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Ohio · County tornado history

Van Wert County, Ohio tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 38 tornadoes in Van Wert County, Ohio from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.0 years. That ranks it 2 of 88 counties in Ohio with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on February 27, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
38
Since 2000
28
Strongest
F4, November 10, 2002
Most recent
EF0, February 27, 2023
Peak month
June (9)
Per 1,000 sq mi
93
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 Van Wert County

June has brought the most, 9 of 38. About 71% 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) 17
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 13
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 2
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 3
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0
EF-U Unknown: no damage to rate (mostly since 2016) 2

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 Van Wert County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 11, 1965 F4 52.5 mi 10 yd 4 125
November 10, 2002 F4 52.8 mi 880 yd 4 17
February 18, 1992 F4 2.8 mi 40 yd 6
October 24, 2001 F3 32 mi 440 yd
July 19, 1950 F2 0.1 mi 200 yd
March 31, 2006 F2 2 mi 300 yd
January 3, 1950 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd 1
June 28, 1967 F1 27.1 mi 10 yd
May 25, 1973 F1 0.1 mi 67 yd
June 21, 1981 F1 2.7 mi 150 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Van Wert County was an F4 on April 11, 1965. It killed 4 people and injured 125 along its 52.5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 27, 2023 EF0 0.6 mi 75 yd
March 23, 2022 EF-U 0.3 mi 20 yd
August 11, 2021 EF0 4.7 mi 50 yd
August 11, 2021 EF-U 2 mi 30 yd
June 22, 2018 EF0 1.1 mi 180 yd
August 24, 2016 EF0 2.5 mi 20 yd
August 24, 2016 EF0 4.7 mi 40 yd
August 24, 2016 EF0 1.5 mi 25 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 Van Wert County as relatively low, with a score of 48 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.26 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,363,493 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 Van Wert County had?

38 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 28 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Van Wert County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on February 27, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Van Wert County?

An F4 on November 10, 2002, with a 52.8-mile path.

When is tornado season in Van Wert County?

June 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.