Cuyahoga Falls

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.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 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 Summit County, the county that contains Cuyahoga Falls.

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 Summit County, the county that contains Cuyahoga Falls.

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 Summit County, the county that contains Cuyahoga Falls.

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.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

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.

Mapped landslides

Landslides mapped in Summit County.

Mapped by NASA (2).

1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jun 8, 2007Hail$288 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A severe thunderstorm moved across Summit County and caused unprecedented damage. Hail as large as softballs fell across much of the county. Extensive damage was done to homes and vehicles in Akron and surrounding areas. Nearly 51,100 insurance claims were filed for damage in the county. The south side of Akron was the hardest hit.

2. Jul 21, 2003Flash Flood$100 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorms dumped very heavy rains on Summit County causing catastrophic flooding in parts of the county. Rainfall rates exceeded two inches per hour at times during the evening hours. Many streams and creeks left their banks causing widespread flooding. Spotters measured 7.20 inches of rain at Richfield and a gage at Hudson High School record 3 inches of rain between 7:45 and 8:15 p.m. with a storm total of 7.5 inches. Five inches of rain was measured in Stow. Two men drown at approximately 8:50 p.m. in an underground parking garage at an condominium complex located along Atterbury Boulevard in Hudson. Witnesses indicated that the underground garage filled with water in just a…

3. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Summit$20.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   High winds associated with the remnants of Hurricane Ike began during the early evening hours of September 14th and continued through late evening. Peak wind gusts were estimated to be around 60 mph with the strongest winds occurring between 6 and 8 pm. A peak measured gust of 55 mph was recorded by an automated sensor at the Akron-Canton Airport at 6:53 PM EDT. Damage in the county was extensive with thousands of trees and many utility poles downed. Widespread power outages occurred with some customers without power for several days. Homes and buildings were damaged throughout the county. The damage ranged from a few shingles torn off to significant structural damage caused by…

4. Jul 10, 2013Flash Flood$15.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Torrential rainfall on July 10th ended the streek of 13 days of measurable rain in the Barberton-Norton region, and ending it with the highest rainfall amounts measuring during that time. Almost seven inches of rain fell in the two weeks prior, and on the 10th rainfall amounts in the basin measured between 2 to 3 inches which fell in the hour between 230 and 330 PM. This extreme rainfall rate fell over already saturated ground and swollen stream and creeks, resulting in rapid runoff and flooding. Heavy rainfall of this magnitude overwhelmed the existing stormwater systems with extensive street flooding throughout Barberton. In many areas of Barberton the flooded streets drained…

5. May 12, 2014Flash Flood$11.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Measured rainfall of 4 to 4.5 fell over Cuyahoga Falls on the evening of May 12th between 930 and 1130 pm. Doppler Radar Dual Pol estimated rainfall rates were in excess of 4 per hour around 945 pm. There was significant urban flooding as storm drains were overwhelmed by the excessively high rates. The return frequency for a rainfall event of this magnitude and duration is estimated around a 500 year event. Two adults needed to be rescued from a flooded basement on Dwight Street. Despite dozens of water rescues in the city proper, there were no fatalities or significant injuries. Most intersections in the city were impassable. Some roads near the Cuyahoga Valley sustained…

6. Nov 10, 2002Tornado$10.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A small F0/F1 tornado touched down in Macedonia near the intersection of Valley View Drive (SR 631) and Aurora Road and moved northeast. The tornado gradually strengthened and reached F2 intensity as it crossed State Route 14 and moved into Twinsburg. After a track of just over three miles the tornado weakened to F1 intensity and crossed into Cuyahoga County south of Glenwillow. Extensive damage was done in Macedonia and Twinsburg. In Macedonia, 60 homes were damaged including two that were destroyed and 15 others were damaged enough to be declared uninhabitable. The most severe damage in the county occurred in the Glenwood Preserve neighborhood on the north side of Twinsburg.…

7. Jul 21, 2003Flood, Summit$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Runoff from very heavy thunderstorm rains caused the Cuyahoga River to leave it's banks late on the 21st. The river crested at 12.64 feet at Old Portage around 10 p.m. on the 21st. The river fell back below it's flood stage of 9 feet just after midnight on the 24th. At Independence, the Cuyahoga River went into flood around 6 a.m on the 22nd and crested at 21.12 feet around 6 p.m. on the 22nd. The river fell back below flood stage early in the afternoon of 23rd. Considerable damage was caused by the flooding in both Cuyahoga and Summit Counties. Over 20 miles of foot trails, several miles of railroad tracks and eight bridges were washed out in the Cuyahoga Valley National…

8. May 22, 2004Flash Flood$8.1 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   During the early morning hours of May 22nd, heavy rain producing thunderstorms moved across Summit County for the third time in less than 24 hours. Rainfall totals of one to three inches were common across the county. Rainfall rates with the stronger storms approached two inches per hour. A spotter in Munroe Falls measured 4.53 inches of rain between daybreak on May 21st and daybreak on the 22nd. A cooperative observer in Cuyahoga Falls measured 3.39 inches of rain during that same period. This rain combined with ground already saturated from earlier storms led to the renewal of widespread flooding in the county. The Coventry, Copley, Tallmadge, Cuyahoga Falls, Barberton, Stow and…

9. Nov 5, 2017Thunderstorm Wind$7.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorm downburst wind gusts estimated to be as much as 100 mph caused extensive damage across northern Summit County. Thousands of trees and dozens of utility poles were reported down in Richfield, Boston, Sagamore Hills and Twinsburg Townships. The damage was most concentrated in the Twinsburg area with hundreds of homes loosing roofing or siding. Many other homes and buildings were damaged by fallen trees. Many vehicles were also damaged by flying debris or downed trees or limbs. There were numerous reports of roads and streets blocked by fallen trees or power lines. A 30,000 volt high power tension line was blown down along Liberty Road near Irena Lane in Twinsburg. The…

10. May 12, 2014Flash Flood$7.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    The Stow/Silver Lakes region was significantly damaged by flash floods on the evening of May 12th. The Mayor reported that area raingages measured 4 to 4.5 inches of rainfall in an hour and a half between 930 pm and 1100 pm. The magnitude and intensity of the rainfall have a return frequency of a 500 year event. Infrastructure was overwhelmed by the runoff throughout the community. The hardest hit area was near State Route 91 and State Route 59 intersection where several businesses were damaged including a car dealership with 70 cars. The Holy Family Church and School sustained $3,000,000 in damages. Two homes suffered structural failures, one estimated as 4,000 square feet in…

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

101°FJul 7, 2012

All-time low

−20°FJan 31, 2026

Warmest night

78°FJul 20, 2019

Coldest day

2°FJan 16, 2009

Wettest day

3.84 inJul 31, 2006

Hottest year

2021mean 55.0°F

Coldest year

1950mean 48.4°F

Wettest year

201153.76 in

Driest year

202417.01 in

Station Akron Fulton International Airport (USW00014813), 1,044 ft elevation, 11.1 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 27, 2026; 90.1% 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 Summit 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 USW00014813.
• 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.
• Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
• 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.