CLEVELAND — The National Weather Service (NWS) in Cleveland confirmed four tornadoes with the severe weather on August 6. That brings the year-to-date total up to 69 for the state of Ohio. This was the 16th day of the year with at least one tornado in the state.
That current total is already impressive. The 30-year average for Ohio is 21 for the entire year. That average has been shattered with this year’s 69 tally. That also puts us at a record for the number of tornadoes in one year. The previous record was 62, set in 1992. Last year was also incredibly active, with 60 confirmed tornadoes.
Here’s the breakdown of how strong those tornadoes have been:
22 - EF0
32 - EF1
11 - EF2
1 - EF3
3 - EFU
Thankfully none have been stronger than the one EF3 that occurred west of Columbus in March. That one killed three people and had maximum winds of 155 mph.
Ohio has had at least one tornado every month this year, except for January. Tornado frequency in Ohio typically peaks around April to June. While we are beyond the traditional peak of the season, tornadoes can occur at any time. There is every reason to believe we will add to the current total.
