12 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 3 flash flood, 1 lightning, 1 tornado, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 Aug 20, 1:00 PM EST, 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OHIO 200 PM EDT SAT AUG 20 2005 .SHORT TERM (TNGT-TUE)... PREFRONTAL TROUGH MOVG ACROSS INDIANA INTO NW OH AND EXPECT NEW TSTORM DEVELOPMENT. MORNING SOUNDINGS FAIRLY MOIST AND INSTABILITY MAY EVOLVE INTO SHOWERS/STORMS QUICKLY. INSTABILITY INCREASING ACROSS WEST CENTRAL OHIO. LOW LVL WIND FLOW HAS BACKED ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL COUNTIES BEHIND FIRST BATCH OF SHOWERS/STORMS TEMPORARILY INCREASING LOW LVL SHEAR BUT FLOW SHOULD COME BACK AROUND TO SW AHEAD OF TROUGH SO RISK OF ROTATING STORMS SHOULD DIMINISH BUT WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR. CDFNT COMING INTO NW INDIANA AND WL SLOWLY SAG SOUTHEAST ACROSS FCST AREA TNGT. MODELS SHOW DRYING AT ALL LEVELS TNGT AND SHOULD NOT BE ANY NEW DVLPMNT AHEAD OF ACTUAL FRONT WITH THE PSBL EXCEPTION OF THE EAST LAKESHORE COUNTIES WHERE THE WARM WATERS OF LAKE ERIE COULD TRIGGER A FEW SHOWERS/STORMS TONIGHT SO WILL KEEP A POP ALL NIGHT EAST LAKESHORE COUNTIES. SEVERAL SHORT WAVES PROGGED TO DROP THRU TROUGH THROUGH MONDAY. WITH COLD AIR ALOFT WIL PROB SEE SOME LAKE EFFECT RAIN SHOWERS EAST LAKESHORE COUNTIES BY MONDAY MORNING. THESE SHOWERS WOULD LIKELY DRY OUT MONDAY AFTERNOON WITH DIURNAL HEATING/MIXING AND PASSAGE OF NEXT SHORT WAVE. LOW LVL FLOW BECOMES MORE ANTICYCLONIC MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY AND COOLEST AIR STARTS TO SHIFT EAST SO LESS RISK OF LAKE EFFECT MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUE. && .LONG TERM(TUE-SAT)... SFC HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ON BACK SIDE OF THE TROUGH BUT HEIGHTS ALOFT START TO BUILD IMMEDIATELY ALMOST IN A BLOCKING FASHION SO WE SHOULD SEE AN EXTENDED PERIOD AND DRY WEATHER WITH A SLOW WARMING TREND ESPECIALLY DURING THE DAYS. NIGHTS MAY STAY NEAR NORMAL OR BELOW NORMAL THRU MID WEEK AND THEN BEGIN TO WARM. ECMWF A LITTLE FASTER WITH NEXT COLD FRONT BY THE WEEKEND BUT WITH RECENT TENDENCY FOR RIDGING OVER THE MIDDLE AND EASTERN STATES WILL TREND FCST CLOSER TO NCEP AND GFS GUIDANCE FOR A SLOWER EAST PROGRESSION. WL INCLUDE A CHANCE SHOWERS/STORMS STARTING NEXT SAT NGT. WILL FCST TEMPS GENERALLY ABV GUIDANCE (MID OR UPR 80S) BY THE END OF THE WEEK. && .AVIATION(18Z-18Z)... SCATTERED TSRA FROM YNG TO MNN DUE TO OUTFLOW FROM PREVIOUS THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING...EXPECT INCREASED BKN LNS TO FORM AS IT MOVE EAST...DONT THINK IT WILL BUILD TOO MUCH FURTHER TO THE NORTH. BIGGER CONCERN IS THE TSRA DEVLOPING AHEAD OF PREFRONTAL TOUGH FROM NW OH TIN SW IN. EXPECT BKN LN TO DEVELOP ALONG TROUGH AND TO MOVE EAST LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO EVENING. EXPECT COLD FRONT CURRENTLY IN ILLINOIS TO MOVE THROUGH KCLE AROUND MIDNIGHT. && .CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... .OH...NONE. .PA...NONE. SHORT TERM...KOSARIK LONG TERM...KOSARIK AVIATION...DJB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH 440 AM EDT SAT AUG 20 2005 OHZ003-006>014-017>023-027>033-036>038-047-089-PAZ001>003-211100- ASHLAND OH-ASHTABULA INLAND OH-ASHTABULA LAKESHORE OH-CRAWFORD PA- CRAWFORD OH-CUYAHOGA OH-ERIE OH-GEAUGA OH-HANCOCK OH-HOLMES OH- HURON OH-KNOX OH-LAKE OH-LORAIN OH-LUCAS OH-MAHONING OH-MARION OH- MEDINA OH-MORROW OH-NORTHERN ERIE PA-OTTAWA OH-PORTAGE OH- RICHLAND OH-SANDUSKY OH-SENECA OH-SOUTHERN ERIE PA-STARK OH- SUMMIT OH-TRUMBULL OH-WAYNE OH-WOOD OH-WYANDOT OH- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...AKRON...ASHLAND...ASHTABULA... BOWLING GREEN...BUCYRUS...CANTON...CHARDON...CLEVELAND...ELYRIA... ERIE...FINDLAY...FOSTORIA...FREMONT...JEFFERSON...LORAIN... MANSFIELD...MARION...MEADVILLE...MEDINA...MILLERSBURG... MOUNT GILEAD...MOUNT VERNON...NORWALK...PAINESVILLE...PORT CLINTON... RAVENNA...SANDUSKY...TIFFIN...TOLEDO...UPPER SANDUSKY...WARREN... WOOSTER AND YOUNGSTOWN 440 AM EDT SAT AUG 20 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTION OF NORTHERN OHIO AND A PORTION OF NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS INDICATED THAT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND THIS EVENING ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... DEVELOPING THE STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. WATERSPOUTS MAY BE POSSIBLE OVER LAKE ERIE SUNDAY NIGHT AND INTO MONDAY. SATURDAYS COLD FRONT WILL USHER IN AN AUTUMN-LIKE AIRMASS ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES. THE COMBINATION OF THE WARM LAKE TEMPERATURES AND THE COLD AIR ALOFT MAY CREATE A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE FORMATION OF WATERSPOUTS. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR THE ENTIRE AREA. OUDEMAN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH 141 PM EDT SAT AUG 20 2005 OHZ003-006>014-017>023-027>033-036>038-041-047-089-202317- ASHLAND OH-ASHTABULA INLAND OH-ASHTABULA LAKESHORE OH-COLUMBIANA OH- CRAWFORD OH-CUYAHOGA OH-ERIE OH-GEAUGA OH-HANCOCK OH-HOLMES OH- HURON OH-KNOX OH-LAKE OH-LORAIN OH-LUCAS OH-MAHONING OH-MARION OH- MEDINA OH-MORROW OH-OTTAWA OH-PORTAGE OH-RICHLAND OH-SANDUSKY OH- SENECA OH-STARK OH-SUMMIT OH-TRUMBULL OH-WAYNE OH-WOOD OH-WYANDOT OH- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...AKRON...ASHLAND...ASHTABULA... BOWLING GREEN...BUCYRUS...CANTON...CHARDON...CLEVELAND...ELYRIA... FINDLAY...FOSTORIA...FREMONT...JEFFERSON...LORAIN...MANSFIELD... MARION...MEDINA...MILLERSBURG...MOUNT GILEAD...MOUNT VERNON... NORWALK...PAINESVILLE...PORT CLINTON...RAVENNA...SALEM...SANDUSKY... TIFFIN...TOLEDO...UPPER SANDUSKY...WARREN...WOOSTER AND YOUNGSTOWN 141 PM EDT SAT AUG 20 2005 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTI 7 PM EDT... ASHLAND ASHTABULA CUYAHOGA CRAWFORD ERIE GEAUGA HANCOCK HOLMES HURON KNOX LAKE LORAIN LUCAS MAHONING MARION MEDINA MORROW OTTAWA PORTAGE RICHLAND SANDUSKY SENECA STARK SUMMIT TRUMBULL WAYNE WOOD WYANDOT
The Cleveland radar (KCLE), 50 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:28 UTC.
12 thunderstorm wind, 5 hail, 3 flash flood, 1 lightning, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees and power lines were reported down. A tree was reported to have fallen onto a house causing some roof damage.
Penny size hail was observed.
A few large limbs were reported down.
A few large limbs were reported down.
Penny size hail was observed.
Penny size hail was observed.
Thunderstorm winds downed a few large tree limbs.
A tree and a large limb were reported down.
A tree and a large limb were reported down
Lightning struck a home and set fire to the second floor of the house causing major damage. No injuries were reported.
Nickel size hail was observed.
Several large limbs were reported down.
Twin F1 tornadoes touched down north of the city of Medina in Medina Township around 4:20 PM. The tornadoes touched down on Marks Road about a half a mile north of Fenn Road. The tornadoes tracked east on the ground for about one hundred yards. The damage path was about seventy-five feet wide. A pole barn used as a horse arena was leveled. Another barn nearby suffered serious damage to the roof, and the house on the property also received substantial damage. Several other homes in the area sustained minor to serious structural damage with a couple sheds destroyed by the tornadoes. Debris was scattered for several hundred yards around the path of the tornadoes. No injuries to humans or animals were reported from these tornadoes.
A few trees were reported down.
One tree and a few large limbs and power lines were reported down.
Three trees were reported down.
Penny size hail was observed.
Severe thunderstorms tracked over the northern portions of Lorain County during the afternoon hours of the 20th. By late afternoon, another band of thunderstorms developed and tracked over this same area. Heavy rain was associated with both rounds of thunderstorms. Streets, parking lots, fields and homes quickly flooded. Some roads were reported to have a foot and a half of water flowing down them causing cars to float. By the end of the event, some roads had around three feet of standing water on them. Small streams left their banks leaving the standing water in the streets and yards no place to flow. Hundreds of homes and apartment units suffered from flooding. Basements of homes quickly filled up with water and apartment buildings with either ground floor or sub-ground floor units experienced extensive flood damage. Water began receeding during the overnight hours of the 20th. North Ridgeville was hit hard with numerous reports of flooded homes and streets. By the end of this event, 5.80 inches of rain had fallen there. Elyria picked up 5.14 inches, and Grafton received 2.88 inches. In Avon, 4.5 inches of rain fell in around 90 minutes with a storm total of 3.27 inches in Vermilion.
A tree and a large limb was reported down.
Two large trees were reported down.
Severe thunderstorms tracked over western portions of Cuyahoga Ccounty during the afternoon hours of the 20th. By late afternoon, a second band of thunderstorms developed and tracked over the same area. Heavy rain was associated with both rounds of storms. Flash flooding quickly developed as the rain overwhelmed the storm sewers. In North Olmsted, there were reports of water up to the first floor windows of several homes. Water quickly rose to at least 3 feet in depth in the Great Northern Shopping Mall parking lot submerging dozens of cars and causing others to stall. Floodwaters also flowed into the lower level of the shopping mall. Water along the Rocky River rose quickly at the Rocky River Reservation. A small bridge over the river became impassable with several inches of water flowing over it. A tunnel used for the transit system near Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport was also flooded. There were numerous reports of basement flooding. Several streets and highways from downtown Cleveland westward saw substantial flooding. Flood waters three to four feet deep were reported in many areas. Several vehicles were trapped or submerged in the flood waters. Officially for the day, Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport received 3.55 inches of rainfall. Report from other locations in western Cuyahoga County included 5.50 inches in Parma and 4.10 inches measured in North Olmsted.
A series of severe thunderstorms dumped heavy rains over the northern portion of Erie County. 3.27 inches of rain was measured at Vermilion in a short period of time. South and Mason Roads were reported to have a foot of water flowing across them.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Ohio, 2005Warnings in Ohio, August 2005
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: 5471976, 5471977, 5471989, 5471916, 5471982, 5471987, 5472072, 5471980, 5471986, 5471992, 5471978, 5471985, 5471991, 5471984, 5471981, 5471983, 5471979, 5472070, 5471990, 5471988, 5472069, 5472071.