High Wind in Ohio, March 9 to 10, 2002

Name: High Wind in Ohio, March 9 to 10, 2002
Start: 2002-03-09T14:30
End: 2002-03-10T02:00
Location: Ohio

March 9 to 10, 2002 · NWS CLE · 28 events in 28 counties and zones

A strong and very fast moving cold front raced east across northern Ohio during the late afternoon and early evening hours. Damaging winds occurred along and behind this front.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 28 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 2
Injuries: 8
Property damage: $8.8 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 28

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS CLE wrote it up.

A strong and very fast moving cold front raced east across northern Ohio during the late afternoon and early evening hours. Damaging winds occurred along and behind this front. A 41 year old male was struck and killed by a falling tree in Lorain (Lorain County). A second fatality occurred in Cuyahoga Falls (Summit County) when a 63 year old male was struck and killed by a falling tree. Peak wind gusts include: 69 mph at Toledo Express Airport (Lucas County) at 258 pm; 55 mph at Mansfield Lahm Airport (Richland County) at 415 pm; 63 mph at Findlay Airport (Hancock County) at 423 pm; 62 mph at the Lorain County Airport at 429 pm; 62 mph at Cleveland Hopkins Airport (Cuyahoga County) at 448 pm; 58 mph at Toledo Metcalf Airport (Wood County); 53 mph at the Wayne County Airport at 454 pm; 51 mph at the Ashtabula County Airport at 517 pm; 60 mph at Akron-Fulton Airport (Summit County) at 520 pm; 62 mph at Akron-Canton Airport (Summit County) at 523 pm; 63 mph at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport (Trumbull County) at 607 pm; 54 mph at the Marion County Airport at 610 pm. Other measured wind gusts include; 100 mph at Bowling Green (Wood County); 78 mph at the Huron County Airport; 75 mph at Burton (Geauga County); 75 mph at Fremont Airport (Sandusky County); 74 mph at Louisville (Stark County); 65 mph at Medina (Medina County). Thousands of trees and hundreds of power poles were downed in northern Ohio. Widespread power outages occurred with several hundred thousand people without power at the peak of the storm. Over a million dollars in damage occurred at a school construction site in Struthers (Mahoning County). A fire truck responding to an emergency was blown over in Trumbull County injuring two people. Three mobile homes were destroyed in Sandusky County injuring three people. Two additional people were injured by a falling tree in Ravenna (Portage County). A large poultry farm building was leveled in Marion County. A large building collaped in North Baltimore (Wood County) and damaged two adjacent buildings forcing the closure of three businesses. A woman was seriously injured in Maple Heights (Cuyahoga County) by flying glass and debris. Several buildings were destroyed in Wyandot County and an historic covered bridge was severely damaged. Two homes were destroyed in Ottawa County. Two cargo containers were blown off of a moving train and into Sandusky Bay (Erie County). Other buildings were destroyed in Seneca, Hancock, Crawford, Morrow, Ashland and Stark counties. Hundreds of other buildings sustained damage and over 100 cars were damaged or destroyed by debris and fallen trees.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Cleveland, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 9, 1:58 PM EST, 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 9, 1:58 PM EST, 32 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
200 AM EST SAT MAR 9 2002

CDFNT GETTING CLOSE TO W OH. LOW LVL INDICES MARGINAL BUT MOIST
ADIATBATIC SOUNDING DVLPNG WITH FAIRLY DEEP CONVECTION ALG FNT. WL
CONT TO MONITOR FOR LIGHTNING/THUNDER. SVR STORM WATCH GOING UP FOR
W AND CNTRL OH. PK WIND OF 55 KTS AT GUS WITH FROPA. TIMING STILL
LOOKS LIKE FNT SHOULD BE SWEEPING INTO W PA AROUND 00Z. HIGH WIND
WARNING WL CONT THUR TNGT ALTHO WND WL BE DIMINISHING AFT MIDNGT.
TEMPS SHUD BE CLOSE TO FREEZING BY 6 PM NW OH SO WL HAVE CHANGEOVER
ALMOST IMMEDIATELY REACHING NW PA BY 10 OR 11 PM. SOME DRYING
IMMEDIATELY BHND FNT BUT MODELS CONT WITH SOME UVV ACRS NE OH/NW PA
OVNGT. SW FLOW INITIALLY AND TOO MUCH WIND FOR LAKE EFFECT BUT WIND
DIMINISHES JUST A BIT BY MORN AND WINDS BGN TO LINE UP MORE WEST. WL
EMPHASIZE LAKE EFFECT SNOW AHSTABULA LAKESHORE AND ERIE COUNTY PA
SUN MORN INTO EARLY AFTRN THEN TAPERING TO FLURRIES AS DRIER AIR
SPREADS IN AND INVERSION COMES DOWN. WL NOT POST ADVISORY AT THIS
TIME BUT FCST 3 TO 5 INCHES AND LET MID SHIFT POST ADVISORY AS
NEEDED. NEXT S/WV TO CROSS MIDWEST MON NGT INTO TUE. LOOKS LIKE WARM
AIR WILL MAKE A RETURN AND MUCH OF PCPN COULD VERY WELL BE RAIN BUT
TEMPS WL LIKELY BE IN THE 30S AND GOOD UVV WOULD RESULT IN SOME WET
SNOW PSBL. WL FCST BOTH RAIN AND SNOW. WL ISSUE ZONES FIRST AS AN
UPDATE TO GET WATCH HEADLINE IN AND THEN ISSUE NEW PACKAGE WHEN I
CAN GET IT OUT.

.CLE...
.OH...HIGH WIND WARNING THRU TNGT.
.PA...HIGH WIND WARNING THRU TNGT.
.LERI...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT.

KOSARIK

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

28 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Ashland

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Ashland forecast zone
Property damage: $200,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.846, -82.271 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Ashtabula

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Ashtabula forecast zone
Property damage: $150,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.896, -80.759 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Crawford

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Crawford forecast zone
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.851, -82.920 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Cuyahoga

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Cuyahoga forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph)
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $400,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.479, -81.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Erie

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Erie forecast zone
Property damage: $400,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.432, -82.700 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Geauga

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Geauga forecast zone
Property damage: $125,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.500, -81.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Hancock

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Hancock forecast zone
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.002, -83.666 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Holmes

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Holmes forecast zone
Property damage: $125,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.561, -81.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Huron

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Huron forecast zone
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.146, -82.598 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Knox

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Knox forecast zone
Property damage: $175,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.399, -82.421 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lake

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Lake forecast zone
Property damage: $150,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.714, -81.245 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lorain

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Lorain forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph)
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.453, -82.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Lucas

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Lucas forecast zone
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.684, -83.468 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Mahoning

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Mahoning forecast zone
Property damage: $1.3 million
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.015, -80.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Marion

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Marion forecast zone
Property damage: $200,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.587, -83.161 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Medina

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Medina forecast zone
Property damage: $175,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.118, -81.900 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Morrow

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Morrow forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.524, -82.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Ottawa

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Ottawa forecast zone
Property damage: $500,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.497, -82.941 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Portage

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Portage forecast zone
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $125,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.168, -81.197 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Richland

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Richland forecast zone
Property damage: $150,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.775, -82.536 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Sandusky

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Sandusky forecast zone
Injuries: 3 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $400,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.357, -83.144 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Seneca

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Seneca forecast zone
Property damage: $300,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.124, -83.128 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Stark

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Stark forecast zone
Property damage: $300,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.814, -81.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Summit

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Summit forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph)
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $300,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.126, -81.532 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Trumbull

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Trumbull forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $200,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.317, -80.761 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wayne

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Property damage: $125,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.829, -81.888 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wood

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Wood forecast zone
Property damage: $750,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.362, -83.623 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Wyandot

When: March 9, 2:30 PM EST to March 10, 2:00 AM EST
Where: Wyandot forecast zone
Property damage: $750,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.842, -83.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
High Wind, Lorain	2002-03-09	41	Male	Ball Field	Direct
High Wind, Summit	2002-03-09	63	Male	Under Tree	Direct

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Ohio in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Ohio, March 2002

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5284833, 5284834, 5284835, 5284836, 5284837, 5284838, 5284839, 5284840, 5284841, 5284842, 5284843, 5284844, 5284845, 5284846, 5284847, 5284848, 5284849, 5284850, 5284851, 5284852, 5284853, 5284854, 5284855, 5284856, 5284857, 5284858, 5284859, 5284860.