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Ohio · County tornado history

Delaware County, Ohio tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 15 tornadoes in Delaware County, Ohio from 1950 through 2024, about one every 5.0 years. That ranks it 53 of 88 counties in Ohio with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on June 5, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
15
Since 2000
10
Strongest
EF2, March 14, 2024
Most recent
EF0, June 5, 2024
Peak month
April (3)
Per 1,000 sq mi
33
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Delaware County

April has brought the most, 3 of 15. About 67% touched down between 1 pm and 7 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 7
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 4
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 0
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Delaware County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 11, 1965 F2 22.2 mi 400 yd 4 62
September 20, 2000 F2 21 mi 100 yd 2
May 8, 1973 F2 17.3 mi 67 yd
March 14, 2024 EF2 19.5 mi 600 yd
August 14, 1958 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd 1
April 19, 1978 F1 9.5 mi 10 yd
March 14, 2024 EF1 35.4 mi 600 yd
April 17, 2024 EF1 0.9 mi 100 yd
August 17, 1997 F0 0.5 mi 100 yd
September 16, 2010 EF0 0.1 mi 100 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Delaware County was an F2 on April 11, 1965. It killed 4 people and injured 62 along its 22.2-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 5, 2024 EF0 0.2 mi 50 yd
April 17, 2024 EF1 0.9 mi 100 yd
March 14, 2024 EF1 35.4 mi 600 yd
March 14, 2024 EF2 19.5 mi 600 yd
September 7, 2020 EF0 3.2 mi 150 yd
August 20, 2016 EF0 3.3 mi 100 yd
February 20, 2014 EF0 0.1 mi 80 yd
June 12, 2013 EF0 0.2 mi 50 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Delaware County as relatively moderate, with a score of 82 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.24 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $7,427,489 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Delaware County had?

15 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 10 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Delaware County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on June 5, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Delaware County?

An EF2 on March 14, 2024, with a 19.5-mile path.

When is tornado season in Delaware County?

April has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.