Perry County

Every recorded tornado

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

Costliest events since 1996

1. Sep 8, 2004Flood, Perry$2.0 million
   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,…

2. Jun 28, 1998Flash Flood$2.0 million
   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…

3. Jun 29, 2012Thunderstorm Wind$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous large branches and trees fell across Perry County. Over 10,000 customers lost electricity. One shelter was set up in Crooksville High School in which 28 people stayed overnight. Fire houses were used as cooling stations and also to feed citizens. Some private stores gave away their foods before it would spoil. ||Public damage which includes damages to roads and clearing debris was on the order of $600,000. There was one indirect death to a 69 year old male that occurred in the Thornville vicinity. He had health issues, but the lack of electricity in the aftermath of the storm contributed to his death.

4. May 18, 2004Flood, Perry$800,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   South of a frontal zone, repetitive showers and thunderstorms moved west to east across Perry and Morgan Counties during the afternoon and evening hours of the 18th. The heaviest rains favored southern portions of Perry County and western sections of Morgan County. Between 1300 and 1800E, isolated rain amounts of 3 to 4 inches likely fell near Shawnee and north of Corning in Perry County. Western portions of Morgan County likely saw a 3 inch rain maximum. McConnelsville reported a 24 hour rain amount as 2.4 inches. Creeks such as Monday, Sunday, and Wolf flooded during the evening of the 18th in Perry and Morgan Counties. Homes and businesses were flooded in Corning. About 70…

5. Sep 16, 2010Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado originiated in Fairfield County, but got stronger in western Perry County. The damage path widened as it crossed several north to south oriented roads. A convergent damage pattern was evident. Large trees were snapped along Avalon Road. A greater swath of tree and structural damage was along Otterbein Road. The damage path widened to as much as 800 yards, though the southern portion of the path was dominant. The tornado unleashed it worst winds as it continued east to encounter Palomino Road and County Township Road 138. At this stage, there was aproximately a 1 mile long and 100 yard wide path of EF2 strength winds, estimated at 110 to 120 mph. A manufactured home on…

6. Jul 9, 2013Flash Flood$350,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Small stream flooding occurred. ||The rainfall maximum affected the headwaters of Sunday Creek and Moxahala Creek. The water from Sunday Creek drained south through Corning, causing a dozen evacuations in town. The water was 4 feet over Route 13 in Corning. The water from Moxahala Creek flowed north and northeast. Its waters rose rapidly and flooded portions of Crooksville. Around 16 units of an apartment complex called Village Green was flooded. Water was as much as 3 feet deep. Also in Crooksville, a mobile home park and some homes along China Street were flooded. Around 15 people were evacuated in Crooksville.

7. Jul 22, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Most of the damage was concentrated along Route 94 or Garey Road, to the north and east of the town of Junction City. Trees were uprooted, power lines downed, and a roof was blown off a farm house. Several other roofs were damaged. Bales of hay were thrown about pastures.

8. Sep 17, 2004Flood, Perry$250,000
   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…

9. Sep 16, 2010Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The western Perry County tornado lifted, but its associated rotating thunderstorm continued moving over the central portion of the county. A new tornado touchdown occurred near Melon Hill Road about 3 miles east of New Lexington. This tornado reached its peak intensity as it crossed near the curved portion of Route 92, about 3 miles south of Crooksville. The EF1 damage was about 300 yards wide and roughly a mile long, including roofs and portions of roofs blown off several structures. Peak winds in this vicinity were estimated at 100 to 110 mph. This tornado continued for a slight distance into northwestern Morgan County. The tornado was weakening as it crossed the county…

10. Jul 22, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$200,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Several large trees fell about town. A roof to a funeral home was also blown off.

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 14, 1954

All-time low

−35°FJan 19, 1994

Warmest night

76°FJul 21, 1977

Coldest day

−8°FJan 19, 1994

Wettest day

4.90 inSep 9, 2004

Snowiest day

11.6 inJan 13, 1964

Hottest year

1973mean 54.1°F

Coldest year

1989mean 48.6°F

Wettest year

201859.23 in

Driest year

194921.56 in

Snowiest season

58.3 in1977-78

Station New Lexington 2 Nw (USC00335857), 877 ft elevation, 2.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1942 to October 27, 2026; 97.7% 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 USC00335857.
• 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.