Ashtabula County

Every recorded tornado

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

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 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.

Tsunamis

1. Places where NOAA's Global Historical Tsunami Database records a tsunami's water arriving, with the greatest height it reached above sea level at the time. Only tsunamis NOAA rates probable or definite are counted. Heights from eyewitness accounts and tide gauges are mixed, and older events are less completely recorded.

NOAA NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jul 28, 2006Flash Flood$12.8 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A second round of thunderstorms moved across Ashtabula County during the early morning hours of July 28th. Rainfall rates exceeded two inches per hour at times. Some rainfall totals from late afternoon on July 27th through the early morning hours of the 28th included: 5.88 inches in Trumbull Township; 4.30 inches in Geneva; 3.45 inches at New Lyme and 3.33 inches at Jefferson. Widespread flooding occurred across the county as runoff from this rain made it into area streams and rivers. Coffee Creek went into flood in Austinburg and caused extensive damage. At least five homes in the town were destroyed and another 20 sustained severe damage. Three homes in Jefferson had water on…

2. Feb 1, 2020Flood$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Record Lake Erie water levels for February resulted in continued and exasperated lakeshore flooding and erosion. There were two storm events that brought lakeshore flooding to the western basin on the 5th and 6th, and the other on the 27th. In addition to these wind driven events, weakened shorelines showed signs of collapse and erosion throughout the month. Erosion was made worse by the lack of ice over the winter. Lake Erie reported only .4 percent of ice coverage compared to the average of 67 percent in mid February. The lack of ice supported increased wave runup, eroding away cliffs, washing out beaches and damaging shoreline infrastructure.||Of note, in Geneva on the Lake the…

3. Jul 22, 2006Flash Flood$7.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorms dumped heavy rains on the northern portion of Ashtabula County during the morning hours of July 22nd. Flooding quickly developed as runoff from the rain caused rapid rises in area streams and rivers. Locations along and north of Interstate 90 saw the worst flooding. Spotters in the City of Ashtabula measured 7.2 inches and 6.04 inches of rain. Much of this rainfall fell between 8 and 11 a.m. Other reports from across the county included: 3.7 inches at North Kingsville and 3.5 inches in Saybrook Township between 6 and 11 a.m. In Ashtabula, extensive flooding occurred on Clermont Drive, Howard Road and Jefferson Road. Flood waters were up to three feet deep on these…

4. Mar 4, 2008Winter Storm, Ashtabula$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A mixture of sleet and snow began in Ashtabula County before daybreak on March 4th. This mixture quickly changed to freezing rain which then continued into the early morning hours of March 5th. Conditions quickly deteriorated after sunset as surface temperatures dropped off a few degrees. Over a quarter inch of ice accumulation was reported on roads and sidewalks by early evening. By the time the freezing rain changed to light snow during the early morning hours of the 5th, as much as three quarters of an inch of ice had accumulated on parts of the county. Thunder and lightning were reported between 7 and 9 pm. The snow tapered to flurries during the morning hours of the 5th after…

5. Mar 1, 2020Flood$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Lake Erie continued its seasonal rise from February to March, rising about 2 inches to a level of 573.98 feet. This level was a new record high monthly mean water level for March, surpassing its previous record set in 1986 by 3 inches. The March 2020 level was also 12 inches above the March 2019 level and 34 inches above its long term average level. Lack of lake ice supported higher and more repetitive wave action along the shoreline, resulting in continued beach and cliff erosion.

6. Mar 4, 2008Winter Storm, Ashtabula Lakeshore$2.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A mixture of sleet and snow began in Ashtabula County before daybreak on March 4th. This mixture quickly changed to freezing rain which then continued into the early morning hours of March 5th. Conditions quickly deteriorated after sunset as surface temperatures dropped off a few degrees. Over a quarter inch of ice accumulation was reported on roads and sidewalks by early evening. By the time the freezing rain changed to light snow during the early morning hours of the 5th, as much as three quarters of an inch of ice had accumulated on parts of the county. Thunder and lightning were reported between 7 and 9 pm. The snow tapered to flurries during the morning hours of the 5th after…

7. Nov 9, 1996Heavy Snow, Ashtabula$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy lake effect snow occurred over a seven day period. Total storm accumulations ranged from 6 inches in Elyria (Lorain County) to 69 inches in Chardon (Geauga County). Other significant storm totals were 50 inches in Shaker Heights (Cuyahoga County), 48 inches in Jefferson (Ashtabula County), 28 inches at Kirtland (Lake County), and 15 inches in Mesopotamia (Trumbull County). The storm wreaked havoc on power and telephone lines. Cleveland Electric Illuminating estimated 185,000 customers were without power, some for several days. Dozens of emergency shelters were opened for people who were without electricity. In Wickliffe and Willoughby (Lake County), motels and hotels that…

8. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Ashtabula$1.5 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 7 and 9 pm. A 53 mph gust was measured by an automated sensor at the Ashtabula County Airport near Jefferson at 8:51 PM EDT. Damage in the county was extensive with hundreds of trees and many utility poles downed. Widespread power outages occurred with some customers without power for a couple days. Homes and buildings were damaged throughout the county. The damage ranged from a few shingles torn off to significant structural damage caused by…

9. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Ashtabula Lakeshore$1.5 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. The strongest winds occurred between 7 and 9 pm with a peak gust of 78 mph measured in Ashtabula. Damage in the county was extensive with hundreds of trees and many utility poles downed. Widespread power outages occurred with some customers without power for a couple days. Homes and buildings were damaged throughout 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.…

10. Mar 7, 2008Winter Storm, Ashtabula Lakeshore$1.5 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Snow began during the morning hours of the 7th and continued for the next day and a half. Snow tapered off a bit during the evening hours of the 7th, but picked up again overnight and continued moderate to heavy at times through much of the day on the 8th. Gusty winds around 30 mph at times caused considerable blowing and drifting of snow which made some roads across the area nearly impassable. Visibilities across the area on the 8th were mainly less than a mile with several hours of visibilities around one quarter of a mile. Numerous accidents and stranded vehicles were reported across the area. Storm totals reported from trained spotters throughout the area include 23.0 inches…

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

100°FJun 25, 1988

All-time low

−18°F2 times, most recently Feb 16, 2015

Warmest night

82°FJul 10, 1936

Coldest day

−4°FJan 19, 1994

Wettest day

10.37 inJul 22, 1947

Snowiest day

22.6 inNov 29, 2024

Hottest year

2024mean 54.3°F

Coldest year

1972mean 45.8°F

Wettest year

197761.70 in

Driest year

193423.84 in

Snowiest season

166.3 in2017-18

Station Erie International Airport (USW00014860), 729 ft elevation, 36.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1926 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 USW00014860.
• 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.
• Tsunamis NOAA NCEI/WDS Global Historical Tsunami Database.
• 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.