Wilmington

Population 12,802 (2025)

124 tornadoes have tracked within 25 miles of Wilmington since 1950, 12 of them rated EF3 or F3 or stronger; the most recent was on April 2, 2025.

Hazard fingerprint for Wilmington Tornado: 92th percentile. Tropical: 0th percentile. Wildfire: 0th percentile. Flood: 80th percentile. Hail & wind: 91th percentile. Heat: 39th percentile. Cold: 22th percentile. Winter: 83th percentile. TORTROPFIREFLOODSEVEREHEATCOLDWINTER

Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed

2026
  • Tornado damage paths within 25 miles since 1950124
  • Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger3

At a glance

Tornado paths within 25 miles, tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles and wildfire perimeters within 25 miles of the city centre. Storm events, flood insurance claims and disaster declarations are for Clinton County. Earthquakes within 50 miles, volcanoes within 100 miles and smoke days are measured from the city centre; river and tide gauges, tsunami and landslide records and the drought index are for Clinton County.

Tornadoes since 1950, within 25 mi

124

12 rated F3/EF3 or stronger

Details

Flood insurance claims

16

Clinton County

$206,000 paid since 1979

Details

Tropical cyclones within 100 mi

3

None within 50 miles since 1851

Details

Strongest tornado

F5

April 3, 1974, 31.3 mile path

Federal disaster declarations

10

Most recent: Covid-19 Pandemic, 2020

Details

Record high

101°F

Reached 2 times, most recently July 7, 2012

Details

Record low

−14°F

Reached 2 times, most recently January 31, 2026

Details

Costliest event since 1996

$5.1M

High Wind, September 14, 2008

Details

Tornadoes

About 2 tornados a year since 1950, 12 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Strongest

April 3, 1974

F5, 31.3 mile path

533 yards wide; 36 killed along the whole path.

Most recent

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

EF0, 9.1 mile path

Within the past year.

Tornadoes by decade, within 25 miles Doppler radar era² 1950s: 4 4 1960s: 11 11 1970s: 9 9 1980s: 6 6 1990s: 19 19 2000s: 20 20 2010s: 29 29 2020s: 26 26 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
Recorded tornadoes per decade. The 2020s are incomplete.
Tornadoes by month J: 0 F: 2 M: 13 A: 25 M: 40 40 J: 18 J: 13 A: 3 S: 3 O: 6 N: 1 D: 0 JFMAMJJASOND
By month of occurrence, all years.

Every recorded tornado

Tornadoes within 25 miles since 1950
Apr 2, 2025EF09.135000
Apr 2, 2025EF02.710000
Apr 2, 2025EF07.925000
Apr 2, 2025EF08.520000
Apr 2, 2025EF03.020000
Mar 30, 2025EF13.925000
Mar 30, 2025EF03.015000
Mar 30, 2025EF011.720000
Jul 29, 2024EF18.020000
May 7, 2024EF00.515000
May 7, 2024EF01.38000
May 7, 2024EF12.735000
May 7, 2024EF00.45000
May 7, 2024EF12.615000
May 7, 2024EF00.310000
Mar 3, 2023EF00.915000
Mar 3, 2023EF114.240000
Jul 6, 2022EF13.325000
Jul 6, 2022EF24.850020
Mar 23, 2022EF01.75000
Oct 15, 2021EF13.17000
Oct 15, 2021EF01.85000
Apr 8, 2020EF00.95000
Apr 8, 2020EF02.45000
Apr 8, 2020EF00.87500
Apr 8, 2020EF08.820000
May 27, 2019EF04.225000
May 27, 2019EF15.825000
May 27, 2019EF39.91,23000
Apr 3, 2018EF18.820000
May 24, 2017EF02.22500
May 24, 2017EF00.72500
May 24, 2017EF02.64000
May 24, 2017EF00.22500
Mar 1, 2017EF12.215000
Mar 1, 2017EF04.510000
Mar 1, 2017EF06.925000
Jun 23, 2016EF13.830000
Jun 23, 2016EF120.725000
May 26, 2015EF10.67020
Apr 19, 2015EF00.97500
Jul 27, 2014EF02.51,30000
Jun 4, 2014EF04.120000
May 14, 2014EF38.940000
Sep 7, 2012EF00.22500
May 1, 2012EF00.05000
May 1, 2012EF00.01000
Mar 23, 2012EF00.45000
Mar 23, 2012EF00.45000
Jun 27, 2011EF00.02500
May 25, 2011EF00.57500
May 25, 2011EF00.12500
May 23, 2011EF00.23300
Oct 26, 2010EF05.520000
Oct 26, 2010EF04.020000
Oct 23, 2009EF00.1600
May 30, 2009EF00.36000
May 30, 2009EF00.42000
Jun 3, 2008EF00.22500
May 8, 2008EF00.11000
May 8, 2008EF00.42000
Jul 11, 2006F00.13000
Jul 11, 2006F00.13000
Jul 11, 2006F00.13000
Jul 11, 2006F05.05000
Jul 11, 2006F11.035000
Jul 11, 2006F00.32500
May 10, 2006F00.53000
Aug 30, 2005F02.030000
May 27, 2004F12.016700
May 27, 2004F13.05010
May 27, 2004F00.11000
May 9, 2002F02.02000
May 24, 2001F00.51000
Sep 20, 2000F49.05001001
Aug 24, 1999F010.050000
Apr 9, 1999F21.510000
Apr 9, 1999F410.0270654
May 31, 1998F10.310000
May 7, 1998F00.23000
Jul 2, 1997F20.230000
May 14, 1997F13.050000
May 14, 1997F12.050000
Apr 28, 1994F00.12000
Jun 30, 1993F315.040030
Jun 30, 1993F10.510000
Jun 30, 1993F11.010000
Jun 30, 1993F11.05000
Jun 30, 1993F10.52000
Jun 28, 1993F02.02000
Jul 12, 1992F10.120000
Aug 20, 1991F00.12000
Sep 14, 1990F235.020060
Jun 2, 1990F01.05000
Apr 25, 1989F25.0123160
Jun 10, 1986F13.57300
Mar 10, 1986F228.0100101
Mar 10, 1986F26.073100
May 2, 1983F111.08300
May 29, 1982F10.35000
Jun 7, 1978F10.54000
Apr 2, 1977F01.022000
Jun 24, 1976F010.11000
Apr 2, 1975F21.05030
Apr 3, 1974F29.817790
Apr 3, 1974F419.8350392
Apr 3, 1974F531.35331,15036
May 12, 1970F10.16000
Apr 2, 1970F21.020000
May 10, 1969F354.5400250
May 8, 1969F31.9150250
Apr 23, 1968F424.1300331
Oct 9, 1966F24.910030
Nov 16, 1965F33.810040
Apr 11, 1965F10.11000
Apr 8, 1965F210.530000
Jun 23, 1964F10.31000
May 8, 1961F120.010000
Apr 25, 1961F225.05042
Jun 22, 1960F20.140000
Feb 10, 1959F310.540060
Jul 11, 1958F11.01000
Jun 26, 1956F12.05000
Feb 25, 1956F20.33000
  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.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

3 tropical cyclones passed within 100 miles since 1851, none within 50.

Most recent

October 5, 1995

Opal, Post-tropical

42.4 miles at closest approach.

Every storm within 100 miles

Tropical cyclones within 100 miles
Opal199542.4Post-tropical46Category 4
Frederic197999.6Tropical storm40Category 4
Audrey195793.7Tropical storm44Category 3
Unnamed191575.3Post-tropical40Category 4
Unnamed189221.5Post-tropical53Tropical storm
Unnamed188864.6Tropical storm52Category 3
  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.

Wildfire and smoke

No large wildfire has been mapped within 25 miles since satellite mapping began in 1984.

Smoke overhead

Smokiest year

2023: 55 days

Heavy smoke on 14 days in 2023, the most of any year.

Last 10 years

16.4 days a year

Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.

2025

11 days

Medium or heavy smoke. 38 so far in 2026.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 6 2012: 5 2013: 4 2014: 7 2015: 6 2016: 1 2017: 6 2018: 5 2019: 8 2020: 15 2021: 32 2022: 14 2023: 55 55 2024: 17 2025: 11 201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Days each year on which a satellite-traced plume of medium or heavy smoke covered the city centre, 2011 to 2025.
  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.

Floods and flood insurance

16 federal flood insurance claims since 1979, with $206,000 paid.

Flood insurance figures are for Clinton County, the county that contains Wilmington.

Federal flood insurance claims by year
Claims per year since 1979. Years with fewer than five claims are not shown.

Claims by ZIP code

Flood insurance claims by ZIP code
451699$70,000

Flood events since 1996

  • Flood49
  • Flash Flood28
  • Heavy Rain3

1 death recorded in flood events since 1996.

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.

Drought

In severe drought or worse for 121 of 1,581 months since 1895 (8%); the longest spell lasted 17 months.

The drought index is for Clinton County, the county that contains Wilmington.

121

Months in severe drought or worse since 1895

57

Months in extreme drought

8%

Share of all months, severe or worse

2

Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996

Lowest reading

March 1931

−6.82, extreme drought

Longest severe spell

17 months

January 1901 to May 1902.

Latest month

September 2026

+2.90, moderately wet

Last severe month: November 2024.

Months in severe drought or worse, by year 1895: 6 1896: 4 1897: 0 1898: 0 1899: 0 1900: 6 1901: 12 12 1902: 5 1903: 2 1904: 5 1905: 4 1906: 0 1907: 0 1908: 2 1909: 1 1910: 0 1911: 0 1912: 0 1913: 0 1914: 1 1915: 1 1916: 0 1917: 0 1918: 0 1919: 0 1920: 0 1921: 0 1922: 0 1923: 0 1924: 0 1925: 0 1926: 0 1927: 0 1928: 0 1929: 0 1930: 6 1931: 3 1932: 0 1933: 0 1934: 7 1935: 2 1936: 2 1937: 0 1938: 0 1939: 0 1940: 0 1941: 3 1942: 0 1943: 0 1944: 5 1945: 1 1946: 0 1947: 0 1948: 0 1949: 0 1950: 0 1951: 0 1952: 0 1953: 4 1954: 6 1955: 0 1956: 0 1957: 0 1958: 0 1959: 0 1960: 1 1961: 1 1962: 0 1963: 1 1964: 5 1965: 0 1966: 0 1967: 0 1968: 0 1969: 0 1970: 0 1971: 0 1972: 0 1973: 0 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 0 1977: 0 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 0 1981: 0 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 4 1988: 8 1989: 0 1990: 0 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 7 2000: 1 2001: 0 2002: 0 2003: 0 2004: 0 2005: 0 2006: 0 2007: 0 2008: 1 2009: 0 2010: 0 2011: 0 2012: 2 2013: 0 2014: 0 2015: 0 2016: 0 2017: 0 2018: 0 2019: 0 2020: 0 2021: 0 2022: 0 2023: 0 2024: 2 2025: 0 18951905191519251935194519551965197519851995200520152025
Months each year with a Palmer index of −3 or lower, 1895 to 2025. Twelve means the whole year.
  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.

Earthquakes

3 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more within 50 miles since 1995; none reached magnitude 4.

1

Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973

0

Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900

0

Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900

Largest within 50 miles

February 19, 1995

Magnitude 3.6

8 km SSE of Rocky Fork Point, Ohio; 28.3 miles away, 6.2 miles deep.

Most recent, magnitude 3 or more

February 19, 1995

Magnitude 3.6

8 km SSE of Rocky Fork Point, Ohio; 28.3 miles away.

  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.

Severe weather and other events

752 events in the National Weather Service record for Clinton County, 685 of them since 1996.

62

Hail reports, 1 inch or larger

4

Hail, 2 inches or larger

282

Damaging gusts, 58 mph+

152

Winter weather events since 1996

6

Heat events since 1996

4

Cold events since 1996

Largest hail

May 13, 1998

2.75 inches

Strongest measured or estimated gust

February 25, 1956

115 mph

More event types since 1996

Other Storm Events types since 1996
Lightning200Jun 11, 1996

Costliest events since 1996

  1. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Clinton$5.1 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Strong winds of 40 to 50 miles per hour were sustained for several hours. A gust to 77 mph was recorded north of Wilmington, while the ASOS recorded a gust to 74 mph. Widespread damage occurred across the region, from trees being blown down on powerlines, to significant crop losses and structural damage.

  2. Apr 9, 1999Thunderstorm Wind$1.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    The same storm that produced tornadoes to the southwest of the county moved to the Pansy road area southwest of Clarksville. Three homes and a business were destroyed by the storm and 20 other properties were damaged.

  3. Jan 6, 1996Winter Storm, Clinton$500,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The Blizzard of '96 developed near the Gulf Coast and moved up the East Coast. This massive system produced the greatest total and 24 hour snowfall at Greater Cincinnati\Northern Kentucky airport. This one storm brought 14.3 inches of snowfall to the airport which normally receives 23 inches for an entire season. The heaviest snow fell near the Ohio river in the extreme south. The worst blizzard conditions occurred over West Central areas as dry and powdery snow was blown around by high winds causing whiteouts. Some areas had more than 30 continuous hours of snowfall, and many people in Southern Ohio felt this was the worst winter storm since the Blizzard of '78. In Fayette…

  4. Apr 19, 2002Thunderstorm Wind$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A dozen homes sustained wind and/or hail damage in the vicinity of Farmers Rd. and State Route 350. There was also a roof ripped off a house on the west side of New Vienna.

  5. Jul 2, 1997Thunderstorm Wind$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A roof was blown off an antique store, over another building , and into a parking lot. Numerous trees were downed of which several fell on vehicles.

  6. Jun 11, 1996Lightning$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Lightning struck a home causing extensive damage.

  7. Mar 14, 2019Thunderstorm Wind$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Multiple power poles and power lines were downed across the county. Several barns were also damaged throughout the county.

  8. May 13, 1998Hail$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Hail as large as baseballs occurred around Wilmington. Extensive damage occurred ranging from broken car windows to 4 airplanes at Airborne Express, which is located at the Wilmington Airport.

  9. Apr 3, 2025Tornado$75,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The tornado developed near Reed Road and State Route 72, where a few power poles were knocked down. Two barns on Rhonemus Road had their roofs removed, and a silo was also destroyed. On Hornbeam Road, one barn was destroyed, and multiple trees were snapped. Some roof and gutter damage was also observed on a single family home. Debris was thrown in multiple directions in the field directly east of Hornbeam Road. Farther east, power poles were downed on State Route 729. Additional debris was noted in a field near Greenfield-Sabina Road. The tornado crossed into Fayette County just east of Greenfield-Sabina Road at 0032EST. The tornado continued to move east-northeast across western…

  10. Sep 7, 2010Thunderstorm Wind$70,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A new barn was destroyed on Spencer Road due to damaging thunderstorm winds. In addition to the new barn damage, four roofs were blown off barns, 15 large trees were down, siding was damaged on a home, and a grain bin buckled.

  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.

Weather records

From Cincinnati, 0.7 miles from the city centre, with records from 1949.

All-time high
101°F2 times, most recently Jul 7, 2012
All-time low
−14°F2 times, most recently Jan 31, 2026
Warmest night
77°FJul 30, 1999
Coldest day
3°FJan 30, 1966
Wettest day
4.24 inAug 14, 1968
Snowiest day
11.0 inMar 22, 1968
Hottest year
2024mean 56.9°F
Coldest year
1958mean 49.8°F
Wettest year
195758.11 in
Driest year
199926.43 in
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Cincinnati 32°F 37° 21° 2.9 Jan 41° 24° 3.0 Feb 52° 33° 3.9 Mar 64° 42° 4.3 Apr 73° 53° 4.3 May 82° 61° 4.5 Jun 84° 64° 4.3 Jul 83° 62° 3.2 Aug 78° 55° 3.0 Sep 66° 44° 3.2 Oct 53° 34° 2.9 Nov 42° 27° 3.3 Dec Precipitation, inches
Average daily high and low by month, and average monthly precipitation, over the last 30 years.
Nights at or below freezing per year 1999: 117 2000: 122 2001: 111 2002: 110 2003: 111 2004: 107 2005: 109 2006: 92 2007: 105 2008: 119 2009: 106 2010: 113 2011: 98 2012: 102 2013: 131 131 2014: 120 2015: 96 2016: 105 2017: 96 2018: 122 2019: 108 2020: 104 2021: 113 2022: 106 2023: 80 2024: 74 2025: 110 199920092019
Nights at or below freezing each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 106.9.

Station Cincinnati (USW00013841), 1,170 ft elevation, 0.7 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1949 to October 27, 2026; 94.7% 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.

Federal disaster declarations

10 since 1953. The most recent: Covid-19 Pandemic, March 31, 2020.

Declarations for Clinton County.

Federal disaster declarations
Mar 31, 2020BiologicalCovid-19 PandemicMajor disasterDR-4507-OH
Mar 13, 2020BiologicalCovid-19EmergencyEM-3457-OH
Jun 30, 2012Severe StormSevere StormsEmergencyEM-3346-OH
Oct 24, 2008Severe StormSevere Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression IkeMajor disasterDR-1805-OH
Apr 24, 2008SnowstormRecord Snow and Near Record SnowEmergencyEM-3286-OH
Sep 13, 2005HurricaneHurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergencyEM-3250-OH
Sep 19, 2004Severe StormSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1556-OH
Jan 26, 1978SnowstormBlizzards & SnowstormsEmergencyEM-3055-OH
Feb 2, 1977SnowstormSnowstormsEmergencyEM-3029-OH
Jun 5, 1968FloodHeavy Rains & FloodingMajor disasterDR-243-OH

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.

Sources and vintage

Every number on this page comes from these public records.

  • 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 USW00013841.
  • 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.