21 thunderstorm wind, 8 flash flood, 3 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
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 Jul 8, 10:25 AM EST, 3 hours 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH 1125 AM EDT TUE JUL 8 2003 UPDATING TO CLEAN UP WORDING AND TO ADD WATCH TO WESTERN ZONES .CLE... OH...SVR TSTM WATCH TIL 5 PM FOR XTRM WRN END OF CWA. PA...NONE.
OHZ003-006>014-017>023-027>033-036>038-047-089-PAZ001>003-081315- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH 711 AM EDT TUE JUL 8 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN OHIO AND A PORTION OF NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND,OH
1142 AM EDT TUE JUL 8 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0445 AM MT. VERNON OH WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 KNOX NUMEROUS TREES DOWN.
0340 AM FREEMONT OH WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 SANDUSKY SCATTERED TREES DOWN
ACROSS THE COUNTY.
0345 AM UPPER SANDUSKY OH WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 WYANDOT MANY LARGE TREE LIMBS DOWN
ACROSS THE COUNTY.
0415 AM MOUNT GILEAD OH WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 MORROW TREES DOWN ACROSS THE
COUNTY.
0445 AM SAVANNAH OH WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 ASHLAND MANY TREES DOWN ACROSS
NORTHERN ASHLAND COUNTY.
0515 AM MILLERSBURG OH WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 HOLMES MANY TREES DOWN ACROSS THE
COUNTY.
0510 AM WOOSTER OH WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 WAYNE MANY TREES DOWN ACROSS THE
COUNTY.
0612 AM NEWBURY OH WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 GEAUGA SEVERAL TREES DOWN IN
NEWBURY TOWNSHIP.
0330 AM BLUFFTON OH WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 HANCOCK TREES DOWN ACROSS THE
COUNTY.
0300 AM YOUNGSTOWN OH WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 MAHONING SEVERAL TREES DOWN.
0545 AM RAVENNA OH WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 PORTAGE SCATTERED TREES DOWN
ACROSS THE COUNTY.
0430 AM SANDUSKY OH WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 ERIE DOZENS OF TREES DOWN
ACROSS THE COUNTY. AT LEAST
15 ROADS CLOSED AND SEVERAL
HOMES DAMAGED.
0520 AM BEREA OH WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 CUYAHOGA DOZENS OF TREES DOWN.
0531 AM HARTVILLE OH 63 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
07/08/03 STARK
0500 AM MEDINA OH WIND DAMAGE
07/08/03 MEDINA FIVE TREES DOWN IN MEDINA
TOWNSHIP.
KUBINAOHZ003-006>008-017-018-027-081930- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH 231 PM EDT TUE JUL 8 2003 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5PM EDT... A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS DEVELOPING OVER NORTHWEST OHIO. THESE STORMS WERE INCREASING IN INTENSITY AND MOVING EAST AT 40 KNOTS. WITH THIS CURRENT MOVEMENT...THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL REACH LUCAS...WOOD AND HANCOCK COUNTIES BY 3 PM. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT WYANDOT...SENECA AND OTTAWA COUNTIES BY 4 PM. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME DAMAGING. RESIDENTS WITHIN NORTHWEST OHIO SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.
The Detroit radar (KDTX), 145 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:01 UTC.
21 thunderstorm wind, 8 flash flood, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm winds downed trees and limbs to the northwest of Tontogany near the intersection of State Routes 235 and 65.
Thunderstorm winds downed six trees west of Toledo.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved across Wood County and caused widespread damage and power outages. The most significant damage occurred in the central portion of the county, but Bradner, Tontogany and Grand Rapids were also very hard hit. A few homes were damaged in Grand Rapids and a garage was leveled in Tontogany by winds estimated to be in excess of 75 mph. Several trees and large limbs were downed in the county and crop losses were significant.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved across Wood County and caused widespread damage and power outages. A 101 mph wind gust was measured at the Bowling Green Airport at approximately 3:55 p.m. The airport, located on the northeast side of town, was very hard hit. The terminal building lost a large section of roof with three nearby hangers heavily damaged. A total of 17 aircraft were either damaged or destroyed. Four buildings at the Bowling Green State University were damaged by the strong winds. Signs and a press box on the campus were also toppled. Many other homes and buildings, including a city garage, were damaged. Hundreds of trees and limbs were downed and many streets had to closed because of debris. Dozens of vehicles sustained varying amounts of damage.
Thunderstorm winds downed several trees and large limbs. Two homes were heavily damaged by fallen trees.
Thunderstorm winds downed several trees.
Thunderstorm winds downed several trees across the county.
Thunderstorm winds downed many trees and large limbs across the county.
Thunderstorm winds downed many large tree limbs.
Thunderstorms dumped two to three inches of rain on Hancock County during the late afternoon and early evening hours. Some lowland flooding and street flooding occurred across mainly the southern half of the county. Several roads had to be closed after vehicles became stranded in flood waters up to three feet deep.
Thunderstorms dumped two to four inches of rain on Wyandot County during the late afternoon and early evening hours. Widespread street and lowland flooding occurred with many streams and creeks leaving their banks. Many roads had to be closed due to flood waters up to four feet deep.
Thunderstorms dumped two to four inches of rain on Seneca County during the late afternoon and early evening hours. Widespread street and lowland flooding occurred with many streams and creeks leaving their banks. Many roads had to be closed due to flood waters up to three feet deep.
Thunderstorms dumped two to four inches of rain on Bucyrus during the late afternoon and early evening hours causing many streams and creeks to leave their banks. Two inches of rain was measured in 25 minutes during the peak of the storm. Widespread street and lowland flooding occurred, mainly on the east side of the city. Several streets had to be closed due to flooding. Flood waters up to three feet deep were reported and at least a couple vehicles became stranded in the high water.
Thunderstorm winds downed several trees and large limbs. A home to the south of Willard was damaged by a fallen tree.
Thunderstorms dumped very heavy rains on Huron County during the late afternoon and early evening hours. Over two inches of rain fell in Willard during a 20 minute period. For the afternoon, 2.9 inches of rain fell at Willard. Widespread street and lowland flooding occurred in both Willard and Norwalk. Several roads were washed out in Willard and Ripley Township. New State Road was washed out just to the south of U.S. 224. Water on some roads in Willard was reported to be as much as five feet deep.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved across Richland County and downed dozens of trees and large limbs. The Mansfield and Ontario areas were especially hard hit. A mobile home was damaged in Ontario. Scattered power outages were reported.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved across Ashland County and downed dozens of trees. Over 40 trees and large limbs were downed in Ashland alone. Many trees were also toppled in the southern portion of the county near Mohican State Park. A shower house at the park was heavily damaged as were three cars parked nearby.
Nickel size hail was observed.
Thunderstorm winds downed several trees and large limbs. A motor home was crushed by a fallen tree.
Thunderstorm winds downed trees and large limbs in Rochester, Huntington and Elyria. A covered picnic shelter was blown down in Elyria.
Thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved east across Holmes County and caused widespread damage and scattered power outages. The Winesburg, Holmesville and Killbuck areas were especially hard hit. Dozens of trees were downed across the county. Homes were damaged in both Holmesville and Winesburg.
Thunderstorm winds downed many trees.
Nickel size hail was observed.
Thunderstorm winds downed a large tree.
Thunderstorms dumped two to three inches of rain on Ashland County in a short period of time. 1.75 inches of rain was measured at Polk in 75 minutes during the peak of the storm. Widespread lowland and street flooding occurred with many streams and creeks leaving their banks. Several vehicles became stranded in flooded underpasses in Ashland. Well over a dozen roads had to be closed in the county due to flood waters up to three feet deep.
Thunderstorm winds downed several trees and large limbs.
Penny size hail was observed.
Thunderstorms dumped two to three inches of rain on Mansfield during the evening hours. Widespread street and lowland flooding occurred as several streams and creeks left their banks. A library had to be evacuated due to flooding in a ground level lobby and parking garage. Several streets in the downtown area flooded stranding many vehicles. Several people had to be rescued from their vehicles. Water up to eight feet deep was reported in an underpass just east of downtown.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved across Stark County and downed dozens of trees and large limbs. A 70 mph thunderstorm wind gust was estimated in Waco at 6:31 p.m.
Thunderstorm winds downed a few trees and several large limbs.
Thunderstorms dumped heavy rains on Holmes County during the evening hours causing localized flooding near Killbuck. A mudslide occurred on a hill north of town resulting in the destruction of two mobile homes. There were no injuries.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, July 2003
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: 5375859, 5375698, 5375699, 5375700, 5375703, 5375853, 5375857, 5375854, 5375770, 5375858, 5375851, 5375855, 5375850, 5375704, 5375766, 5375774, 5379017, 5375773, 5375702, 5375772, 5375856, 5375769, 5375852, 5375701, 5375860, 5379018, 5375767, 5375776, 5375775, 5375849, 5375771, 5375768.