Ohio experiences severe weather annually, making tornado activity a regular concern for residents and weather officials. Given the significant number of severe weather events observed throughout 2023, there is considerable interest in the official, finalized data detailing the extent of the year’s tornado count. Understanding the confirmed count and the nature of the specific storms provides necessary context for assessing the overall severity of the season.
The Final Confirmed Tally
The final, confirmed number of tornadoes that touched down across Ohio during the 2023 calendar year reached a total of 60. This definitive figure is the result of extensive post-storm analysis conducted by local National Weather Service forecast offices across the state. These teams perform detailed damage surveys, often walking the entire path of a storm, to determine the track, width, and intensity.
The confirmation process relies on a combination of ground and aerial surveys, radar data analysis, and photographic evidence of damage patterns. Only storms whose damage can be definitively linked to rotational winds are classified as tornadoes; straight-line wind events are not included in this total. The 60 confirmed tornadoes consisted predominantly of weaker storms, with 35 rated as EF0 and 20 as EF1.
The Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale is used to assign a rating based on estimated wind speeds, inferred from the degree of damage to structures and vegetation. The 2023 season included five tornadoes that were rated at EF2 intensity, indicating significant damage. No tornadoes reached the higher EF3, EF4, or EF5 categories. The final tally of 60 reflects a highly active year, with reports coming from multiple regions.
Major Tornado Outbreaks and Specific Impacts
The high 2023 total was significantly influenced by several distinct, multi-tornado outbreaks that impacted different parts of the state throughout the year. One of the earliest significant events occurred with a series of storms on March 31 and April 1, which primarily affected the western and northwestern portions of Ohio. This outbreak included an EF1 tornado near Wapakoneta that tracked for over 17 miles, causing damage to an Ohio Department of Transportation shed and injuring seven people at a local campground.
A major event took place on June 15 when a single, powerful supercell tracked across several counties in northern Ohio, generating a total of 12 confirmed tornadoes. This sequence included an EF2 tornado in Toledo, where estimated peak winds reached 130 miles per hour. The storm inflicted significant damage to a medical lab building and surrounding businesses near Interstate 75.
Later in the summer, the August 24–25 outbreak brought another 12 confirmed tornadoes to Northeast Ohio, hitting the Cleveland metropolitan area particularly hard. This overnight event featured two separate EF2 tornadoes, one in the Warrensville Heights and Bedford Heights area of Cuyahoga County and another in Middlefield in Geauga County. The storm system caused extensive damage and led to power outages for nearly 250,000 customers across the region. The EF1 that struck the east side of Cleveland was the first tornado confirmed within the city limits since 1992.
How 2023 Compares to Historical Norms
The 60 confirmed tornadoes in 2023 places the year far above the historical average for the state. Over a standard 30-year period, Ohio typically experiences an average of 21 tornadoes annually. Comparing the 2023 count to this norm reveals that the year’s activity was nearly three times the expected figure.
Looking at the longer-term record, the state has averaged about 19 tornadoes per year between 1950 and 2023. This difference highlights that 2023 was a profoundly active year for severe weather.
The 2023 total of 60 confirmed tornadoes was among the highest ever recorded in the state’s history. It fell just short of the all-time record of 62, which was set in 1992.