Ohio tornado risk
Hamilton County has the highest tornado risk in Ohio, scoring 99.4 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded tornado events across Ohio have increased 47% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamilton County | 99.4 | Very High | 4 |
| 2 | Cuyahoga County | 99 | Very High | 6 |
| 3 | Franklin County | 98.4 | Relatively High | 9 |
| 4 | Butler County | 98 | Relatively High | 9 |
| 5 | Lucas County | 97.3 | Relatively High | 3 |
| 6 | Montgomery County | 92.6 | Relatively High | 10 |
| 7 | Mahoning County | 91.2 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 8 | Summit County | 91.1 | Relatively High | 5 |
| 9 | Lorain County | 90.9 | Relatively High | 7 |
| 10 | Trumbull County | 90.8 | Relatively High | 9 |
| 11 | Stark County | 87.7 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 12 | Medina County | 84.6 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 13 | Clermont County | 83.6 | Relatively Moderate | 8 |
| 14 | Warren County | 83.4 | Relatively Moderate | 13 |
| 15 | Clark County | 82.3 | Relatively Moderate | 15 |
| 16 | Darke County | 81.8 | Relatively Moderate | 13 |
| 17 | Delaware County | 81.5 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 18 | Greene County | 81.3 | Relatively Moderate | 8 |
| 19 | Wood County | 80.5 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 20 | Ashtabula County | 78.8 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 21 | Erie County | 77.9 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 22 | Preble County | 76.7 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 23 | Wayne County | 76.1 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 24 | Miami County | 75.4 | Relatively Moderate | 17 |
| 25 | Lake County | 75.2 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 26 | Williams County | 74.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 27 | Allen County | 74.3 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 28 | Ottawa County | 72.8 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 29 | Fairfield County | 71.6 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 30 | Sandusky County | 71.4 | Relatively Moderate | 6 |
| 31 | Portage County | 70.5 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 32 | Columbiana County | 70 | Relatively Moderate | 5 |
| 33 | Shelby County | 68.5 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 34 | Hancock County | 67.3 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 35 | Huron County | 67.3 | Relatively Moderate | 14 |
| 36 | Mercer County | 67 | Relatively Moderate | 11 |
| 37 | Fulton County | 66.9 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 38 | Holmes County | 66.7 | Relatively Moderate | 3 |
| 39 | Knox County | 64.3 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 40 | Defiance County | 63.7 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 41 | Marion County | 62.9 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 42 | Richland County | 62.3 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 43 | Licking County | 61.5 | Relatively Low | 6 |
| 44 | Logan County | 61.2 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 45 | Geauga County | 59.6 | Relatively Low | 8 |
| 46 | Auglaize County | 58 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 47 | Seneca County | 58 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 48 | Brown County | 57.5 | Relatively Low | 10 |
| 49 | Ashland County | 57.3 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 50 | Muskingum County | 56.3 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 51 | Ross County | 56.3 | Relatively Low | 5 |
| 52 | Highland County | 56.2 | Relatively Low | 9 |
| 53 | Belmont County | 55.5 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 54 | Clinton County | 55.5 | Relatively Low | 7 |
| 55 | Pickaway County | 52.9 | Relatively Low | 7 |
| 56 | Paulding County | 51.2 | Relatively Low | 5 |
| 57 | Jefferson County | 50.2 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 58 | Union County | 49.5 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 59 | Henry County | 48.5 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 60 | Putnam County | 48.5 | Relatively Low | 6 |
| 61 | Lawrence County | 48.3 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 62 | Van Wert County | 48.2 | Relatively Low | 11 |
| 63 | Coshocton County | 46.8 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 64 | Tuscarawas County | 46.6 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 65 | Champaign County | 46.4 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 66 | Scioto County | 45 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 67 | Madison County | 43.9 | Relatively Low | 6 |
| 68 | Fayette County | 43.3 | Relatively Low | 5 |
| 69 | Crawford County | 42 | Relatively Low | 7 |
| 70 | Adams County | 41.2 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 71 | Morrow County | 40.6 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 72 | Wyandot County | 40.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 73 | Athens County | 37.4 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 74 | Pike County | 37.4 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 75 | Guernsey County | 36.8 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 76 | Hardin County | 36.3 | Relatively Low | 4 |
| 77 | Jackson County | 33.9 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 78 | Hocking County | 33.8 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 79 | Washington County | 33.1 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 80 | Perry County | 32.4 | Relatively Low | 2 |
| 81 | Carroll County | 28 | Relatively Low | 3 |
| 82 | Gallia County | 26.1 | Very Low | 1 |
| 83 | Meigs County | 25.5 | Very Low | 2 |
| 84 | Noble County | 24.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 85 | Monroe County | 23.9 | Very Low | 1 |
| 86 | Vinton County | 21.3 | Very Low | 6 |
| 87 | Harrison County | 18.2 | Very Low | 1 |
| 88 | Morgan County | 17 | 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.
Tornado risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Ohio:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest tornado risk county in Ohio?
Hamilton County, OH has the highest tornado risk in Ohio, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 99.4 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Ohio are rated Very High for tornado risk?
2 of 88 scored Ohio counties are rated "Very High" for tornado risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes tornado risk in Ohio?
Tornado risk concentrates in the central and southern plains ("Tornado Alley") and the Southeast ("Dixie Alley"), where atmospheric conditions favor supercell thunderstorm development. The highest scores often belong to counties with significant mobile home and manufactured housing stock, which carries disproportionate tornado mortality risk.