When is tornado season in Ohio? Here's when we see the most twisters in the state

Mariyam Muhammad, Columbus Dispatch
·4 min read

Thursday night, Logan County was hit by a suspected tornado, leaving at least 3 people dead. This severe weather has brought tornado warnings for the second time in a little over two weeks, and Thursday night brought 20 tornado warnings across Ohio.

In Ohio, tornado season peaks between April and June, according to the National Weather Service. Since the beginning of March, the Midwest hasn’t caught a break from the scary weather, with severe thunderstorms leading to tornado warnings.

There were 19 confirmed tornadoes in Ohio in 2020, according to the National Weather Service. More than 1,400 tornados have touched down in Ohio since 1950, including 38 events that rated at least F4 on the Fujita scale—major damage with winds reaching up to 200 mph.

Photos: Delaware County gets walloped by severe storms, possible tornadoes overnight

Response from the National Weather Service

Kristen Cassady, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio, said that it is typical for severe weather frequency to ramp up in Ohio at the beginning of March, though March is not a peak tornado season month.

“We typically do see severe weather events including tornadoes in the month of March, even though there is a slightly higher frequency climatologically in April and May,” Cassady said. “March is still one of the primary months for tornadoes in the Ohio Valley.”

Cassady said that the National Weather Service has dispatched teams to investigate the areas of damage, stretching from West Central Ohio to Central Ohio. She said they want to determine the exact extent and nature of the damage and what exactly occurred.

“We have high confidence that there were at least several tornadoes that touchdown across the state of Ohio yesterday afternoon and evening. But the survey teams will make the ultimate determination in terms of exactly how many tornadoes and what the ratings were in terms of how strong they were.”

Ohio tornadoes: Photos of the damage to Logan County from storms

Facts about Xenia in 1974 and other past Ohio tornados

April, May and June are the peak months for Ohio tornadoes, but some of the most days for tornadoes happened outside those months. Still, most twisters in the state happen in those three months.

  • There were 29 tornadoes in Ohio on July 12, 1992, and 19 on Nov. 10, 2002, the most of any day since 1950.

  • There were 61 tornadoes in 1992, the most since 1950. The only year with no tornadoes in Ohio was 1988.

  • Less than 4% of Ohio tornadoes have resulted in death.

  • 57% of Ohio's tornadoes have struck in May, June, or July.

  • Since 1950, just four tornadoes in Ohio have been classified as severe F5. The last time was May 31, 1985, when an F5 tornado through Portage and Trumbull counties claimed 10 lives. Ohio also saw 10 more tornados that day.

  • The most catastrophic date for tornadoes in Ohio was April 3, 1974, as 16 tornadoes touched down, including F5 strength storms in Green, Clark, and Hamilton counties that led to 39 deaths and 1,340 injuries. The storms caused more than $250 million in property damage. The gravest hit was Xenia, where an F5 tornado with winds between 261 and 318 mph decimated nearly half of the city. Only one hospital remained, packed with nearly 2,000 people.

  • The deadliest single day for Ohio tornadoes since 1950 was April 11, 1965—the Palm Sunday tornadoes—by the National Severe Storms Laboratory, when 60 people died. Ohio saw 11 tornados that day. The deadliest, starting between Oberlin and Wellington and stretching 22 miles into Cuyahoga County, claimed 18 lives.

Ohio tornadoes: Videos of tornado damage that hit multiple counties in Ohio

Here are some tips on how to stay safe

There isn't much you can do to prevent property damage from a tornado, but there are several precautions you can take to help avoid injuries if a tornado touches down near you.

  • Go to a safe shelter immediately, such as a safe room, basement, storm cellar, or a small interior room on the lowest level of a sturdy building.

  • Stay away from windows, doors, and outside walls.

  • Do not go under an overpass or bridge. You’re safer in a low, flat location.

  • Watch out for flying debris that can cause injury or death.

  • Use your arms to protect your head and neck.

  • If you can’t stay at home, make plans to go to a public shelter.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: When is tornado season in Ohio? Here's when the most tornadoes happen