Ohio lightning risk
Hamilton County has the highest lightning risk in Ohio, scoring 96.7 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamilton County | 96.7 | Very High | 3 |
| 2 | Summit County | 95.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 3 | Franklin County | 95 | Relatively High | 2 |
| 4 | Butler County | 94.3 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 5 | Montgomery County | 93.8 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 6 | Stark County | 93.6 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 7 | Cuyahoga County | 93.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 8 | Ross County | 93 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 9 | Belmont County | 92.8 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 10 | Mahoning County | 92.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 11 | Lucas County | 90.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 12 | Huron County | 89.8 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 13 | Clermont County | 89.2 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 14 | Licking County | 84.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 15 | Trumbull County | 84.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 16 | Warren County | 83.4 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 17 | Fairfield County | 81.9 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 18 | Tuscarawas County | 80.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 19 | Coshocton County | 80.5 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 20 | Monroe County | 79.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 21 | Delaware County | 79.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 22 | Clark County | 78.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 23 | Lorain County | 77.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 24 | Wayne County | 76 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 25 | Brown County | 75.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 26 | Shelby County | 75.2 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 27 | Greene County | 74.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 28 | Columbiana County | 74.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 29 | Jefferson County | 74.3 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 30 | Miami County | 72.6 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 31 | Hocking County | 71.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 32 | Scioto County | 71.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 33 | Muskingum County | 70 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 34 | Athens County | 69.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 35 | Holmes County | 68.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 36 | Richland County | 68.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 37 | Portage County | 68 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 38 | Medina County | 66.5 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 39 | Pickaway County | 65.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 40 | Hardin County | 65.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 41 | Knox County | 64.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 42 | Washington County | 63.7 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 43 | Perry County | 63.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 44 | Ashtabula County | 62.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 45 | Lake County | 62.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 46 | Lawrence County | 60.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 47 | Carroll County | 60.1 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 48 | Guernsey County | 59.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 49 | Highland County | 58.6 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 50 | Marion County | 57.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 51 | Ashland County | 56.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 52 | Allen County | 56.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 53 | Sandusky County | 54.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 54 | Seneca County | 53.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 55 | Jackson County | 53 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 56 | Geauga County | 52.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 57 | Pike County | 52.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 58 | Clinton County | 51.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 59 | Crawford County | 50.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 60 | Adams County | 48.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 61 | Meigs County | 47.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 62 | Wyandot County | 47.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 63 | Wood County | 46.6 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 64 | Erie County | 45.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 65 | Williams County | 44.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 66 | Auglaize County | 44.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 67 | Madison County | 43.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 68 | Gallia County | 43.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 69 | Logan County | 43.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 70 | Darke County | 43.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 71 | Champaign County | 41.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 72 | Fayette County | 41.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 73 | Noble County | 40.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 74 | Hancock County | 38.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 75 | Morrow County | 37.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 76 | Harrison County | 37.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 77 | Preble County | 36.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 78 | Union County | 36.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 79 | Vinton County | 34.3 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 80 | Defiance County | 31.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 81 | Putnam County | 30.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 82 | Morgan County | 30.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 83 | Ottawa County | 30.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 84 | Mercer County | 25.8 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 85 | Henry County | 24.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 86 | Van Wert County | 22.9 | Very Low | 1 |
| 87 | Fulton County | 20.6 | Very Low | 0 |
| 88 | Paulding County | 17.8 | Very Low | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Lightning risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Ohio:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest lightning risk county in Ohio?
Hamilton County, OH has the highest lightning risk in Ohio, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 96.7 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Ohio are rated Very High for lightning risk?
1 of 88 scored Ohio counties are rated "Very High" for lightning risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes lightning risk in Ohio?
Lightning risk reflects expected annual losses from cloud-to-ground strikes, which ignite building fires, damage electrical systems, and cause fatalities. Florida consistently leads the US in lightning density. High scores also appear across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and central Plains, where afternoon convective storms are most frequent in summer months.