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Ohio, positioned geographically on the eastern edge of what has
come to be known as “tornado alley,” is no stranger
to tornadoes. In fact, Ohio experiences an average of 16 tornadoes
each year, not to mention the hundreds of severe thunderstorms.
Ohio’s peak tornado season runs from April through July, with
most tornadoes occurring between 2 and 10 p.m. Even though June
has been the month with the most tornado occurrences, many of the
state’s major tornado outbreaks have taken place in April
and May. However, history has proven that tornadoes can occur during
any month of the year at any time of the day or night.
In 2004, there were eight confirmed tornadoes in Ohio resulting
in one injury and no deaths. A violent tornado hit in Ohio in 2000,
reaching an F4 intensity on the Fujita tornado scale. This tornado
ripped through Xenia on September 20 and damaged over 300 homes
and businesses, resulting in one death and nearly 100 injuries.
Another recent twister ripped through Van Wert on November 10,
2002. Van Wert tornado information can be found below.
Insurance coverage for tornado damage
Tornado losses to a home are covered by the windstorm peril under
the homeowners insurance policy. Protection from windstorm or hail
damage for cars is covered under the “other than collision” (comprehensive)
portion of the automobile insurance policy.
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The US had record high counts of tornadoes
in August and September 2004, with most of the storms generated
by the parade of hurricanes that struck
the south. The Commerce Department's Storm Prediction Center
said 247
twisters were reported in September, 117 of them associated
with Hurricane
Frances. Accurate tallies have been kept only since 1950,
with the previous
September record of 139 tornadoes set in 1967, the center
said. The average number of twisters for the month is 47.
The tornado
total for August 2004
was 173, compared with the previous record of 126 in 1979.
(The New York Times, 10/8/04) |
Source: National Weather Service
Source: National Weather Service
| 2003 Top 10 Tornado Occurrence States |
| State |
Rank |
Tornadoes |
Deaths |
| Texas |
1 |
155 |
0 |
| Illinois |
2 |
119 |
2 |
| Kansas |
3 |
92 |
11 |
| Missouri |
4 |
81 |
16 |
| Nebraska |
4 |
81 |
2 |
| South Dakota |
4 |
81 |
0 |
| Oklahoma |
5 |
76 |
0 |
| Arkansas |
6 |
61 |
0 |
| Mississippi |
7 |
50 |
0 |
| Minnesota |
8 |
46 |
0 |
|
|
|
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| Ohio |
24 |
13 |
0 |
| NATIONAL |
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1,376 |
54 |
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| Source:
Insurance Information Institute, Fact
Book 2005 |
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For additional information, visit the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness spring campaign at www.ema.ohio.gov/PDFs/Severe_Weather/Spring2005.pdf
This November storm spawned several tornadoes in Ohio killing five
and injuring 26. At least four tornadoes with winds exceeding 100
mph were reported in Van Wert County. The National Weather Service
tracked a tornado through Twinsburg, Macedonia, and Solon. Another
twister hit Ashland and Medina counties, and yet another touched
down in Wayne County.
According to a survey by the Ohio Insurance Institute, losses
from this storm exceeded $103 million, making it one of the costliest
Ohio disasters in recent history.
Source: Graphic used with permission from
Columbus Dispatch, November 12, 2002
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