Hancock County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Hancock County: 2.
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.

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.

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.

Costliest events since 1996

1. Aug 21, 2007Flash Flood$100 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain producing thunderstorms affected Hancock County during the late evening hours of August 20th and early morning hours of August 21st. Rainfall rates with the strongest storms approached three inches per hour. An automated sensor at the Findlay Airport measured a total of 5.28 inches. A Cooperative Observer in Findlay measured a storm total of 6.00 inches. Runoff from this rain combined with ground already saturated from earlier rains led to unprecedented and catastrophic flooding across portions of Hancock County. Local officials stated that the flooding in the county was the worst ever! The Findlay area was especially hard hit as the Blanchard River crested 7.5 feet…

2. May 25, 2011Hail$85.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A supercell thunderstorm moved across Hancock County. Hail as large as baseballs fell in association with this thunderstorm. The western half of the city of Findlay was especially hard hit. Golf ball or larger hail affected an area bordered by State Route 12 to the south, Township Road 99 to the north, County Road 140 to the west and roughly Main Street to the east. As many as 4,000 homes and business in this area may have been damaged by the hail. Thousands of automobiles also sustained damage from the hail. One automobile dealership on the north side of Findlay had over 400 vehicles damaged by the hail. Hundreds of homes also sustained damage from broken windows or damaged…

3. Jan 5, 2005Ice Storm, Hancock$13.1 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…

4. Jul 13, 2017Flood$12.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Major flooding occurred in Hancock county starting on July 13 and lasting through the 15th. Three to locally five inches of rain fell during the early morning hours of July 13th producing widespread overland flooding, localized flash flooding, and shortly thereafter significant river flooding on the Blanchard River and tributaries Eagle and Lye Creeks. |The week prior to this event had been wetter than normal with a minor flooding event on the Eagle Creek near Findlay. Rainfall over the prior few days saturated the top soil with standing water in many locations across northern and northwest Ohio, rivers and creeks remained above normal. The environment for the 13th were supportive…

5. Nov 10, 2002Tornado$11.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An F1 tornado touched down to the northeast of Arcadia in northeastern Hancock County. The initial touchdown occurred just south of State Route 12 and to the east of County Road 330. From this location the tornado moved northeast and strengthened to F2 intensity as it entered the southwest end of Fostoria. Two businesses were heavily damaged on the outskirts of Fostoria along State Route 12. One of the two, a fertilizer business, had two of it's four buildings completely leveled and the remaining two heavily damaged. A nearby gas storage facility had two large storage tanks damaged. Nearby, the tornado derailed two railroad cars near the West Tiffin Street crossing and toppled 19…

6. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Hancock$7.0 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 65 mph was measured by an automated sensor at the Findlay Airport at 4:54 PM EDT. 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. Home and building damage across the county was also extensive. The damage ranged from a few shingles torn off to significant structural damage caused by fallen trees landing on roofs. Awnings and gutters were torn off of a few buildings, including a gas…

7. Jun 29, 2012Thunderstorm Wind$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An intense line of thunderstorms or Derecho moved across Hancock County during the afternoon of June 29th causing extensive damage. A 84 mph wind gust was measured by an trained spotter in Findlay. Over 75 percent of residents lost power during this event. Power was not completely restored in Hancock County till July 6th. Hundreds, if not thousands of trees were downed across the county along with many utility poles forcing the closure of dozens of roads and streets. Damage to homes and buildings was also extensive. In Findlay alone, 464 structures were damaged by the strong winds. Of these, one building was destroyed with 15 other sustaining major damage and 43 with significant…

8. Dec 22, 2004Winter Storm, Hancock$2.4 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…

9. May 15, 2025Flash Flood$1.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Flash flooding on the north side of Findlay. Widespread roadway flooding was reported, with flooding of businesses and residence report. Numerous reports of basement flooding across the northern half of Findlay, with several buildings on the campus of the University of Findlay experiencing significant basement flooding. Some reports of parked vehicles stranded in flooded roadways.

10. Feb 28, 2011Flood$1.2 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Heavy rain and rapid snow melt led to widespread flooding across Hancock County. Rainfall totals across the county ranged from one to three inches on February 27th and 28th. Up to ten inches of heavy snow was on the ground at the onset of the rain. This snow rapidly melted as temperatures warmed into the 50s on the 28th. Up to an additional inch of water equivalent rainfall was released from the melted snow. Several people had be rescued from stranded vehicles. Hundreds of homes in the county sustained damage, mainly from basement flooding. Many roads had to be closed because of the flooding, mainly in downtown Findlay. The Blanchard River reached 16.42 feet,the 6th highest crest…

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°FJun 25, 1988

All-time low

−20°FJan 19, 1994

Warmest night

79°F2 times, most recently Jun 15, 2022

Coldest day

−11°FJan 20, 1985

Wettest day

4.89 inJun 13, 1981

Snowiest day

12.0 inJan 31, 1982

Hottest year

2024mean 56.0°F

Coldest year

1978mean 48.0°F

Wettest year

195045.98 in

Driest year

201020.76 in

Snowiest season

58.4 in1981-82

Station Findlay Airport (USW00014825), 809 ft elevation, 2.2 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1942 to October 26, 2026; 99.5% 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 USW00014825.
• 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.