Skip to content
Twisters.us
Find my countyFind my countyTexasKansasOklahomaSee all: StatesWhat to do in a tornadoWatch vs. warningStorm shelters and safe roomsSee all: Stay safeTornado Alley mapEF scaleEvery EF5See all: Records

Ohio · County tornado history

Pickaway County, Ohio tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 29 tornadoes in Pickaway County, Ohio from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.6 years. That ranks it 12 of 88 counties in Ohio with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on February 28, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
29
Since 2000
15
Strongest
F3, October 13, 1999
Most recent
EF0, February 28, 2024
Peak month
April (4)
Per 1,000 sq mi
57
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

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 Pickaway County

April has brought the most, 4 of 29. About 72% touched down between 12 pm and 6 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) 10
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 12
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 5
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
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 Pickaway County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
October 13, 1999 F3 3.6 mi 0 yd 6
September 3, 1970 F3 2.3 mi 100 yd 1
March 10, 1986 F2 28 mi 100 yd 1 10
May 22, 1958 F2 9 mi 30 yd 3
June 5, 1963 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
February 22, 1971 F2 2 mi 100 yd
October 11, 2006 F2 0.5 mi 50 yd
April 11, 1965 F1 38.4 mi 300 yd 13
April 3, 1974 F1 1 mi 10 yd 7
December 26, 1973 F1 35.7 mi 10 yd 4

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Pickaway County was an F2 on March 10, 1986. It killed 1 person and injured 10 along its 28-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 28, 2024 EF0 2.2 mi 80 yd
February 27, 2023 EF0 1.4 mi 100 yd
July 17, 2022 EF0 6 mi 100 yd 3
October 15, 2021 EF1 2.7 mi 80 yd
July 29, 2021 EF0 0.9 mi 50 yd
May 27, 2019 EF1 1.6 mi 75 yd
May 27, 2019 EF1 3.8 mi 150 yd
April 20, 2011 EF1 4.2 mi 200 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 Pickaway County as relatively low, with a score of 53 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 $1,516,890 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 Pickaway County had?

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

When was the last tornado in Pickaway County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on February 28, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Pickaway County?

An F3 on October 13, 1999, with a 3.6-mile path.

When is tornado season in Pickaway 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.