Bowling Green

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Flood insurance figures are for Wood County, the county that contains Bowling Green.

Claims by ZIP code

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).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges in Wood County, the county that contains Bowling Green.

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

The drought index is for Wood County, the county that contains Bowling Green.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jun 5, 2010Tornado$100 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A devastating tornado moved across portions of northern Wood County during the late evening hours of June 5th. The tornado reached a peak intensity of EF4 and was responsible for the deaths of seven people. Five of the victims died immediately with the other two passing away from their injuries at later dates. The initial touchdown occurred east of Perrysburg along Oregon Road just to the north of the Ohio Turnpike. The tornado then moved east northeast toward Toledo Metcalf Field as an EF0 to EF1. The tornado intensified to an EF2 as it crossed East Broadway Street. Over two dozen homes in a neighborhood bordered by East Broadway to the west and State Route 795 to the north and…

2. Jan 5, 2005Ice Storm, Wood$6.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   For the second time in just over two weeks, a devastating and historic winter storm affected Northern Ohio. Significant ice accumulations occurred over most of the area downing thousands of trees, causing widespread power outages and making travel nearly impossible. Low pressure over Missouri moved rapidly northeast on January 5th. This low moved across eastern Ohio early on January 6th and was responsible for producing a prolonged period of freezing rain. A mixture of rain and snow changed to freezing rain from west to east during the early morning hours of the 5th. Periods of freezing rain then continued for the remainder of the 5th and through the early morning hours of the…

3. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Wood$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   High winds associated with the remnants of Hurricane Ike began late in the afternoon of September 14th and then continued through much of the evening. Wind gusts were estimated to be as much as 60 mph. Damage in the county was extensive with thousands of trees and many utility poles downed. Widespread power outages occurred as well with some customers without power for several days. Many homes and buildings were damaged across the county. The damage ranged from a few shingles torn off to significant structural damage caused by fallen trees landing on roofs. Numerous vehicles were damaged by fallen trees and limbs and also from flying debris. This storm hampered travel as downed…

4. Jan 4, 2005Flood, Wood$2.1 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain and runoff from snowmelt caused extensive flooding in Wood, Lucas and Ottawa Counties the first half of January. The flooding was most severe along the Maumee and Portage Rivers. At Waterville in Wood County, the Maumee River first went above the flood stage of 9 feet during the late morning hours of January 4th and then again around midday on the 12th. Moderate flooding was reported during the middle part of the month with a peak crest of 13.8 feet late in the afternoon of January 14th. Upstream at Grand Rapids, moderate flooding occurred on the 13th and 14th with a crest of 19.07 feet at midday on the 14th. At least 21 businesses and dozens of homes were damaged by…

5. Jun 21, 2006Thunderstorm Wind$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A severe thunderstorm with winds estimated to be at least 75 mph caused extensive damage at the Wood County Airport in Bowling Green. One hangar was completely destroyed and another was heavily damaged. The two hangars stored around eighteen airplanes, twelve of which were completely destroyed. Two flatbed trailers parked near the airport were thrown into an adjacent playground and destroyed.

6. Jul 8, 2003Thunderstorm Wind$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A line of severe thunderstorms moved across Wood County and caused widespread damage and power outages. A 101 mph wind gust was measured at the Bowling Green Airport at approximately 3:55 p.m. The airport, located on the northeast side of town, was very hard hit. The terminal building lost a large section of roof with three nearby hangers heavily damaged. A total of 17 aircraft were either damaged or destroyed. Four buildings at the Bowling Green State University were damaged by the strong winds. Signs and a press box on the campus were also toppled. Many other homes and buildings, including a city garage, were damaged. Hundreds of trees and limbs were downed and many streets had…

7. Dec 22, 2004Winter Storm, Wood$1.8 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A potent winter storm affected northwestern Ohio on December 22nd and 23rd. Low pressure developed over eastern Texas early on the 22nd and then moved quickly northeast. The low eventually tracked across eastern Ohio during the morning hours of the 23rd after dumping nearly two feet of snow on portions of Ohio. The snow began in the Findlay area around mid morning on the 22nd and spread north into the Toledo area during the evening. The snow intensified during the late evening hours with heavy snow then continuing through daybreak on the 23rd. Snowfall rates of around an inch per hour occurred during the early morning hours of the 23rd with visibilities less than one quarter mile…

8. Nov 17, 2013Tornado$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EF0 tornado touched down near Lime City Road just to the north of U.S. Route 20 in Perrysburg. The tornado continued east northeast reaching EF2 intensity as it neared the intersection of State Route 795 and Oregon Road. Two warehouse buildings had walls blown down and lost large sections of roofing. A gas station at the intersection of State Route 795 and Oregon Road was heavily damaged. Several vehicles at the gas station were damaged. Other businesses in the immediate vicinity also sustained roof damage. After causing extensive damage to a couple homes in a residential neighborhood just north of State Route 795, the tornado weakened to EF0 intensity. It then remained on the…

9. May 9, 2000Hail$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Hail as large as softballs and shaped at times like candy bars fell at Tontogany for approximately ten minutes. Damage was extensive with 160 of the 200 homes in the village sustaining damage. Most of the damage was from broken windows, but over 100 hundred homes had holes knocked into exterior walls by hailstones driven by winds estimated at 50 to 60 mph. Most of this damage occurred on west facing walls. Several dozens cars and eight school buses were caught outside and had windows shattered and metal dented. The local high school had several dozen windows broken. The broken windows allowed heavy thunderstorm rains to seep inside. The rain water damaged and destroyed books,…

10. Feb 22, 2003Heavy Snow, Wood$950,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Low pressure moved across southeastern Ohio spreading precipitation northward across the region. The precipitation initially began as rain but quickly changed to snow during the afternoon hours of the 22nd. Some freezing rain also fell in Seneca and Erie Counites and ice accumulations of up to a quarter of an inch occurred in these counties. Once the snow began, it quickly intensified and whiteout conditions were reported during the evening hours. The snow continued through daybreak on the 23rd and then quickly tapered to flurries. Total snow accumulations ranged from around six inches in southern Hancock and western Erie Counties to nine inches in Lucas County. Strong northerly…

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

110°F2 times, most recently Jul 14, 1936

All-time low

−22°FFeb 5, 1918

Warmest night

79°FJul 21, 1930

Coldest day

−5°FFeb 9, 1899

Wettest day

4.49 inJul 10, 1979

Snowiest day

13.0 inFeb 28, 1900

Hottest year

2024mean 54.6°F

Coldest year

1917mean 45.9°F

Wettest year

195052.72 in

Driest year

196318.98 in

Snowiest season

58.5 in1909-10

Station Bowling Green Wwtp (USC00330862), 675 ft elevation, 2.0 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1893 to October 27, 2026; 99.1% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

Declarations for Wood County.

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).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00330862.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.