NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Wakeman, 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 Wakeman, Ohio since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 103 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 103
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
42 deaths in all
What the records show for Wakeman
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Wakeman; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1892, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 49 miles away. The record near Wakeman begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 38 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 Wakeman. The highest rating among the 103 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 11, 1965, came within 7 miles. Of the 103, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 45 have come since 2000. June and August have had the most tornadoes, 22 each. The most recent tornado was on August 13, 2025. Wakeman has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 86% of the 605 Ohio cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 44 times since 1963, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 605 Ohio cities, 81% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Wakeman.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Wakeman
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 6 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 22 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 49 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 Wakeman: 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 Wakeman
By decade
- 2020s21
- 2010s13
- 2000s11
- 1990s21(1 EF3+)
- 1980s6
- 1970s21(1 EF3+)
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s6(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 7 mi | 22 mi | 18 / 200 |
| Jun 8, 1953 | F4 | 12 mi | 118 mi | 17 / 379 |
| May 10, 1973 | F3 | 16 mi | 50.1 mi | 6 / 100 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F3 | 20 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Mar 10, 1986 | F2 | 11 mi | 8 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Mar 14, 2024 | EF2 | 23 mi | 10.29 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 15, 2023 | EF2 | 16 mi | 8.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 14, 2019 | EF2 | 19 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F2 | 24 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F2 | 20 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 21, 2001 | F2 | 22 mi | 7.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 20, 2000 | F2 | 13 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 103, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Wakeman
The Storm Prediction Center has 44 hail reports within 10 miles of Wakeman since 1963, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 14 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently June 30, 1998. The most recent report is from May 22, 2024. June has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Wakeman
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Oberlin, OH, 9 miles east of Wakeman at 816 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 34°F and 18°F. June is the wettest at 4.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 40.1 inches over 87 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 128 nights a year. Snowfall averages 47.0 inches a year, most of it in January. That 40.1 inches is more than at 36 of the 129 Ohio stations used on this site (28%). Berlin Heights, 7 miles northwest, has its own station (Norwalk Wwtp, OH): 40.1 inches a year, the same as here, and the same July average high, 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 18 | 2.9 | 7 | 14.4 |
| Feb | 37 | 20 | 2.4 | 7 | 12.4 |
| Mar | 46 | 28 | 2.9 | 8 | 8.4 |
| Apr | 59 | 38 | 3.7 | 8 | 1.9 |
| May | 71 | 49 | 3.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 60 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 75 | 52 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 63 | 42 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 50 | 33 | 3.0 | 7 | 1.4 |
| Dec | 39 | 24 | 2.7 | 7 | 8.5 |
| Year | 60 | 40 | 40.1 | 87 | 47.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Oberlin, OH (816 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 Wakeman
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 106 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Wakeman: 95 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 flash floods, 3 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 11, 1999. Of the 597 Ohio cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 148 have had fewer than Wakeman.
June 26, 2008: lightning strike 3 miles from the centre of Wakeman — 1 killed, 1 injured.
NWS: “A married couple was struck by lightning while standing outside of their rural Huron County home. The husband was temporarily knocked unconscious and sustained burns to his ankle.”
February 28, 2011: flood 5 miles from the centre of Wakeman — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “More than 127 sites on Huron County roads needed repairs after flood waters caused erosion damage. Along with severe roadside erosion, many culverts and small bridges were washed out from the flooding.”
August 23, 2023: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Wakeman — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Flash flooding in and around Wellington. Lorain County Fairgrounds inundated with more than a foot of standing water, flooding cars and livestock trailers in the fairgrounds parking area, and several barns on the fairground property.”
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
Huron County, which includes Wakeman, has been named in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 6 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on March 31, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Huron County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Relatively Low for inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $16.6 million a year, the 52nd highest of 88 Ohio counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.4 million (56%), 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 Wakeman
- Berlin Heights, OH7 mi
- Oberlin, OH9 mi
- New London, OH10 mi
- Wellington, OH10 mi
- Norwalk, OH11 mi
- Vermilion, OH11 mi
- Milan, OH12 mi
- Amherst, OH13 mi
- Lagrange, OH13 mi
- Huron, OH13 mi
- Greenwich, OH16 mi
- Monroeville, OH17 mi
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