Muskingum County

Every recorded tornado

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

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jun 27, 1998Flash Flood$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Another in a series of thunderstorms passing over the county on the evening of the 27th produced widespread flash flooding. Several towns in the county, including Fraszeysburg, Dresden, Chandlersville and Gaysport reported extensive damage. Some portions of towns, especially Fraszeysburg and Chandlersville, were under water. Many roads across the county were closed due to the high water, with some remaining closed well into July. Numerous evacuations were required across the county. A preliminary estimate of crop damage alone from the flooding was $14 million dollars.

2. Apr 20, 2011Thunderstorm Wind$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A microburst was confirmed by an NWS storm survey in Philo and Duncan Falls. The path of damage was 2 miles long and about 600 yards wide. A total of 89 structures had some damage with cost estimates of 680,00 dollars. Damage to the athletic field at Franklin Local Schools was estimated at nearly 200,000 dallars. Numerous trees and powerlines were brought down on cars and a few homes.

3. Apr 2, 2024Tornado$950,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An NWS damage survey confirmed an EF-1 tornado with peak wind |speeds of 90 mph on the evening of April 2nd, 2024. The length of |the tornado was about 8.25 miles, with an estimated max width of |75 yards.||The path began north of Zanesville at the Parr Airport where a |hangar collapsed and tied-down aircraft were shifted. Across the |road from the airport, a portion of the roof was blown off a barn |and pieces were blown into the neighboring yard. Additionally, |several hardwood trees were snapped. The tornado continued |intermittently on the ground for another eight miles. Just a |quarter mile east on Dresden Road, another swath of hardwood trees|were snapped. ||The second area…

4. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Muskingum$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Low pressure from the remains of Hurricane Ike moved across central Ohio to Lake Erie on the evening of September 14th and produced very strong winds into the early morning of September 15th across eastern Ohio, northern West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania. Widespread damage to trees and power lines was reported across the region with power outages and damage to some structures from falling trees. Power was not restored to some rural areas for one week after the storm. At the peak of the storm more than 2 million homes were without power. For a period of about 8 hours, sustained winds during the storm were from 30 to 50 MPH, with gusts well over 60 MPH. The highest reported…

5. Apr 2, 2024Tornado$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An NWS damage survey confirmed that an EF-0 tornado, with winds |peaking near 85 mph, tracked through central Muskingum County on |the evening of April 2, 2024. The length was about 1.21 miles and |the max width was estimated to be 50 yards. This tornado was |associated with the same circulation that initially produced a |tornado about 2 miles north of North Zanesville, OH near the Green|Valley Golf Club. ||Weak tornado damage was noted along Bethel Road and New Hope |Road, with a few trees snapped and roof damage to outbuildings. |All the structures that were damaged were in open fields. ||The tornado lifted around 8:51 pm. However, there was a new |circulation in Guernsey…

6. Sep 17, 2004Flood, Muskingum$350,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   At 1 PM EDT on 17th, many roads were flooded near Duncan Falls. 116 structures damaged or destroyed. Total rain: 6.2" at Gratiot. (IVAN)

7. Jun 27, 1998Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An F1 tornado touched down along Big Run Road. It travelled to the southeast crossing Ferncliff Road and moved across Edgemoor Road before dissipating. Many trees along the path were toppled or snapped. A mobile home was picked up and pushed westward. It was then rolled over and destroyed. Two people inside the trailer at the time were injured. A double-wide modular home lost its entire roof and was essentially totalled. A two-story frame home was severely damaged, with parts of the roof and walls blown off. As the tornado dissipated, eyewitnesses reported seeing debris in the form or boards, limbs, siding, etc. suddenly start raining from the sky.

8. Feb 12, 2009High Wind, Muskingum$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A powerful cold front moved across the Ohio Valley on the evening of the 11th as strong low pressure moved north across the Great Lakes. A convective line along the cold front produced widespread damage across eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, and Garrett county Maryland with thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 to 70 MPH and a peak wind gust of 92 MPH at Allegheny County Airport near Pittsburgh. High winds gusting over 60 MPH behind the front in a strong pressure gradient produced wind damage across the entire region into midday on the 12th. In all across eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia and Garrett county Maryland over one half…

9. Aug 14, 1999Lightning$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Lightning struck a house, setting it on fire. The house was destroyed.

10. May 7, 2024Tornado$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A severe thunderstorm exhibiting cyclic tornadic characteristics|produced a brief EF1 tornado in northern Muskingum County. The|first tornado damage was noted around a lake just off of Wise Road|where a swath of softwood trees were snapped at the trunks and|uprooted. The tornado continued to the east-northeast where it|impacted a home and two outbuildings just downstream. A|significant portion of the first outbuilding's roof was removed|and walls on two sides of the building collapsed. The home saw|significant window damage with glass in most windows completely|shattered and pieces of wood and roofing material thrown into the|house creating exterior damage to siding. A significant…

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, 5.6 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.