Geauga County

Every recorded tornado

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

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jul 28, 2006Flash Flood$4.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy thunderstorm rains fell on northern Geauga County during the evening hours of July 27th and early morning hours of the 28th. Some rainfall totals from this period included: 6.51 inches southwest of Thompson; 5.11 inches near Chardon; 3.53 inches in Chesterland and 2.83 inches in Burton. Runoff from this rain caused rapid rises in area streams and rivers. Flooding was reported throughout northern Geauga County, but the worst damage occurred in Thompson and Claridon Townships. In Thompson Township, Talcott Creek went into flood and damaged many homes. A bridge on Moseley Road was heavily damaged. A house on Clay Street was destroyed after flood waters flowed through it. A…

2. May 31, 2010Flash Flood$4.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Slow moving thunderstorms dumped locally heavy rainfall on portions of Lake, Geauga and Cuyahoga Counties. Rainfall rates of between two and three inches per hour caused flash flooding. The worst flooding occurred in Chester Township in northwestern Geauga County. An automated rain gauge just east of Chesterland measured 3.62 inches of rain with most of this rainfall falling between noon and 1:30 pm. Flooding along several streams and small rivers was reported in Chester Township. Extensive flooding was reported in a neighborhood just southwest of the intersection of U.S. Route 322 and State Route 306. Homes along Marilyn Drive and Wyandot Road had up to two feet of water on their…

3. Nov 9, 1996Heavy Snow, Geauga$3.0 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…

4. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Geauga$3.0 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 7 and 9 pm. 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 fallen trees landing on roofs. Numerous vehicles were damaged by fallen trees and limbs and also from flying…

5. Mar 4, 2008Winter Storm, Geauga$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A mixture of sleet and snow began in Geauga County before daybreak on March 4th. This mixture changed to freezing rain by midday and 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, between one half and 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…

6. Oct 29, 2012High Wind, Geauga$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Winds gusted to more than 60 mph in Geauga County causing significant damage. Many trees and utility poles were downed. Up to 5,000 electric customers lost power during this event. There were reports of trees down on homes and vehicles. Some homes also lost sections of roofing and siding. A few roads had to be closed because of downed trees and limbs.

7. Apr 29, 2012Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Geauga$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Temperatures dipped below freezing for several hours causing extensive damage to crops and produce. As much as 80 percent of the grape crop was destroyed and damage to fruit trees was also significant. A cooperative observer in Chardon reported a low of 24 degrees. Monetary losses from this freeze were significant.

8. Mar 7, 2008Winter Storm, Geauga$1.0 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. Numerous accidents and stranded vehicles were reported across the area. Storm totals reported from trained spotters throughout the county include 23.0 inches in Thompson, 18.0 inches in Chardon, 17.0 inches in Burton, and 15.3 inches in Middlefield.

9. Dec 22, 2004Winter Storm, Geauga$900,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A potent winter storm affected northern 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 northeastern Ohio late on the morning of the 22nd and then intensified during the afternoon. Visibilities during the evening hours were near zero at times. After midnight, warmer air moved into the area and caused the snow to first mix with, and then change completely to freezing rain. Temperatures briefly climbed above freezing around daybreak on the 23rd…

10. Nov 5, 2017Thunderstorm Wind$800,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Thunderstorm downburst winds gusted to as much as 85 mph and caused extensive damage across the southern tier of townships in Geauga County. Sporadic damage was also reported further north in the county. The damage began west of Bainbridge at the county line and continued east to the Parkman area. The damage was most concentrated in the Bainbridge area. Hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted and many utility poles were damaged. Many homes lost roofing or siding and several others were damaged by fallen trees. There were reports of road closures because of fallen trees and lines. A tower at the Auburn Township Fire Department was toppled by the strong winds. Just to the east 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

100°FJun 26, 1988

All-time low

−29°FFeb 20, 2015

Warmest night

78°FJul 5, 1999

Coldest day

−5°FJan 21, 1985

Wettest day

5.50 inJul 28, 2006

Snowiest day

18.0 inMar 7, 1966

Hottest year

1949mean 51.5°F

Coldest year

1972mean 43.9°F

Wettest year

200661.88 in

Driest year

196328.27 in

Snowiest season

161.5 in1959-60

Station Chardon (USC00331458), 1,130 ft elevation, 7.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1945 to October 16, 2026; 97.8% 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 USC00331458.
• 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.