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Ohio · County tornado history

Greene County, Ohio tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 25 tornadoes in Greene County, Ohio from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.0 years. That ranks it 20 of 88 counties in Ohio with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on February 28, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
25
Since 2000
13
Strongest
F5, April 3, 1974
Most recent
EF1, February 28, 2024
Peak month
May (13)
Per 1,000 sq mi
60
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 Greene County

May has brought the most, 13 of 25. About 64% 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) 6
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 9
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 5
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 1

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 Greene County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 3, 1974 F5 (the Xenia tornado) 31.3 mi 533 yd 36 1150
September 20, 2000 F4 9 mi 500 yd 1 100
May 10, 1969 F3 54.5 mi 400 yd 25
May 14, 2014 EF3 8.9 mi 400 yd
May 27, 2019 EF3 9.9 mi 1,230 yd
April 25, 1989 F2 5 mi 123 yd 16
October 9, 1966 F2 4.9 mi 100 yd 3
February 25, 1956 F2 0.3 mi 30 yd
April 19, 1963 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
July 2, 1997 F2 0.2 mi 300 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Greene County was the Xenia tornado, an F5 on April 3, 1974. It killed 36 people and injured 1,150 along its 31.3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 28, 2024 EF1 2.4 mi 200 yd
May 27, 2019 EF0 4.2 mi 250 yd
May 27, 2019 EF1 5.8 mi 250 yd
May 27, 2019 EF3 9.9 mi 1,230 yd
April 3, 2018 EF1 8.8 mi 200 yd
May 24, 2017 EF0 1.6 mi 90 yd
May 24, 2017 EF0 2.2 mi 25 yd
May 24, 2017 EF0 2.6 mi 40 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 Greene County as relatively moderate, with a score of 81 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.27 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $5,005,100 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 Greene County had?

25 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 13 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Greene County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on February 28, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Greene County?

An F5 on April 3, 1974, the Xenia tornado, with a 31.3-mile path.

When is tornado season in Greene County?

May 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.