| EVENT | DATE | ESTIMATED COST | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southeast/Ohio Valley/Midwest tornadoes | April 25-28, 2011 | $11 billion |
| 2 | Midwest/Southeast tornadoes | May 22-27, 2011 | $9.8 billion |
| 3 | East Coast blizzard and severe weather | March 11-14, 1993 | $9.3 billion |
| 4 | Severe storms/torndaoes | May 3-10, 2003 | $5.4 billion |
| 5 | Freeze, cold wave | Dec. 15-25, 1983 | $4.9 billion |
| 6 | Blizzard/floods | Jan. 1996 | $4.7 billion |
| 7 | Midwest/Ohio Valley hail and tornadoes | April 6-11, 2001 | $4.3 billion |
| 8 | Rockies/Midwest/Eastern severe weather | May 18-23, 2014 | $3.8 billion |
| 9 | Southeast/Ohio Valley/Midwest tornadoes | March 11-14, 1993 | $3.3 billion |
| 10 | Plains/East/Norteast severe weather | June 29-July 2, 2012 | $3.1 billion |
Some of the most notable:
1. April 2011 tornado outbreak. Approximately 343 tornadoes touched down between the April 25 and April 28, the worst hitting Alabama. The strongest of the storms hit the south, including Alabama.
2. May 2011 tornadoes. An estimated 180 tornadoes were sighted in the devastating line of storms from May 22-27, including EF-5 in Joplin, Mo., that caused 160 deaths.
Credit: Dusty Compton
Credit: Dusty Compton
3. East coast blizzard and severe storms, March 1993. This set of storms, which included everything from tornadoes in Florida to heavy snows of more than 2 feet on the eastern seaboard, greatly affected Ohio as well.
4. May 2003 tornadoes and severe weather. Severe storms set a modern one-week record for tornadoes with an estimated 400 hitting the Ohio and Tennessee valleys from May 3-10.
5. Snowstorms of January 1996. Approximately one to four feet fell on the Appalachians, mid-Atlantic and Northeast, creating serious flooding afterwards.
Credit: HANDOUT
Credit: HANDOUT
The following table are the three worst droughts and heatwaves that have hit Ohio, according to NOAA.
| EVENT | DATE | ESTIMATED COST | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. Drought/Heatwave | June 1-Aug. 31, 1988 | $41.2 billion |
| 2 | U.S. Drought/Heatwave | 2012 | $31.8 billion |
| 3 | U.S Drought | March 1- Nov. 30, 2002 | $12.1 billion |
The data show that even though the most damaging natural occurrence has been drought and heatwaves, a single storm can still create a catastrophe for those affected.
Note that the amount shown was paid in total and is not what each state paid in damages.
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