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Hail history in Ohio

We counted the days with NOAA hail reports within 15 miles of the center of 8 Ohio cities since 2010.

Warehouses with white roofs and an apartment block under a dark storm front
Hail days near Cincinnati since 2010, the most in Ohio
75
Largest hail reported, near Dayton
3.0 in
Ohio cities tracked
8

Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center

Data through November 1, 2026

Ohio cities by hail days

Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center

Data through November 1, 2026

CityHail days since 2010Largest hail
Cincinnati752.5 in
Columbus651.75 in
Dayton633.0 in
Akron592.5 in
Cleveland502.5 in
Canton431.75 in
Youngstown401.75 in
Toledo382.5 in

About this data

  • Each city counts reports within 15 miles of its center, not of any one property.
  • Reports come from trained spotters and the public, so they cluster near towns and roads.
  • No report does not mean no hail. Hail can fall where no one is there to report it.
  • This is not a damage or insurance assessment.

Storm risk in Ohio

In northern Ohio, NWS Cleveland says damaging straight-line wind and large hail cause the vast majority of storm damage, and the state hazard plan calls flooding the most frequent natural disaster in Ohio. Tornadoes and winter storms round out the risks.2,4 Ohio was not among the 10 states with the most large hail events in 2025, and it does not rank among the top states for number of tornadoes. It does rank within the top 20 states for tornado deaths, injuries and dollar losses.5,4

How often storms hit Ohio

Storm hazards for Ohio buildings1,2,3,4
HazardHow oftenWhat it means for buildings
HailHail days since 2010 within 15 miles of the city center: Cincinnati 75, Columbus 65, Dayton 63, Akron 59, Cleveland 50, Canton 43, Youngstown 40, Toledo 38, with hail up to 3 inches near Dayton. In the southern and western counties NWS Cleveland covers, the yearly chance of 1-inch hail within 25 miles is 50 to 60 percent.Hail bruises and splits roof covers, breaks skylights and flattens rooftop condenser fins, and the same roof can be hit more than once in a season.
Damaging thunderstorm windEvery county NWS Cleveland covers has more than 100 wind damage or severe gust (58 mph or more) reports since 1950. The yearly chance of 60 mph wind within 25 miles is 60 to 70 percent in its western and southern counties.Straight-line gusts peel roof edges and membranes, shift rooftop units and drop trees on buildings and parking, often across many properties at once.
Tornadoes1,414 from 1950 to 2023, an average of 19.36 a year, with 92.2 percent rated EF0 to EF2. In the NWS Cleveland area, a violent EF4 or stronger tornado comes about every 8 to 9 years.Most damage roofs, siding and trees. A direct hit on one building is rare, but the odds add up across a portfolio, and a violent tornado can destroy a structure.
FloodingOhio's most frequent natural disaster by the state hazard plan; 8 flood events led to Presidential disaster declarations from 2005 to 2023. Counties on Lake Erie also see coastal flooding from wind-driven waves and high lake levels.Flash floods rise with little warning and fill basements, ground floors and mechanical rooms. River floods rise more slowly but can last much longer.
Winter storms18.35 days a year with winter storm events statewide (2003 to 2023). Lake-effect snow can top ten feet a year in Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula counties.Drifting snow and rain on snow can overload roofs, ice brings down trees and power lines, and cold snaps freeze pipes and sprinkler lines.

The city counts are days with at least one hail report within 15 miles of each city's center since 2010, so they show how often hail falls near a city, not on one building. The NWS Cleveland chances cover a 25-mile circle around a point, about 1,960 square miles, and NWS Cleveland notes that the odds of one location being in a tornado's path are often less than a fraction of a percent a year.1,2

For an owner, the pattern matters more than any one storm. Wind and hail bring frequent, repeat damage to roofs and rooftop equipment, while tornadoes and floods are rarer at any one address but cause the largest single losses.

Rules owners in Ohio should know

  • Ohio FAIR Plan: Created by statute in 1968 and regulated by the Ohio Department of Insurance, the plan writes basic property insurance for property the normal market won't take, and its commercial perils include windstorm and hail. A commercial property must have been denied by at least two insurers, can't be used for manufacturing, must be at least 50 percent occupied and can't be insured above actual cash value. The limit is $2,000,000 per location for building and contents combined (OAC 3901-1-18(F)(1)).6
  • Claim deadlines: Under OAC 3901-1-54, an insurer must acknowledge a claim within 15 days and accept or deny it within 21 days of a properly executed proof of loss, or explain why it needs more time and update the claimant in writing at least every 45 days. It must pay within 10 days of accepting a claim whose amount is set and not in dispute. Days are calendar days.7
  • Deadline warning: The same rule requires an insurer to notify a claimant at least 60 days before a statute of limitation or contractual limit runs out, unless it knows the claimant has a lawyer. The rule itself creates no private right to sue.7
  • Public adjusters: Anyone paid to help settle a property claim for an insured needs an Ohio public insurance adjuster license (ORC Chapter 3951). The contract form must be filed with the Superintendent of Insurance 30 days before use unless approved sooner, must state the fee conspicuously, and the adjuster may not also be paid to repair the damaged property (OAC 3901-1-24).8,9
  • Building code: The 2024 Ohio Building Code, in effect since March 1, 2024, sets construction standards for nonresidential buildings and adopts the 2021 International Building Code and International Existing Building Code with Ohio changes. Its Section 1608 requires roof snow loads to follow ASCE 7, and roofs prone to ponding must be checked for it.10,11,4

Before the next storm

  • Hail-rated roofs: When reroofing, IBHS recommends low-slope covers rated FM 4470 Class 1-SH or UL 2218 Class 4 in hail-prone areas, hail guards over condenser fins and air intakes, and hail-rated skylights. Parts of northern Ohio have a 50 to 60 percent yearly chance of 1-inch hail within 25 miles.12,2
  • Wind and hail deductible: Check whether each policy's wind and hail deductible is a flat amount or a percentage. The Ohio Department of Insurance points out that a percentage deductible is figured on the amount insured, not on the damage.13
  • Flood policy timing: Set up or raise NFIP flood coverage well before storm season. The Ohio Department of Insurance notes a 30-day waiting period before coverage begins.14
  • Snow drifts: After heavy lake-effect snow, have a qualified person check drifts at parapets, roof steps and rooftop equipment. FEMA says uneven drifts and rain on snow create concentrated loads that can overload a roof, and its warning signs include sagging ceiling tiles and sprinkler heads dropping below the ceiling.15

Sources

Written by the Cloudbreak team. Numbers, dates and rules cite the published sources below.

  1. 1. Cloudbreak: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center storm reports, as counted on the Cloudbreak hail history page for Ohio
  2. 2. NWS Cleveland: Natural Hazard Risk Assessment
  3. 3. Ohio Emergency Management Agency: State of Ohio Hazard Mitigation Plan 2024, Section 2.3: Tornado
  4. 4. Ohio Emergency Management Agency: State of Ohio 2024 Mitigation Plan: Risk Analysis
  5. 5. Insurance Information Institute: Facts + Statistics: Hail
  6. 6. Ohio FAIR Plan Underwriting Association: Underwriting Guidelines (effective April 2026)
  7. 7. Ohio Administrative Code: OAC 3901-1-54: Unfair property/casualty claims settlement practices
  8. 8. Ohio Administrative Code: OAC 3901-1-24: Public insurance adjusters
  9. 9. Ohio Department of Insurance: Public Insurance Adjusters and Agents
  10. 10. Ohio Board of Building Standards: 2024 Ohio Building, Mechanical and Plumbing Code Rules
  11. 11. Ohio Common Sense Initiative Office: CSI Review: Ohio Building Code Update (May 17, 2023)
  12. 12. Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS): Commercial Roofs Best Practices Guide
  13. 13. Ohio Department of Insurance: Roof Insurance: Repair and Replacement
  14. 14. Ohio Department of Insurance: Severe Weather Toolkit
  15. 15. FEMA: Snow Load Safety Guidance (FEMA P-957)

Storms in Ohio

Across northern Ohio, damaging straight-line winds and large hail cause most storm damage, mainly in spring and summer, and tornadoes there are most common in June, NWS Cleveland says.1 Ohio's severe weather season typically ramps up in May and June, according to the State Climate Office of Ohio.2

Notable storms

  1. April 15, 2026Hail up to 2.25 inches fell in Bedford and Solon, southeast of Cleveland, and a swath of golf ball size or larger hail continued east into Geauga and Trumbull counties. Wind-driven hail broke windows and damaged siding on homes and businesses, and hail damaged cars. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $1 million in property damage in Bedford and $500,000 in Solon.3,4,5
  2. March 14, 2024An EF3 tornado with winds up to 155 mph crossed Lakeview and Indian Lake in Logan County, collapsing the walls of homes, tearing roofs off others and destroying numerous manufactured homes on Orchard Island. Three people died and 25 were hurt. Storms that evening also dropped hail up to 3 inches in Bloomville and 2.75 inches in Jackson Center.6,7,8
  3. May 27, 2019An EF4 tornado with winds near 170 mph tracked about 18 miles from Brookville through Trotwood and north Dayton, tearing roofs and exterior walls off homes and apartment buildings and injuring 166 people. An EF3 in Beavercreek also lifted roofs and collapsed walls of homes and apartments. Storm Events lists $500 million and $50 million in property damage for the two.9,10
  4. July 4, 2012Hail up to 2.5 inches hit Tallmadge and Mogadore in Summit County, damaging hundreds of homes and vehicles, and broken windows let hail into some homes. Storm Events lists $5 million in property damage in Tallmadge and $1.5 million in Mogadore.11,12
  5. May 25, 2011Hail up to 2.75 inches hit the western half of Findlay, where as many as 4,000 homes and businesses may have been damaged, along with thousands of cars. Hundreds of homes had broken windows or damaged siding. Storm Events lists $85 million in property damage in Hancock County.13
  6. June 5, 2010An EF4 tornado tracked about 6.5 miles across northern Wood County, from east of Perrysburg through Lake Township to Millbury, killing 7 people. It destroyed or heavily damaged over 60 homes and destroyed dozens of vehicles, and Storm Events lists $100 million in property damage.14

Warnings and alerts

Five NWS offices cover Ohio: Wilmington (Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton), Cleveland (Cleveland, Akron, Toledo and most of the north), Northern Indiana (the far northwest), Pittsburgh (the east, including Zanesville) and Charleston, West Virginia (the Athens area).15,16

Sources

  1. 1. NWS Cleveland: Natural Hazard Risk Assessment
  2. 2. State Climate Office of Ohio: Ohio dealing with cleanup from several storms last weekend
  3. 3. NWS Cleveland: April 15, 2026 Severe Weather
  4. 4. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Hail, Cuyahoga County, April 15, 2026 (Bedford)
  5. 5. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Hail, Cuyahoga County, April 15, 2026 (Solon)
  6. 6. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Tornado, Logan County, March 14, 2024
  7. 7. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Hail, Seneca County, March 14, 2024 (Bloomville)
  8. 8. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Hail, Shelby County, March 14, 2024 (Jackson Center)
  9. 9. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Tornado, Montgomery County, May 27, 2019
  10. 10. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Tornado, Greene County, May 27, 2019
  11. 11. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Hail, Summit County, July 4, 2012 (Tallmadge)
  12. 12. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Hail, Summit County, July 4, 2012 (Mogadore)
  13. 13. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Hail, Hancock County, May 25, 2011
  14. 14. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Tornado, Wood County, June 5, 2010
  15. 15. Spectrum News 1: Severe weather watches and warnings: who issues what
  16. 16. National Weather Service: Ohio County Warning Forecast Areas (map)

Hail history in other states