County Hazards

States › Ohio › Madison County › Tornado

Tornado in Madison County, Ohio

15 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.

15 events · 0 deaths recorded · peak month May · county share of state 1.0%

2024-02-28: Tornado2024-02-28: Tornado2023-09-28: Tornado2020-05-18: Tornado2018-04-03: Tornado2017-11-05: Tornado2008-05-11: Tornado2006-07-11: Tornado1986-06-10: Tornado1986-03-10: Tornado1985-05-31: Tornado1982-04-03: Tornado1978-04-19: Tornado1973-05-10: Tornado1965-11-16: Tornado
Tornado event locations in and around Madison County. Dots: Tornado event locations in the kept record. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.

NCEI records 15 tornado events in Madison County, Ohio, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 13 years.

May is the busiest month, with 4 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 7 events against 1 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.

The county holds 1% of the 1,565 tornado events recorded in Ohio; its 3.2 per 100 square miles compares with 3.8 statewide.

By rating: 5 at (E)F0, 7 at (E)F1, 2 at (E)F2, 1 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.

Compared with Ohio

MeasureMadison CountyOhioUS
Tornado events since 1950151,56581,281
Per 100 square miles3.23.82.3
Per 10,000 residents3.41.32.4
Deaths recorded02006,410
Busiest monthMayJuneMay

By year

195019882026
Tornado events recorded in Madison County per year, 1950 to 2026 (2026 is partial).

Seasonality

Jan
0
Feb
2
Mar
1
Apr
3
May
4
Jun
1
Jul
1
Aug
0
Sep
1
Oct
0
Nov
2
Dec
0
Tornado events in Madison County by month of occurrence, all years.

Magnitude distribution

EF0/F05
EF1/F17
EF2/F22
EF3/F31
EF4/F40
EF5/F50
Unrated0
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
EF0/F0
65–85 mph (EF0)
EF1/F1
86–110 mph (EF1)
EF2/F2
111–135 mph (EF2)
EF3/F3
136–165 mph (EF3)
EF4/F4
166–200 mph (EF4)
EF5/F5
over 200 mph (EF5)
Unrated
no rating recorded

Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).

Recorded events

All 15 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.

DateEvent typeMagnitudeProperty damageCrop damageDeathsInjuriesGeography
28 Feb 2024TornadoEF2$1.0M———County
28 Feb 2024TornadoEF1$250K———County
28 Sep 2023TornadoEF0$1K———County
18 May 2020TornadoEF0$10K———County
3 Apr 2018TornadoEF0$60K———County
5 Nov 2017TornadoEF1$25K$5K——County
11 May 2008TornadoEF0$5K———County
11 Jul 2006TornadoF0$25K———County
10 Jun 1986TornadoF1$250K———County
10 Mar 1986TornadoF2$2.5M———County
31 May 1985TornadoF1$250K———County
3 Apr 1982TornadoF1$2.5M——1County
19 Apr 1978TornadoF1$250K———County
10 May 1973TornadoF3$3K———County
16 Nov 1965TornadoF1$25K———County

Questions and answers

How many tornado events has Madison County had?

15 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.

When was the last recorded tornado event in Madison County?

28 Feb 2024 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.

What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Madison County?

The tornado of 3 Apr 1982, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M.

How does Madison County compare with Ohio for tornado?

3.2 events per 100 square miles against 3.8 statewide; the county holds 15 of the state's 1,565 recorded events.

Provenance

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.