Highland County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Ohio Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Highland County is about the same as Ohio average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Highland County is about the same as Ohio average and is higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #50
| Highland County | 0.05 |
| Ohio | 0.16 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Highland County | 0.0000 |
| Ohio | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #41
| Highland County | 163.67 |
| Ohio | 156.02 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 14,416 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Highland County were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 3 | Cold: | 116 | Dense Fog: | 40 | Drought: | 72 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 2,351 | Hail: | 3,143 | Heat: | 95 | Heavy Snow: | 139 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 59 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 219 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 7,686 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 2 | Winter Storm: | 127 | Winter Weather: | 61 |
| Other: | 303 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Highland County.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Highland County.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Highland County.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 71 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Highland County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 3.4 | 1965-04-08 | 2 | 39°11'N / 83°46'W | 39°11'N / 83°34'W | 10.50 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Highland |
| 7.0 | 1959-02-10 | 3 | 39°05'N / 83°42'W | 39°05'N / 83°30'W | 10.50 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Highland |
| 11.7 | 1961-04-25 | 2 | 39°19'N / 83°50'W | 39°22'N / 83°32'W | 16.20 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Highland |
| 12.0 | 1960-06-22 | 2 | 39°06'N / 83°48'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Highland | |||
| 12.7 | 1970-04-02 | 2 | 39°21'N / 83°30'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Highland | |
| 18.2 | 1968-04-23 | 4 | 39°22'N / 83°55'W | 39°17'N / 83°52'W | 6.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Clinton |
| 18.8 | 1961-04-25 | 2 | 39°18'N / 84°00'W | 39°19'N / 83°50'W | 8.80 Miles | 50 Yards | 2 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Clinton |
| 20.2 | 1968-04-23 | 4 | 39°12'N / 84°00'W | 39°22'N / 83°55'W | 12.20 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Brown |
| 21.8 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 38°49'N / 83°36'W | 38°57'N / 83°22'W | 15.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 1 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Adams |
| 22.9 | 1986-03-10 | 2 | 39°27'N / 83°50'W | 39°31'N / 83°45'W | 6.00 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 10 | 2.5M | 0 | Clinton |
| 23.0 | 1990-09-14 | 2 | 39°29'N / 83°34'W | 39°32'N / 83°26'W | 7.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Fayette |
| 23.1 | 1990-09-14 | 2 | 39°30'N / 83°59'W | 39°29'N / 83°34'W | 22.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Clinton |
| 23.4 | 1965-11-16 | 3 | 39°30'N / 83°29'W | 39°30'N / 83°24'W | 3.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Fayette |
| 28.5 | 1968-04-23 | 4 | 39°06'N / 84°16'W | 39°12'N / 84°00'W | 15.80 Miles | 100 Yards | 1 | 29 | 2.5M | 0 | Clermont |
| 28.5 | 1968-04-23 | 4 | 38°48'N / 83°42'W | 38°53'N / 82°55'W | 42.50 Miles | 550 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Adams |
| 29.3 | 1968-04-23 | 4 | 38°46'N / 83°52'W | 38°48'N / 83°42'W | 9.10 Miles | 550 Yards | 1 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Brown |
| 29.5 | 1969-05-10 | 3 | 39°33'N / 83°55'W | 39°35'N / 83°47'W | 7.20 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 6 | 0K | 0 | Greene |
| 29.7 | 1986-03-10 | 2 | 39°29'N / 83°34'W | 39°42'N / 83°17'W | 22.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 1 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Fayette |
| 30.6 | 1986-03-10 | 2 | 38°44'N / 83°50'W | 38°48'N / 83°45'W | 6.00 Miles | 143 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Brown |
| 31.1 | 1969-05-10 | 3 | 39°32'N / 84°00'W | 39°33'N / 83°55'W | 4.10 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Clinton |
| 32.2 | 1990-09-14 | 2 | 39°33'N / 84°03'W | 39°30'N / 83°59'W | 5.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Warren |
| 32.5 | 1969-08-09 | 3 | 39°10'N / 84°18'W | 39°07'N / 84°07'W | 10.30 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 7 | 250K | 0 | Clermont |
| 32.5 | 1965-04-08 | 2 | 39°08'N / 83°00'W | 1.00 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 9 | 250K | 0 | Pike | |
| 33.2 | 1968-04-23 | 4 | 38°45'N / 83°55'W | 38°46'N / 83°52'W | 2.70 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Edmonson |
| 34.2 | 1956-03-07 | 2 | 38°57'N / 83°04'W | 38°57'N / 83°01'W | 1.90 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Pike |
| 34.3 | 1975-04-02 | 2 | 39°29'N / 84°07'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Warren | |
| 35.3 | 1971-02-22 | 2 | 39°37'N / 83°15'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Fayette | |
| 35.5 | 1999-04-09 | 2 | 39°21'N / 84°11'W | 39°23'N / 84°16'W | 1.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Warren |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down in eastern Hamilton Township causing heavy damage to a farmstead. The roof of the house and an extension to a barn were destroyed. Further down the path, a house was skewed from its foundation. | |||||||||||
| 36.1 | 1969-05-10 | 3 | 39°25'N / 84°20'W | 39°32'N / 84°00'W | 19.40 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 10 | 250K | 0 | Warren |
| 36.3 | 1997-07-02 | 2 | 39°41'N / 83°49'W | 39°41'N / 83°49'W | 0.20 Mile | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0 | Greene |
| Brief Description: A brief tornado developed in the apex of a bow echo that moved across the county. A house was blown off its foundation and moved 35 feet away. A low pressure system with an unusually strong mid and upper level jet streak was moving across the Great Lakes with an associated cold front moving across the upper Ohio valley. Thunderstorms developed across Indiana and moved into West-Central Ohio around mid-afternoon with a distinct bow echo causing wind damage from near to Lima to southeast of Columbus. On the southern edge of the first line of storms, a supercell developed over Central Indiana. This storm evolved into a bow echo and swept across the Dayton metro area causing extensive wind damage and a brief tornado in Greene county. Another supercell developed near Cincinnati and moved southeastward along the Ohio River. This storm produced the F3 tornado in Clermont county. | |||||||||||
| 36.3 | 1990-06-02 | 2 | 38°52'N / 84°11'W | 38°55'N / 84°09'W | 4.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Clermont |
| 36.8 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 39°23'N / 84°14'W | 39°31'N / 84°10'W | 9.80 Miles | 177 Yards | 0 | 9 | 2.5M | 0 | Warren |
| 37.0 | 1997-07-02 | 3 | 38°51'N / 84°11'W | 38°49'N / 84°04'W | 12.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.0M | 0 | Clermont |
| Brief Description: A multiple vortex tornado tracked across the southern part of the county. The tornado damaged or destroyed 56 mobile homes and 27 single family homes. Several barns and sheds were destroyed and numerous trees were downed. No serious injuries or deaths occurred with this tornado. A low pressure system with an unusually strong mid and upper level jet streak was moving across the Great Lakes with an associated cold front moving across the upper Ohio valley. Thunderstorms developed across Indiana and moved into West-Central Ohio around mid-afternoon with a distinct bow echo causing wind damage from near to Lima to southeast of Columbus. On the southern edge of the first line of storms, a supercell developed over Central Indiana. This storm evolved into a bow echo and swept across the Dayton metro area causing extensive wind damage and a brief tornado in Greene county. Another supercell developed near Cincinnati and moved southeastward along the Ohio River. This storm produced the F3 tornado in Clermont county. | |||||||||||
| 38.5 | 1962-05-26 | 2 | 39°18'N / 82°54'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Ross | |||
| 38.7 | 1968-04-23 | 2 | 38°43'N / 84°00'W | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Bracken | |||
| 39.0 | 1999-04-09 | 4 | 39°14'N / 84°22'W | 39°18'N / 84°17'W | 8.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 4 | 65 | 82.0M | 0 | Hamilton |
| Brief Description: A tornado began with F2 intensity in Blue Ash in the northeast corner of the county. This tornado moved through Montgomery, Symmes Township, and Loveland before entering Warren county. The intensity of the tornado was F2 and F3 at many points along the track, intensifying to a low end F4 while in Montgomery. The width of the tornado ranged from 100 yards to 1/4 mile wide. Four fatalities occurred; two in a home and the other two in vehicles. About 91 homes and apartments were destroyed along with 37 businesses. Additionally, 197 homes and apartments suffered major damage with 477 others also incurring damage. Twenty six businesses had major damage with 18 others also incurring damage. M40VE, M38VE, M58PH, F52PH | |||||||||||
| 39.1 | 1974-04-03 | 5 | 39°38'N / 84°03'W | 39°47'N / 83°43'W | 20.40 Miles | 533 Yards | 36 | 1150 | 250.0M | 0 | Greene |
| 39.2 | 2000-09-20 | 4 | 39°39'N / 83°59'W | 39°44'N / 83°53'W | 9.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 1 | 100 | 15.0M | 0 | Greene |
| Brief Description: A violent tornado that moved at 65 mph hit the town of Xenia for the second time in 26 years damaging some of the same areas that were hit in 1974. Along the path of the tornado, around 250 homes were either damaged or destroyed, over 40 businesses were damaged or destroyed including the local Wal Mart, Kroger, and Tire Discounters, and 6 churches were damaged. A strip mall was nearly destroyed, cars were thrown from the Highway 35 bypass into ditches, 4 semi-trailers were thrown up to 400 yards, and most of the buildings were damaged or destroyed at the Greene county fairgrounds. In Sugarcreek Township, which is to the southwest of Xenia, an additional 14 houses and 3 barns were damaged and some crops were destroyed on a narrow path. Over 10,000 residents were without power for at least 1 day. M63VE | |||||||||||
| 39.3 | 1956-02-25 | 2 | 39°44'N / 83°48'W | 0.30 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Greene | |
| 39.4 | 2003-05-10 | 3 | 38°37'N / 83°43'W | 38°37'N / 83°38'W | 4.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0 | Mason |
| Brief Description: The tornado touched down to the southeast of Maysville, continuing east-southeast into Lewis County. The greatest damage occurred in the Heron Hill area in western Lewis County. Seventeen people were injured in Lewis County. 21 homes were destroyed, 10 homes sustained major damage and 17 homes received minor damage. Numerous barns, buildings and garages were also damaged or destroyed. The tornado appeared to skip across parts of Mason and Lewis Counties. Tornado damage ended four miles to the southeast of Vanceburg. A warm front stalled along the Ohio River, providing the focus for several clusters of thunderstorms to move across northern Kentucky during the early morning, lasting into the afternoon. Rainfall amounts from the thunderstorms generally ranged from three to five inches. The copious amounts of rain caused creeks and streams to rise out of their banks, and many roads were flooded and impassible. | |||||||||||
| 39.8 | 1989-04-25 | 2 | 39°41'N / 83°56'W | 39°45'N / 83°51'W | 5.00 Miles | 123 Yards | 0 | 16 | 2.5M | 0 | Greene |
| 39.9 | 1965-04-08 | 3 | 38°52'N / 82°59'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Scioto | |
| 40.1 | 1990-06-02 | 4 | 39°20'N / 84°19'W | 39°21'N / 84°20'W | 2.00 Miles | 1350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Warren |
| 40.1 | 1981-06-09 | 2 | 38°37'N / 83°48'W | 38°37'N / 83°43'W | 4.10 Miles | 20 Yards | 0 | 7 | 2.5M | 0 | Mason |
| 40.3 | 1968-04-23 | 4 | 38°42'N / 84°13'W | 38°45'N / 83°55'W | 16.40 Miles | 300 Yards | 1 | 8 | 250K | 0 | Bracken |
| 40.4 | 1966-10-09 | 2 | 39°42'N / 84°02'W | 39°41'N / 83°56'W | 4.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Greene |
| 40.7 | 1967-05-07 | 3 | 38°36'N / 83°42'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Mason | |
| 41.0 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 39°18'N / 84°23'W | 39°26'N / 84°17'W | 10.40 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Warren |
| 41.4 | 1982-06-16 | 2 | 38°39'N / 83°14'W | 38°41'N / 83°12'W | 2.00 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Scioto |
| 41.5 | 1986-03-10 | 2 | 39°43'N / 83°16'W | 39°43'N / 83°13'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Madison |
| 41.7 | 1956-07-19 | 2 | 38°42'N / 84°16'W | 38°42'N / 83°52'W | 21.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pendleton |
| 42.8 | 1982-06-16 | 2 | 38°35'N / 83°20'W | 38°39'N / 83°14'W | 7.00 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Lewis |
| 43.1 | 1969-08-09 | 3 | 39°13'N / 84°31'W | 39°10'N / 84°18'W | 11.90 Miles | 400 Yards | 4 | 240 | 2.5M | 0 | Hamilton |
| 43.2 | 1986-03-10 | 2 | 39°21'N / 84°23'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Butler | |
| 43.4 | 1986-03-10 | 2 | 39°43'N / 83°12'W | 39°45'N / 83°13'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 10 | 2.5M | 0 | Pickaway |
| 43.4 | 2003-05-10 | 3 | 38°35'N / 83°37'W | 38°34'N / 83°12'W | 21.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 17 | 5.0M | 0 | Lewis |
| Brief Description: The tornado touched down to the southeast of Maysville, continuing east-southeast into Lewis County. The greatest damage occurred in the Heron Hill area in western Lewis County. Seventeen people were injured in Lewis County. 21 homes were destroyed, 10 homes sustained major damage and 17 homes received minor damage. Numerous barns, buildings and garages were also damaged or destroyed. The tornado appeared to skip across parts of Mason and Lewis Counties. Tornado damage ended four miles to the southeast of Vanceburg. A warm front stalled along the Ohio River, providing the focus for several clusters of thunderstorms to move across northern Kentucky during the early morning, lasting into the afternoon. Rainfall amounts from the thunderstorms generally ranged from three to five inches. The copious amounts of rain caused creeks and streams to rise out of their banks, and many roads were flooded and impassible. | |||||||||||
| 44.0 | 1969-05-08 | 3 | 39°40'N / 84°08'W | 39°42'N / 84°06'W | 1.90 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 25 | 2.5M | 0 | Montgomery |
| 44.6 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 39°11'N / 84°29'W | 39°18'N / 84°23'W | 9.40 Miles | 350 Yards | 2 | 39 | 250K | 0 | Hamilton |
| 44.9 | 1999-10-13 | 3 | 39°36'N / 82°59'W | 39°37'N / 82°57'W | 3.50 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 6 | 4.0M | 0 | Pickaway |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down west of Circleville, pulling a small shed off of its foundation and destroying a section of a construction building. after this, the tornado lifted and then touched down in a more developed area in town. It destroyed a building housing two businesses and ripped the roof off of a section of a strip mall, ejecting furniture from inside the structure. A large sign weighing several hundred pounds was ripped from its foundation and blown twenty feet away. A tractor trailer with a load of 18 to 19 tons was blown over and dragged ten feet away from where it landed. The tornado then proceeded to a housing development where several homes were destroyed, several roofs ripped off, and garages either destroyed or moved from their foundations. Trees were twisted and broken off at their bases and carports were also torn from nearby houses. A cold front pushed east from Illinois and Indiana during the afternoon hours and combined with a vigorous upper level disturbance that dropped into the Ohio Valley from the lower Great Lakes region. These factors prompted a squall line to develop ahead of the cold front that moved southeast through the Wilmington Ohio (ILN) county warning area before entering northeast Kentucky and southeast Ohio. | |||||||||||
| 45.6 | 1963-04-19 | 2 | 39°49'N / 83°51'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Greene | |||
| 46.0 | 1974-04-03 | 5 | 39°47'N / 83°43'W | 39°55'N / 83°36'W | 10.90 Miles | 533 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Clark |
| 46.4 | 1990-06-02 | 4 | 39°20'N / 84°35'W | 39°20'N / 84°19'W | 12.00 Miles | 1350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Butler |
| 47.0 | 1990-05-04 | 2 | 39°30'N / 84°23'W | 0.20 Mile | 150 Yards | 1 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Butler | |
| 47.7 | 1968-04-23 | 3 | 38°43'N / 82°57'W | 0 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Greenup | |||
| 48.0 | 1958-05-22 | 2 | 39°35'N / 82°58'W | 39°37'N / 82°48'W | 9.00 Miles | 30 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Pickaway |
| 48.1 | 1980-04-08 | 2 | 39°32'N / 84°23'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 10 | 2.5M | 0 | Butler | |
| 48.1 | 1970-09-03 | 3 | 39°39'N / 82°58'W | 39°40'N / 82°55'W | 2.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Pickaway |
| 48.3 | 1968-04-23 | 2 | 38°49'N / 82°52'W | 38°51'N / 82°47'W | 4.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Scioto |
| 49.1 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 39°50'N / 83°34'W | 39°56'N / 83°18'W | 15.70 Miles | 180 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Clark |
| 49.3 | 1963-06-05 | 2 | 39°46'N / 83°04'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Pickaway | |||
| 49.4 | 1996-05-08 | 2 | 38°47'N / 84°22'W | 38°47'N / 84°22'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 75K | 0 | Pendleton |
| Brief Description: Tornado hit just south of Butler, near US 27 ripping apart a two story brick home and destroying two barns. A car was severely damaged and numerous trees and utility lines were downed. | |||||||||||
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.