s8
- 2000s6
- 1990s15(1 EF3+)
- 1980s5
- 1970s11
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s6(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 14 mi | 22 mi | 18 / 200 |
| Jun 8, 1953 | F4 | in town | 118 mi | 17 / 379 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F3 | 23 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Mar 10, 1986 | F2 | 20 mi | 8 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Jun 15, 2023 | EF2 | 22 mi | 8.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 20, 2000 | F2 | 15 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F2 | 18 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F2 | 19 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 27, 1989 | F2 | 14 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Aug 26, 1986 | F2 | 10 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 13, 1975 | F2 | 24 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 71, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Vermilion
The Storm Prediction Center has 58 hail reports within 10 miles of Vermilion since 1962, made on 43 separate days. Of these, 26 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 5 days, most recently May 23, 2011. The most recent report is from August 23, 2023. May has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Vermilion
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Elyria Lorain Co Airport, OH, 11 miles southeast of Vermilion at 794 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 20°F. June is the wettest at 3.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.7 inches; the year adds up to 36.8 inches over 77 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 115 nights a year. That 36.8 inches is more than at 13 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (10%). Berlin Heights, 8 miles southwest, has its own station (Norwalk Wwtp, OH): 40.1 inches a year, 3.3 more than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 82°F.
Water temperature at the NOAA tide station Marblehead, OH, 21 miles northwest, averaged 77°F in July and 33°F in February over 2021–2025. No month averaged 80°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Water °F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 20 | 2.1 | 5 | 33 |
| Feb | 36 | 21 | 1.7 | 4 | 33 |
| Mar | 45 | 29 | 2.5 | 6 | 39 |
| Apr | 59 | 39 | 3.3 | 7 | 49 |
| May | 70 | 49 | 3.6 | 8 | 59 |
| Jun | 79 | 59 | 3.9 | 7 | 70 |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 3.6 | 7 | 77 |
| Aug | 80 | 60 | 3.6 | 6 | 76 |
| Sep | 75 | 53 | 3.7 | 6 | 72 |
| Oct | 63 | 43 | 3.5 | 7 | 61 |
| Nov | 49 | 34 | 3.0 | 7 | 49 |
| Dec | 39 | 26 | 2.3 | 6 | 38 |
| Year | 59 | 41 | 36.8 | 77 | 55 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Elyria Lorain Co Airport, OH (794 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals; water temperature: average of hourly readings 2021–2025 at the NOAA tide station Marblehead, 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 Vermilion
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 120 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Vermilion: 98 thunderstorm wind reports, 17 flash floods and 5 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $9.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 113 mph, on November 10, 1998. August 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 Vermilion.
August 23, 2023: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Vermilion — $3.0 million damage.
August 23, 2023: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Vermilion — $2.5 million damage.
February 28, 2011: flood 2 miles from the centre of Vermilion — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain and rapid snow melt led to widespread flooding across Lorain County. Rainfall totals across the county ranged from one to three inches on February 27th and 28th.”
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 Vermilion's ZIP code 44089 have filed 424 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $4.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1985: 184 claims (43% of all) and $3.0 million. 45% 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, 308 have fewer than Vermilion.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1985 | 184 | $3.0 million |
Erie County, which includes Vermilion, has been named in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 31, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Erie County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Relatively Low for inland flooding, coastal flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $21.2 million a year, the 39th highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $13.4 million (63%), 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 Vermilion
- Amherst, OH7 mi
- Berlin Heights, OH8 mi
- Huron, OH10 mi
- Lorain, OH10 mi
- Oberlin, OH11 mi
- Wakeman, OH11 mi
- Elyria, OH14 mi
- Milan, OH14 mi
- Sheffield Village, OH15 mi
- Lagrange, OH16 mi
- Norwalk, OH17 mi
- Sandusky, OH18 mi
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