Norwalk Micro Area Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
The chance of earthquake damage in Norwalk Area is about the same as Ohio average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Norwalk Area is higher than Ohio average and is higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #479
| Norwalk Area | 0.04 |
| 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, #129
| Norwalk Area | 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, #363
| Norwalk Area | 178.74 |
| 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 14,682 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Norwalk Area 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: | 6 | Cold: | 53 | Dense Fog: | 5 | Drought: | 19 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 1,617 | Hail: | 3,797 | Heat: | 35 | Heavy Snow: | 148 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 48 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 247 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 8,120 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 158 | Winter Weather: | 25 |
| Other: | 404 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Norwalk Area.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Norwalk Area.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Norwalk Area.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 67 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Norwalk Area.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 3.2 | 1986-03-10 | 2 | 41°03'N / 82°41'W | 41°10'N / 82°35'W | 8.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 10 | 2.5M | 0 | Huron |
| 5.1 | 1989-11-27 | 2 | 41°05'N / 82°48'W | 41°16'N / 82°34'W | 15.00 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Huron |
| 5.4 | 1973-05-10 | 3 | 41°06'N / 82°42'W | 41°02'N / 82°30'W | 11.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 5 | 100 | 2.5M | 0 | Huron |
| 7.8 | 1972-08-17 | 2 | 41°02'N / 82°37'W | 2.80 Miles | 183 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Huron | |
| 8.9 | 1983-05-02 | 2 | 41°01'N / 82°36'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Huron | |
| 9.1 | 2000-09-20 | 2 | 41°15'N / 82°42'W | 41°15'N / 82°42'W | 1.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 15K | Huron |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down north of Monroeville along State Route 99 near Mead Road. The tornado traveled east for 2.5 miles along State Route 113 and dissipated in Erie County near the corner of Higbee and Livengood Roads. The tornado was not on the ground the entire length and had a damage path approximately 100 yards in width. A mobile home, small outbuilding, barn, garage and a camper were destroyed in Huron County. An adult male inside the mobile home was slightly injured. The damage path of the tornado was clearly visible through corn fields and debris from the destroyed buildings was strewn along the path and in some case thrown well outside the path. Ears of corn were found shucked, apparently by the tornado. Several hundred trees were downed along the damage path. | |||||||||||
| 10.8 | 2000-09-20 | 2 | 41°18'N / 82°37'W | 41°18'N / 82°37'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 175K | 10K | Erie |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down north of Monroeville in Huron County and traveled east along State Route 113 into southern Erie County. The tornado dissipated near the corner of Higbee and Livengood Roads after destroying a farm house. The destroyed house was ripped from its foundation, moved 40 feet and knocked over. A second house and a small barn were also slightly damaged. The tornado traveled approximately one mile in Erie County and had a damage path about 100 yards wide. Debris from the homes was thrown well outside the damage path which was clearly visible through corn fields. Ears of corn were shucked, apparently by the tornado and some ears had many kernels removed. Several dozen trees were downed along the damage path. | |||||||||||
| 13.0 | 1992-07-12 | 2 | 41°11'N / 82°21'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Huron | |
| 16.4 | 1977-06-30 | 2 | 41°18'N / 82°50'W | 0.70 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Huron | |
| 17.6 | 1972-08-17 | 2 | 40°54'N / 82°30'W | 0.10 Mile | 30 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Richland | |
| 17.9 | 1973-05-10 | 2 | 41°02'N / 82°30'W | 40°57'N / 82°08'W | 19.70 Miles | 667 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Ashland |
| 18.7 | 1977-06-30 | 2 | 40°53'N / 82°41'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Richland | |
| 18.8 | 1965-11-16 | 2 | 41°00'N / 82°58'W | 41°04'N / 82°53'W | 5.90 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Seneca |
| 20.5 | 1953-06-08 | 4 | 41°25'N / 82°50'W | 41°28'N / 82°20'W | 26.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 2 | 23 | 0K | 0 | Erie |
| 21.0 | 1965-04-11 | 3 | 41°04'N / 83°08'W | 41°07'N / 82°51'W | 15.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 4 | 30 | 250K | 0 | Seneca |
| 22.0 | 1992-07-12 | 2 | 41°27'N / 82°43'W | 2.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Erie | |
| 22.9 | 2002-11-10 | 3 | 41°06'N / 83°10'W | 41°14'N / 82°54'W | 21.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 1 | 2 | 12.8M | 0 | Seneca |
| Brief Description: An F1 tornado touched down southwest of Tiffin near the Seneca County Airport. The tornado moved east northeast and strengthened to F3 intesity as it crossed U.S. Highway 224 and moved into Tiffin. The Honey Creek subdivision along County Road 19 near US 224 was hard hit. Six homes on Nantucket Drive in the subdivision were destroyed and many other homes damaged. As the tornado continued across the southern part of Tiffin it leveled a business along State Route 231 and destroyed several homes on Siesta Drive just east of State Route 231. A retirement community along St. Francis Avenue and just north of Siesta Drive was also hard hit by the tornado. Eight homes in the community were destroyed with five more damaged enough to be declared uninhabitable. Another 25 homes sustained lesser amounts of damage and several cars were found lying upside down. The tornado weakened to F2 intensity as it crossed State Route 100 and moved over Greenlawn Cemetary. From the cemetary, the tornado began to move in more of a northeasterly direction and briefly weakened to F1 intensity as it passed to the east of Heidelburg College. The tornado reintensified to F2 as it crossed State Route 18 and continued northeast across open country where it damaged many more homes and buildings. The tornado reached strong F3 intensity for several miles to the northwest and north of Republic. A 24 year old male was killed and two other people seriously injured when a home in Scipio Township on County Road 38 near County Road 43 was swept off of it's foundation. Two other homes nearby were also leveled. The tornado remained on the ground for another ten miles and gradually weakened to F2 intensity. It finally lifted south of State Route 18 near Fireside. Later, the same parent thunderstorm spawned another tornado a few miles away in Huron County. Overall, this tornado destroyed 32 homes and businesses, heavily damaged another eight and slightly damaged around 70 homes in Seneca County. Dozens of cars were also damaged and destroyed with downed trees and power poles numbering in the hundreds. The damage path from this tornado was roughly 21 miles in length and over 200 yards in width at times. M24PH | |||||||||||
| 23.8 | 2002-11-10 | 2 | 40°57'N / 82°13'W | 40°57'N / 82°13'W | 5.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.6M | 0 | Ashland |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down two miles southwest of Polk near the intersection of County Road 601 and Township Road 902. A new home at this location was destroyed. The tornado then traveled northeast across the western and northern portions of Polk. Two homes on the west side of Polk were heavily damaged and a small barn was leveled just north of town. Another 10 to 12 buildings, including two public buildings sustained minor damage in Polk. From Polk, the tornado traveled northeast across rural areas and passed just to the west of Albion. Two homes along County Road 620 just west of Township Road 521 lost entire roofs and had exterior walls partially or entirely knocked down. A nearby barn was leveled with debris thrown as much as one half mile. A small boat tethered in a pond near the barn was found a quarter mile away and the pond itself was filled with debris. A church in the area had it's steeple toppled. The tornado continued northeast and damaged several more homes and buildings. The tornado moved into Medina County just east of County Road 175. In the county, a total of five homes were either completely destroyed or declared unlivable with another 11 homes sustaining enough damage to require significant repairs. Approximately 30 additional homes and buildings suffered minor damage. A few dozen cars sustained varying amounts of damage. The tornado was on the ground in Ashland County for approximately five and a half miles with the damage path no more than 50 yards in width. | |||||||||||
| 24.6 | 1973-05-10 | 3 | 41°14'N / 83°26'W | 41°06'N / 82°42'W | 39.10 Miles | 27 Yards | 1 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Seneca |
| 25.2 | 2002-11-10 | 2 | 41°02'N / 82°08'W | 41°02'N / 82°08'W | 4.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 750K | 0 | Medina |
| Brief Description: A tornado moved into the county from Ashland County just to the east of Firestone Road. The tornado then traveled northeast through Homerville and finally dissipated about a mile and a half northeast of the town. The first significant damage in the county occurred along Williams Road where a newer two story home lost it's roof and most of the second floor. Several other homes and buildings in this area sustained minor damage. In Homerville, an auto repair shop was destroyed and several homes sustained moderate to minor damage. A barn was destroyed just southwest of town. Many cars were damaged and dozens of trees downed. The tornado was on the ground in Medina County for approximately four miles and had a damage path no more than 50 yards in width. | |||||||||||
| 25.6 | 1992-07-12 | 2 | 41°14'N / 82°07'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Lorain | |
| 25.8 | 1965-04-11 | 4 | 41°14'N / 82°15'W | 41°18'N / 82°00'W | 13.40 Miles | 400 Yards | 17 | 100 | 25.0M | 0 | Lorain |
| 29.1 | 1986-08-26 | 2 | 41°24'N / 82°11'W | 41°27'N / 82°10'W | 3.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Lorain |
| 29.6 | 1992-07-13 | 2 | 41°03'N / 83°19'W | 41°03'N / 82°59'W | 16.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Seneca |
| 29.7 | 1953-06-08 | 4 | 41°28'N / 82°20'W | 41°22'N / 81°58'W | 20.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 1 | 47 | 0K | 0 | Lorain |
| 30.1 | 1975-08-13 | 2 | 40°44'N / 82°47'W | 0.50 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Crawford | |
| 30.2 | 2001-05-21 | 2 | 41°06'N / 82°01'W | 41°06'N / 82°01'W | 7.50 Miles | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 0 | Medina |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down along New London Eastern Road near Pawnee in southwestern Chatham Township. The tornado then traveled northeast for approximately 7.5 miles before dissipating along State Route 83 about three miles north of Chatham. The damage path was intermittent and approximately 250 feet in width. A new home was completely destroyed near the location of the initial touchdown. A truck nearby was thrown 500 feet by the tornado. A church and parsonage were damaged along Old Mill Road. The tornado then struck an alpaca farm along State Route 83 north of Chatham and destroyed three barns and damaged several other outbuildings. Several garages and a home were damaged elsewhere along the damage path. Over three hundred trees were knocked down and two cars destroyed. | |||||||||||
| 30.7 | 2002-11-10 | 2 | 40°58'N / 82°06'W | 40°59'N / 82°00'W | 5.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1K | 0 | Wayne |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down about four miles south of West Salem just east of State Route 301 along Pleasant Home Road. The tornado then traveled northeast for approximately five miles before dissipating two and one half miles southwest of Burbank near the intersection of Britton and Franchester Roads. Extensive damage was done along the damage path which was mostly around 50 yards in width but up to several hundred feet wide along Palmer Road. A home on Pleasant Home Road was heavily damaged as were three other homes on Easton Road to the west of Wohlganuth Road. Two more homes were severely damaged on Wohlganuth Road. A home and six outbuildings were destroyed as the tornado crossed Palmer Road about a mile east of State Route 539 (Wohlganuth Road). A second home was leveled on Ruff Road just to the west of Stratton Road. Finally, a home was heavily damaged near where the tornado dissipated. Several other homes and buildings sustained minor damage. Many vehicles were also damaged. At least 20 power poles were snapped and several hundred trees downed along the damage path. | |||||||||||
| 31.1 | 1953-06-08 | 4 | 41°16'N / 83°26'W | 41°25'N / 82°50'W | 32.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Sandusky |
| 31.6 | 1998-06-24 | 2 | 41°31'N / 82°57'W | 41°31'N / 82°57'W | 3.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 13 | 20.0M | 5.0M | Ottawa |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down approximately 10 miles west of Port Clinton and just west of the Davis Bessie power plant. Winds were between 113 and 157 miles per hour. Considerable damage occurred, with some barns completely destroyed and an apartment complex heavily damaged. Sixty three homes were destroyed, 63 sustained major damage, 238 had minor damage, semi trucks and mobile homes were overturned and trees and utility poles were downed. Loss of power lines outside Davis Bessie triggered a shutdown and a second stage alert; power was out for several days in places. A state of emergency was declared and all roads were closed in the county. Many buildings were destroyed and trees were downed at Camp Perry. A tree containing an eagle's nest with 2 eaglets was blown down. One of the eaglets survived. | |||||||||||
| 31.6 | 1961-02-18 | 2 | 41°06'N / 83°12'W | 1.50 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Seneca | |
| 32.1 | 2002-11-10 | 2 | 41°31'N / 82°57'W | 41°35'N / 82°51'W | 10.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 4 | 13.5M | 0 | Ottawa |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down south of Port Clinton and then moved northeast entering the city just west of the intersection of Wilcox Road and Fulton Road. The tornado moved through the heart of the city reaching Lake Erie at Lakeview Park. From there, the tornado moved northeast over Lake Erie to Catawba Island where it finally dissipated after a ten mile long damage path. Four people suffered minor injuries as a result of the tornado. Hardest hit was the Lakeview Park area where two condominiums were blown off their stilts into Lake Erie and many other structures where destroyed. The initial storm damage in Port Clinton occurred along 11th Street where several homes were heavily damaged or destroyed. Significant damage also occurred near 8th and Fulton Streets. As the tornado moved through the city, it damaged the local high school and a hospital. Significant damage also occurred on Catawba Island with several homes damaged and destroyed before the tornado finally dissipated. A total of 24 homes and 16 apartments were destroyed along the damage path with approximately 60 additional homes damaged enough to be deemed uninhabitable. Another 80 structures sustained minor to moderate amounts of damage. The damage path was typically no more than 50 yards in width. Dozens of vehicles were damaged or destroyed by the tornado and hundreds of trees and power poles were toppled. | |||||||||||
| 32.3 | 1975-07-13 | 2 | 41°10'N / 82°01'W | 41°12'N / 81°56'W | 4.10 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Lorain |
| 32.4 | 1965-08-25 | 2 | 40°42'N / 82°24'W | 2.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Richland | |
| 33.0 | 1985-03-28 | 2 | 40°40'N / 82°35'W | 2.00 Miles | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Richland | |
| 34.5 | 1973-05-10 | 2 | 40°40'N / 82°51'W | 40°38'N / 82°31'W | 17.30 Miles | 267 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Morrow |
| 34.8 | 1992-07-12 | 3 | 41°14'N / 82°00'W | 41°13'N / 81°52'W | 7.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Medina |
| 35.6 | 1980-07-05 | 2 | 40°40'N / 82°51'W | 0.20 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Morrow | |
| 35.7 | 1990-06-22 | 2 | 40°35'N / 82°37'W | 40°41'N / 82°23'W | 19.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Richland |
| 36.5 | 1989-11-15 | 2 | 40°36'N / 82°37'W | 40°38'N / 82°36'W | 2.00 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Richland |
| 36.7 | 2000-05-23 | 2 | 40°40'N / 82°54'W | 40°40'N / 82°54'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0 | Marion |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down near Lyons Road approximately four miles west of the Town of Martel. The observed damage path was approximately three miles in length and was oriented west to east. The width of the path varied between 100 and 200 yards. Five homes were damaged and two mobile homes destroyed. One of the mobile homes was found wrapped around a large tree. | |||||||||||
| 36.7 | 1973-05-10 | 2 | 40°38'N / 82°31'W | 40°37'N / 82°23'W | 6.60 Miles | 267 Yards | 0 | 14 | 25K | 0 | Richland |
| 37.0 | 1973-05-10 | 2 | 40°57'N / 82°08'W | 40°57'N / 81°44'W | 20.70 Miles | 667 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Wayne |
| 37.1 | 1965-04-11 | 4 | 41°18'N / 82°00'W | 41°20'N / 81°50'W | 8.60 Miles | 400 Yards | 1 | 100 | 25.0M | 0 | Cuyahoga |
| 37.8 | 1973-05-10 | 2 | 40°42'N / 83°07'W | 40°40'N / 82°51'W | 13.90 Miles | 267 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Marion |
| 38.3 | 1990-06-22 | 2 | 40°36'N / 82°40'W | 40°35'N / 82°37'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Morrow |
| 41.9 | 2003-11-12 | 2 | 40°48'N / 81°56'W | 40°48'N / 81°56'W | 12.00 Miles | 125 Yards | 0 | 3 | 21.0M | 0 | Wayne |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down southwest of Wooster near the intersection of U.S. Route 250 and Old Lincoln Highway (County Road 30A). Several businesses were heavily damaged near the site of the initial touchdown. The tornado then crossed State Route 302 and moved over open farmland and into a business park on the southwest side of Wooster. Several more business were damaged in this area. The tornado continued east through residential neighborhoods just north of downtown Wooster. The tornado exited the city near the intersection of State Routes 3/83 and 585. A factory near this location was heavily damaged. The tornado continued east into Green Township and strengthened to F2 intensity at it crossed Geyers Road. Two more businesses were heavily damaged in this area. The tornado weakened to F1 intensity just after severely damaging a home on Canal Road near Eby Road. The tornado continued across open farmland for another four miles before finally lifting just southwest of Orrville near the intersection of Back Orrville Road and North Crown Hill Road. The damage path was around 12 miles in length and up to 125 yards in width. Around 15 businesses and over 100 homes were damaged by this tornado. Ten semi trailers were overturned at one factory and over 30 cars heavily damaged at an automobile dealership. Many other automobiles were damaged along the damage path. In addition, hundreds of trees and dozens of power poles were downed. | |||||||||||
| 42.5 | 1970-07-15 | 2 | 41°24'N / 81°51'W | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Cuyahoga | |||
| 42.8 | 1964-06-15 | 2 | 40°56'N / 83°22'W | 0 | 7 | 250K | 0 | Wyandot | |||
| 42.9 | 1951-06-22 | 2 | 41°25'N / 81°51'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cuyahoga | |
| 43.3 | 1957-05-14 | 2 | 40°48'N / 81°54'W | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Wayne | |||
| 43.8 | 1981-06-08 | 2 | 40°32'N / 82°25'W | 40°32'N / 82°20'W | 3.80 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Knox |
| 43.8 | 1953-06-08 | 4 | 41°22'N / 81°58'W | 41°30'N / 81°43'W | 15.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 6 | 300 | 0K | 0 | Cuyahoga |
| 44.0 | 1970-05-14 | 2 | 40°30'N / 82°45'W | 40°32'N / 82°43'W | 3.00 Miles | 700 Yards | 0 | 7 | 250K | 0 | Morrow |
| 44.3 | 1992-07-12 | 2 | 41°31'N / 83°22'W | 41°34'N / 83°10'W | 10.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Ottawa |
| 44.4 | 1989-11-15 | 2 | 40°26'N / 82°56'W | 40°36'N / 82°37'W | 21.00 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Morrow |
| 44.6 | 1982-04-03 | 2 | 40°30'N / 82°33'W | 0.80 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 9 | 250K | 0 | Knox | |
| 44.7 | 1970-05-13 | 2 | 40°33'N / 82°56'W | 0 | 5 | 3K | 0 | Morrow | |||
| 44.8 | 1962-08-20 | 2 | 41°24'N / 81°48'W | 0.50 Mile | 500 Yards | 4 | 20 | 2.5M | 0 | Cuyahoga | |
| 45.2 | 1981-06-13 | 3 | 40°30'N / 82°54'W | 40°33'N / 82°51'W | 3.80 Miles | 350 Yards | 4 | 56 | 25.0M | 0 | Morrow |
| 45.4 | 2008-05-31 | 2 | 41°05'N / 83°31'W | 41°08'N / 83°25'W | 6.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 6 | 1.0M | 0K | Hancock |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down in northeastern Hancock County about two miles southwest of Arcadia near the intersection of Township Roads 214 and 254. The tornado continued northeast for about six miles before moving into Seneca County on the south end of Fostoria. The total tornado path length was over eight miles. The track was parallel to State Route 12 and about a mile to the south of the road. The tornado was initially an EF1 but strengthened to EF2 intensity after crossing County Road 330. The tornado returned to EF1 intensity just before reaching County Road 23 on the southwest edge of Fostoria. The damage path had a maximum width of around 100 yards. Around a dozen properties sustained damage from this tornado. At least two homes were destroyed with several others heavily damaged. Many outbuildings were also damaged. Hundreds of trees were toppled along the damage path. At least six people were treated at a Fostoria hospital for cuts and bruises. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A cold front trailing an area of low pressure over the central Great Lakes moved into western Ohio during the late evening hours of May 30th. Showers and thunderstorms developed in advance of this front and moved across northern Ohio during the early morning hours of May 31st. A few of these thunderstorms became severe with one producing a tornado. | |||||||||||
| 46.2 | 2010-09-16 | 2 | 40°46'N / 81°57'W | 40°48'N / 81°45'W | 11.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 35.0M | 0K | Wayne |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A tornado touched down in Wayne County two miles southwest of downtown Wooster around 5:26 pm. This tornado strengthened to EF2 intensity and continued on the ground for over 11 miles before finally lifting two miles west of Dalton. Extensive damage occurred along the damage path with dozens of homes and buildings damaged. After the initial touchdown, the tornado quickly intensified to an EF2 as it continued on the ground to the east northeast. The tornado crossed Prairie Lane and Timken Road and then moved across St. Mary's Cemetery. Damage at the cemetery was extensive with 80 of 81 large trees knocked down and over two hundred gravestones broken or toppled. From the cemetery, the tornado crossed Madison Avenue and moved across the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). Significant damage occurred on the OADRC campus with several buildings severely damaged. A laboratory in one the buildings was destroyed. Two historic homes on the property sustained significant roof damage and several greenhouses were destroyed. Two barns and a machine shop were also leveled. The 102 year old Secrest Arboretum on the campus lost over 800 trees and many research projects were damaged or destroyed. The tornado tossed and destroyed several vehicles and a lot of farm machinery was also damaged or destroyed. From the OARDC campus, the tornado continued east along Secrest Road damaging or destroying several homes and buildings. The tornado weakened to EF1 intensity as it crossed Sylvan Road and to an EF0 as it crossed Barnard Road. The tornado then remained either an EF0 or EF1 until it lifted near the intersection of Kidron Road and Old Lincoln Way just west of Dalton. A total of nine homes were either destroyed or sustained major damage. Another 90 homes sustained lesser amounts of damage. In addition, at least 50 barns, garages and other outbuildings were damaged of destroyed. Thousands of trees were also toppled along the damage path which was up to 150 yards in width. Twenty eight utility poles were knocked down in Wooster alone and high tension transmission lines were also torn down by the tornado. The downed transmission lines affected four substations and resulted in around a third of Wayne County loosing power right after the tornado. The OARDC campus was closed for over a week and two local school districts had to close on September 17th because of the power outages. Only one very minor injury was reported. EPISODE NARRATIVE: During the late morning hours on September 16th, a warm front lifted northward through Ohio allowing for a significant destabilization of the atmosphere. By early afternoon, a severe thunderstorm watch was issued for most of northern Ohio. Severe thunderstorms swept across Ohio ahead of a cold front beginning in the mid afternoon and lasting well into the evening. Two devastating tornadoes occurred in northern Ohio. An EF2 tornado touched down in Wayne County near Wooster. This tornado left an eleven and a half mile long damage path and damaged over a hundred homes and buildings. A second tornado touched down in southern Holmes County. This tornado was rated an EF1 and was on the ground for about three miles. | |||||||||||
| 46.8 | 1973-05-10 | 2 | 40°46'N / 83°30'W | 40°42'N / 83°07'W | 20.40 Miles | 267 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wyandot |
| 47.1 | 2002-11-10 | 2 | 41°07'N / 83°30'W | 41°07'N / 83°30'W | 3.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 11.0M | 0 | Hancock |
| Brief Description: An F1 tornado touched down to the northeast of Arcadia in northeastern Hancock County. The initial touchdown occurred just south of State Route 12 and to the east of County Road 330. From this location the tornado moved northeast and strengthened to F2 intensity as it entered the southwest end of Fostoria. Two businesses were heavily damaged on the outskirts of Fostoria along State Route 12. One of the two, a fertilizer business, had two of it's four buildings completely leveled and the remaining two heavily damaged. A nearby gas storage facility had two large storage tanks damaged. Nearby, the tornado derailed two railroad cars near the West Tiffin Street crossing and toppled 19 high voltage transmission poles interrupting power for a large area. Extensive damage was done to neighborhoods on the southwest side of Tiffin with Jeannette Drive, Vickie Lane and West Tiffin Streets hardest hit. As the tornado neared downtown Fostoria it tore the roof off of a high school which allowed rain water to enter the building and damage all three floors. Total damage to the school was estimated to be well over $500,000. Just east of the school, the community hospital was hit and sustained over $1 million in damage. The tornado lifted just east of the hospital and touched down a second time on the northeast side of Fostoria (Seneca County). In Fostoria, eight homes were destroyed with nine more homes damaged enough to be declared uninhabitable. An additional 60 to 70 homes sustained minor damage with dozens of cars damaged in varying amounts. Hundreds of trees and power poles were downed along the damage path which was around 50 yards in width. | |||||||||||
| 47.1 | 1980-04-08 | 2 | 41°17'N / 83°29'W | 1.50 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 7 | 250K | 0 | Wood | |
| 48.8 | 1976-07-31 | 2 | 40°44'N / 81°50'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wayne | |||
| 49.3 | 1964-06-15 | 2 | 40°52'N / 83°28'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Wyandot | |
* 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.