Morgan County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Morgan 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. Jan 5, 2005Flood, Morgan$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Separate waves of rain moved along a strong west to east frontal zone in the Ohio Valley, from late on the 3rd into the early morning hours of the 8th. To the south of the boundary, dew points were in the 50 to 55 degree range. The heaviest rain amounts were from Perry County on north and east into eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Preliminary 5 day totals were 5.2 inches for New Lexington, 4.6 inches at McConnelsville, 4.5 inches at Nelsonville, 4.2 inches at McArthur and Beverly, 3.4 inches at Athens, and 2.9 inches at Marietta. Small stream flooding started during the morning hours on the 5th, across Perry, Athens, Morgan, Vinton, and Washington Counties. Some of the…

2. Jan 11, 2005Flood, Morgan$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   After a 3 day reprieve from precipitation, more rain with embedded thunderstorms, crossed southeast Ohio during the afternoon and evening on the 11th. Rains of 1.25 to 1.75 inches were common, with isolated amounts over 2 inches. Nelsonville measured 2.25 inches. Small streams overflowed and blocked roads. Sunday Creek at Glouster crested barely higher than the previous week, reaching 15.9 feet on the 12th. Sunday Creek at Millfield was 22.2 feet, or slightly lower than the crest on the 6th. The Muskingum River, aided by dam releases, crested slightly higher than on the 6th. The crest was 13.8 feet around 0900E on the 12th. This was very similar to the March 1964 crest. The crest…

3. Sep 8, 2004Flood, Morgan$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The low pressure remains of Hurricane Frances caused about a 30 hour rain event, from the afternoon of the 7th, into the evening hours of the 8th. A stalled frontal boundary helped trigger heavier convection on the northern, or leading edge, of the rain shield during the late afternoon and evening of the 7th. This initial convection caused the heavier storm totals to be over Morgan and Perry Counties, compared to points further south. Storm totals of 4 to 7 inches were common, with isolated amounts both above and below those totals. Some specific preliminary totals include New Lexington with 7.5 inches, McConnelsville 6.6 inches, McArthur 6.3 inches, Salem Center 5.7 inches,…

4. Jan 4, 2004Flood, Morgan$650,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A strong frontal boundary pushed across southeast Ohio late on the 3rd. By dawn on the 4th, the frontal zone stalled just to the south. Late on the 4th and into the 5th, a low pressure wave lifted northeast, along this boundary, and through the Ohio River Valley.Rains of 1.5 to 3.3 inches fell on saturated ground, during about a 36 hour time span. One rain maximum extended northeast from the Scioto River Valley, across the northern half of Perry County, then continued northeast into the Muskingum River Valley. Another maximum of rain extended out of central Vinton County, across central Athens County, and into central and northern Washington County. McArthur measured 3.3 inches of…

5. Jun 29, 2012Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Several trees and large branches down in scattered locations about the county. Nearly 6,000 customers lost electricity. The public infrastructure damage assessment was around $58,000.

6. Sep 17, 2004Flood, Morgan$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Light rain spread north into southeast Ohio during the afternoon and evening hours of the 16th. The heavier rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ivan developed over Lawrence County before dawn on Friday the 17th, reaching the Athens and Marietta vicinity by 0900E on the 17th. By 1700E the heavy rain was pulling east and northeast, out of southeast Ohio. A rain event of 24 to 30 hours dumped 4 to 6.5 inches of rain. Some specific preliminary totals included Beverly 6.4 inches, McArthur 6 inches, McConnelsville 5.5 inches, Athens and Waterloo 5.1 inches, Marietta and Newport 4.8 inches, Gallipolis 4.3 inches, and Nelsonville 4 inches. Rains were not as heavy over central and northern…

7. Jun 28, 1998Flash Flood$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The second night of thunderstorms hit during Saturday night the 27th, into Sunday morning, the 28th. Portions of Athens, Washington, and Meigs Counties were hit hard by flooding from this round. The third night of thunderstorms was on Sunday the 28th into Monday the 29th. The final night was a bit further south and west, hitting Jackson County the hardest, but still affecting areas previously under water. Total three day rains of 6 to 12 inches fell from the East Branch of the Shade River across northeastern Meigs County on north, into the lower Muskingum River drainage. An unofficial rain gauge near Tuppers Plain of Meigs County reported 11.5 inches. An automatic rain gauge near…

8. Jun 28, 1998Flash Flood$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The second night of thunderstorms hit during Saturday night the 27th, into Sunday morning, the 28th. Portions of Athens, Washington, and Meigs Counties were hit hard by flooding from this round. The third night of thunderstorms was on Sunday the 28th into Monday the 29th. The final night was a bit further south and west, hitting Jackson County the hardest, but still affecting areas previously under water. Total three day rains of 6 to 12 inches fell from the East Branch of the Shade River across northeastern Meigs County on north, into the lower Muskingum River drainage. An unofficial rain gauge near Tuppers Plain of Meigs County reported 11.5 inches. An automatic rain gauge near…

9. Jul 22, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$75,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Several trees were snapped or uprooted. A few trees damaged homes.

10. Sep 16, 2010Tornado$60,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The tornado that touch downed in eastern Perry County continued into western Morgan County, before dissipating. There were several downed trees and large branches along McKinley Street. Three houses had minor damage and one vehicle was destroyed. Electricity was out for over 24 hours.||Since 1950, this is the first confirmed tornado in Morgan County. However, prior to 1950, one tornado was reported in Morgan County back in June of 1928.

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

103°FJul 16, 1988

All-time low

−25°FJan 19, 1994

Warmest night

81°FJun 27, 2021

Coldest day

−2°F3 times, most recently Jan 19, 1994

Wettest day

4.46 inSep 8, 2004

Snowiest day

16.0 inApr 4, 1987

Hottest year

2024mean 56.4°F

Coldest year

1963mean 49.1°F

Wettest year

199054.47 in

Driest year

199126.55 in

Station Zanesville Municipal Airport (USW00093824), 881 ft elevation, 22.9 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1946 to October 26, 2026; 99.6% 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 USW00093824.
• 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.