Ashland County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Ashland County: 0.
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.

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

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.

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 county boundary (or inside the county).
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. Jan 5, 2005Ice Storm, Ashland$8.8 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…

2. Dec 22, 2004Winter Storm, Ashland$5.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A record setting winter storm affected northern Ohio on December 22nd and 23rd. The impact and damage caused by this storm has been compared to the Blizzard of January 1978. 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 around daybreak on the 22nd and then intensified around midday. Heavy snow with visibilities of a quarter mile or less then persisted into the early morning hours of the 23rd. Snowfall rates much of this time ranged from one to two inches per hour. Winds…

3. Jul 10, 2006Flash Flood$5.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy thunderstorm rains fell on the southern portion of Ashland County during the afternoon and early evening hours of July 10th. Rainfall rates approached 3 inches per hour at times and a spotter near the intersection of State Route 3 and College Hill Road, just south of the Ashland County line, measured a storm total of 7.5 inches. Cooperative observers at the Mohicanville Dam measured 2.8 inches of rain between 3 and 4 p.m. and a storm total of 3.41 inches. Other reports from the county included: 3.26 inches in Loudonville, 2.89 inches at Pleasant Hill Dam and 2.10 inches in the City of Ashland. Runoff from the heavy rains caused the Mohican River to rise very quickly. A four…

4. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Ashland$3.5 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. A peak gust of 73 mph was measured in the county. A tent at the Ashland County Fair was blown down by the winds. The fair had to be shut down early because of the high winds. Hundreds of fair goers had to be herded inside to safety at the onset of the high winds. Amusement rides at the fair had to be taken down to prevent them from being damaged or overturned. Damage in the county was extensive with thousands of trees and many utility poles downed. Widespread power outages occurred as well. Some locations in southern Ashland County…

5. Aug 21, 2007Flash Flood$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain producing thunderstorms affected Ashland County during the late evening hours of August 20th and early morning hours of August 21st. Rainfall totals from across the county included: 3.32 inches at Ashland; 3.46 inches at Jeromesville; 5.18 inches at Mifflin and 4.02 inches at Loudonville. Runoff from this rain combined with ground already saturated from earlier rains led to significant flooding across portions of Ashland County. Widespread lowland flooding occurred across the county and many roads had to be closed because of flooding. Some of the worst flooding occurred near Loudonville after the Black Fork of the Mohican River quickly rose and left it's banks. Many…

6. Aug 6, 2000Tornado$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado touched down on the west side of Ashland near Lindale Avenue then moved east along West Main Street causing significant damage and four minor injuries. The damage path was 50 to 100 yards wide, intermittent and nearly three miles in length. The most severe damage occurred a few blocks west of downtown. Major structural damage occurred to several homes in the area including one that had an entire side blown apart. Damage to the downtown business district was much less severe with most of the damage being in the form of broken windows and torn off siding. However, three buildings lost large sections of roof and a fourth had a brick wall collapse. The roof of one of the…

7. Nov 10, 2002Tornado$1.6 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado touched down two miles southwest of Polk near the intersection of County Road 601 and Township Road 902. A new home at this location was destroyed. The tornado then traveled northeast across the western and northern portions of Polk. Two homes on the west side of Polk were heavily damaged and a small barn was leveled just north of town. Another 10 to 12 buildings, including two public buildings sustained minor damage in Polk. From Polk, the tornado traveled northeast across rural areas and passed just to the west of Albion. Two homes along County Road 620 just west of Township Road 521 lost entire roofs and had exterior walls partially or entirely knocked down. A nearby…

8. Aug 9, 2007Tornado$1.4 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A storm survey was conducted and an EF1 tornado was confirmed in northeastern Ashland County. The tornado touched down northeast of Sullivan along Black River School Road just to the west of the Medina County line. Two school buildings were damaged by the tornado. One of the schools lost a section of roofing over a gymnasium. Sections of roofing along the remainder of the building were lifted and buckled by tornado winds. Significant amounts of rain water got into the building as a result of this roof damage. Water damage in the school was extensive and the gymnasium floor will need replacement. A modular building used as a classroom also sustained damage. Fences surrounding…

9. Jan 1, 2005Flood, Ashland$1.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain and runoff from snowmelt caused widespread lowland flooding in Ashland, Knox, Morrow, Richland Counties during the first two-thirds of January. January 2005 was the wettest January ever at Mansfield Lahm Airport with 6.08 inches of precipitation during the month. Rainfall totals from Knox County included; 7.51 inches at Greer; 7.97 inches at Fredericktown; 8.28 inches at Danville and 9.99 inches at Centerburg all in Knox County. In addition to this rain, extensive snowpack existed over northern Ohio at the beginning of the month. Temperatures in the 50s the first three days of the month caused a rapid snowmelt and brought area streams and creeks to bankfull just in time…

10. Mar 7, 2008Winter Storm, Ashland$800,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Snow began across the area during the morning hours of the 7th and continued through the late afternoon hours of the 8th. During the daytime on the 7th, visibilities were reduced to a half mile or less at times, but then during the evening hours the snow lightened up considerably. The snow intensified through the overnight hours into the 8th, and moderate to heavy snow continued through the daytime hours before tapering to flurries in the late afternoon and evening. At the end of this event, snowfall amounts ranged between 9.0 and 15.0 inches. A trained spotter in Ashland measured 13.0 inches for a storm total. Winds on the 7th and 8th were gusty causing considerable blowing and…

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°FJun 25, 1988

All-time low

−22°F2 times, most recently Jan 19, 1994

Warmest night

79°F2 times, most recently Jun 22, 1988

Coldest day

−7°F2 times, most recently Jan 20, 1985

Wettest day

4.34 inAug 21, 2007

Snowiest day

15.2 inDec 22, 2004

Hottest year

2024mean 54.0°F

Coldest year

1976mean 46.8°F

Wettest year

199067.22 in

Driest year

196321.81 in

Snowiest season

91.0 in1995-96

Station Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport (USW00014891), 1,289 ft elevation, 12.4 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 26, 2026; 99.9% 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.

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.

Neighbouring counties

• 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 USW00014891.
• 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.