COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio has a new record for the most tornadoes in a year.
According to the National Weather Service in Cleveland, an EF0 tornado touched down in Huron County on Saturday, the 63rd such storm this year. The tornado did not cause any injuries or deaths.
The previous record was set in 1992 with 62 tornadoes. NWS data shows the state saw 60 tornadoes in 2023. The next two years with the most tornadoes was 2019 (49) and 1973 (48).
About 30% of Ohio's tornadoes happened in the first week of May when 19 twisters mostly hit southwestern and central Ohio. Another eight tornadoes struck Ohio on March 15. One of the tornadoes, a powerful EF3, killed three people in Logan County.
The last time central Ohio had a confirmed tornado was nearly a month ago when four of them hit Delaware, Muskingum, Knox and Licking counties.
On average, Ohio sees 19 tornadoes a year. Since the 90s, the average number of tornadoes has almost doubled, and this year we’ve seen more in the spring than any other year on record.
For tornadoes to form, the atmosphere has to be warm and humid – conditions becoming increasingly common because of climate change.
Scientists have noticed an eastward shift in "Tornado Alley" which could be impacting the Buckeye State as evidenced by three record-breaking tornado seasons in Ohio in the last 15 years.
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