Marion County

Every recorded tornado

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

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. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Marion$9.0 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 Marion County Airport at 6:31 PM EDT. Damage in the county was extensive with thousands of trees and many utility poles downed. The damage was the most extensive in the southern part of the county. Widespread power outages occurred across the county with some customers without power for as much as a week. 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…

2. Dec 22, 2004Winter Storm, Marion$5.8 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. Jan 5, 2005Ice Storm, Marion$5.7 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. Jun 29, 2012Thunderstorm Wind$4.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An intense line of thunderstorms or Derecho moved across Marion County during the afternoon of June 29th causing extensive damage. Winds were estimated to be as much as 80 mph and a 62 mph gust was measured by an automated sensor on the north end of the county. Over 75 percent of residents lost power during this event. Power was not completely restored till July 5th. 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. Hundreds of homes and buildings lost roofing or siding with many other homes damaged by fallen trees. At least one semi…

5. Aug 9, 2007Thunderstorm Wind$1.3 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A severe thunderstorm moved into Marion around 4:10 pm. Numerous trees, large limbs, utility poles and power lines came down during the storm. Reports indicate that many trees fell onto homes, garages and cars throughout the city. One of the houses was damaged enough to be considered destroyed. Between 30 and 35 utility poles had to be replaced because of trees and large limbs falling onto them. One house had three trees fall onto it causing extensive damage. A house in Marion that was being remodeled sustained damage by trees. Three people working on the house quickly took shelter on a porch during the storm, but were injuried when a tree fell onto the roof of the porch and…

6. Jan 1, 2005Flood, Marion$1.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain and runoff from snowmelt caused extensive flooding in Marion County the first half of January. The worst of the flooding occurred along the Scioto River with the communities of LaRue and Prospect especially hard hit. January 2005 was among the wettest January's on record with 7.08 inches of rain measured at Marion and 7.69 inches at Prospect during the month. In addition to this rain, extensive snowpack existed over Marion County at the beginning of the month. Temperatures in the 40s and 50s the first three days of the month caused a rapid snowmelt and brought area streams and creeks to bankfull just in time for a significant winter storm on the 5th and 6th. Then, just…

7. Feb 28, 2011Flood$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain and rapid snow melt led to widespread flooding across Marion 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. Officially 2.78 inches of rain was measured at the Marion Airport.

8. Feb 11, 2009High Wind, Marion$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A strong cold front moved across Marion County during the evening of February 11th. West to southwest winds gusted to more than 60 mph behind the front. A peak gust of 68 mph was measured by an automated system at the Marion County Airport at 10:53 pm. Winds finally diminished a couple hours before daybreak on the 12th. A semi truck was blown over at 10:42 pm on U.S. Highway 23 near Marion. A second semi was overturned near Marion at 12:14 am resulting in the driver being injured. Hundreds of trees and utility poles were downed in the county causing scattered power outages. Many buildings in the county sustained damage. Most of this was from lost shingles, but a few buildings lost…

9. Mar 7, 2008Winter Storm, Marion$600,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Snow began during the late morning hours of the 7th. By the afternoon several inches fell across the area. Snow continued through the remainder of the day but did lighten up a bit during the evening hours. Snow continued overnight and then increased into the morning and midday hours of the 8th. By the end of the event, trained spotters in the City of Marion measured 15.4 inches, 13.0 inches was reported in Prospect, and the highway department in Marion reported 14.0 of snow during the evening hours of the 8th. Wind gusts between 20 and 30 mph caused considerable blowing and drifting of snow with drifts several feet deep across the area. Many accidents were reported across the area.

10. Jan 25, 2004Winter Storm, Marion$500,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Low pressure over the southern plains moved northeast across Ohio. Snow associated with this low spread into northern Ohio during the evening hours of the 26th. Light freezing rain began to mix with the snow during the early morning hours of the 27th. This light mixture continued through the middle part of the day. Snow accumulations through noon on the 27th ranged from 3 to 5 inches with the greatest amounts along and just south of U.S. Route 30. The precipitation intensified during the late afternoon hours with moderate to heavy freezing rain falling for around 90 minutes. Some sleet was also reported during this period. Ice accumulations of up to one half inch resulted from…

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

111°FAug 7, 1918

All-time low

−28°FFeb 10, 1899

Warmest night

80°F3 times, most recently Sep 16, 1931

Coldest day

−11°FJan 19, 1994

Wettest day

8.68 inAug 21, 2007

Snowiest day

16.7 inDec 23, 2004

Hottest year

2024mean 54.9°F

Coldest year

1917mean 46.4°F

Wettest year

193755.48 in

Driest year

193423.66 in

Snowiest season

62.0 in1950-51

Station Bucyrus (USC00331072), 955 ft elevation, 17.9 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1893 to October 27, 2026; 96.7% 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.

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 USC00331072.
• 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.