Sylvania

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 Lucas County, the county that contains Sylvania.

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 Lucas County, the county that contains Sylvania.

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 Lucas County, the county that contains Sylvania.

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 21, 2006Flash Flood$42.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorms dumped torrential rainfall on Lucas County during the evening hours of June 21st. Rainall rates with the stronger storms exceeded 3 inches per hour. A peak rainfall total of 7.25 inches was measured near the University of Toledo. Other totals from across the county included: 5.15 inches in West Toledo; 5.01 inches in Richfield Township; 4.06 inches in downtown Toledo and 2.72 inches at Toledo Express Airport. Most of this rain fell between 7 and 10 p.m., and a spotter in West Toledo measured 3.4 inches of rain between 7 and 8:30 p.m. Devastating flash flooding occurred across the county with Toledo, Maumee and Sylvania especially hard hit. Roads and streets…

2. Jul 1, 2019Flood$15.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Several local and state parks adjacent to the lake have sustained millions of dollars in flood damage and erosion. Put-in-Bay Township had several roads wash out due to high water, with recurring standing water issues at Middle Bass Island's Burgundy Bay subdivision. The Lake Erie water levels flooded agricultural fields and resulted in no crops on some fields in Sandusky County. Several seasonal and year round properties need to be elevated due to repeated flooding this year.

3. Jun 26, 2015Flood$9.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Rain gauges across Lucas County measured upwards of 5.78 inches (Toledo Metcalf Airport) on the 27th. A Cocorahs rain gauge 2.2 miles WSW of Toledo measured 3.70. This heavy rain over already saturated soils created widespread flooding in Lucas County. Over 600 homes reported flooding to the local officials. Most of the flooding was contained in basements. Widespread road closures continued into the 28th.

4. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Lucas$7.5 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. Wind gusts were estimated to be around 60 mph with the strongest winds occurring between 6 and 7 pm. 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…

5. Jul 29, 2000Flash Flood$3.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorms dumped torrential rain on Lucas County during the early afternoon hours. Rainfall amounts of up to 6.9 inches were measured in Toledo with most of that total falling between noon and 2 pm. Widespread flooding occurred in Toledo, especially on the west and north sides, and also in Sylvania. Hundreds of roads were flooded with over a dozen roads washed out. Water on many roads was in excess of six feet deep. Several dozen people were stranded in cars and had to be rescued. In Toledo, 10 homes were destroyed by flooding with 58 homes severely damaged. An additional 256 homes and apartments suffered minor damage. Hundreds of motor vehicles were also damaged by flooding…

6. Jul 2, 2008Flash Flood$2.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Very heavy rainfall started across Lucas County around 7:30 pm, with the heaviest rain falling between 8 pm and 9 pm, and then again between 12:30 am and 1:30 am. Rainfall totals in the area included 5.00 inches at the intersection of I-475 and US 23, 4.31 inches in Sylvania, 3.70 inches at the Toledo airport, and 3.39 inches in Point Place. Widespread flooding resulted, with many cars stranded citywide in underpasses and along flooded streets. Flooding occurred in neighborhoods along several area drainages, including Shantee Creek, Swan Creek, and Heldman Ditch. Over 100 basements were flooded from the excess runoff, and the Oregon municipal building was completely surrounded by water.

7. Mar 12, 2015Flood$1.3 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   On March 12th an ice jam formed on the Maumee River in Maumee Ohio. The river was frozen from Maumee to the mouth of the river at Lake Erie. The ice jam and subsequent water rises caused the Side Cut Metropark to close and experience record flooding. The road between Jerome Road and an access road east of Riverside Cemetery was damaged by the moving ice and needed repairs. In Maumee the Side Cut Metropark sustained around $50,000 in damages. The Riverside Cemetery is estimated to have sustained $1 million in damages. In Monclova the ice jams damaged two homes on North River Road. These homes sustained damage from the ice to their decks and exterior. Only one of the two homes had…

8. Feb 22, 2003Heavy Snow, Lucas$1.2 million
   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…

9. Jan 30, 2002Ice Storm, Lucas$1.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Low pressure passed to the northwest of Ohio. Freezing rain developed to the north of a warm front extending east from this low. Freezing rain was first reported late on the 30th and continued through the late morning hours on the 31st. Up to one-half inch of ice accumulation occurred in Lucas County with in excess of one-quarter inch of ice in Wood, Ottawa and Sandusky Counties. Scattered power outages resulted from downed power lines and trees. In Lucas County alone, over 400 trees and limbs were downed. Two dozen homes and 19 vehicles were damaged by these fallen trees. Scattered power outages and many downed trees were reported in the adjacent counties. A total of 106,000…

10. Dec 22, 2004Winter Storm, Lucas$1.1 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…

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

104°F2 times, most recently Jul 14, 1995

All-time low

−20°FJan 21, 1984

Warmest night

79°FJul 21, 2011

Coldest day

−9°FJan 20, 1985

Wettest day

4.34 inJul 4, 1969

Snowiest day

13.9 inDec 1, 1974

Hottest year

2021mean 54.2°F

Coldest year

1978mean 46.7°F

Wettest year

201148.76 in

Driest year

196322.04 in

Snowiest season

86.3 in2013-14

Station Toledo Express Airport (USW00094830), 674 ft elevation, 9.8 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1955 to October 27, 2026; 99.7% 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 Lucas 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 USW00094830.
• 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.