Drought in Ohio

Events

415

Deaths

0

Injuries

0

Damage

$200 million

• Drought in Ohio, September 1 to 30, 1999$200 million · 28 eventsDrought conditions continued across most of northern Ohio during September. Widespread heavy rain occurred on the 29th but did little to help crop conditions. For the month, only 1.63 inches of rain fell in Mansfield making it the 9th driest September on record.
• Drought in Ohio, August 1 to 31, 199932 eventsDrought conditions continued across the Ohio Valley through August with most areas receiving well below normal rainfall for the month. In some areas around 50% of crops were considered total losses.
• Drought in Ohio, July 1 to 31, 199932 eventsDry conditions that began in the spring and early summer continued into July. Excessive heat contributed to substantial crop loss across much of the Buckeye state. Rainfall was widely scattered and did little to help farmers.
• Drought in Ohio, August 1 to 31, 199630 eventsDry weather persisted throughout the month across northern Ohio. Rainfall averaged from a few tenths of an inch in north central and northwest Ohio to one to two inches in extreme northeast Ohio. August rainfall normally averages between three and four inches.
• Drought in Ohio, August 1 to 31, 199930 eventsDrought conditions persisted across northern Ohio as rainfall totals for the month were below normal at most locations. Only 1.40 inches of rain fell in Toledo during August with only 1.80 inches measured in Cleveland. Both of these totals are roughly half the monthly normal.
• Drought in Ohio, June 1 to 30, 199930 eventsLittle rain occurred from late May through much of June. Only 1.19 inches of rainfall fell at Akron-Canton during the month making it the 5th driest June on record. Similarly, 1.66 inches of rain fell at Mansfield also making it the 5th driest June on record.
• Drought in Ohio, July 1 to 31, 199930 eventsDrought conditions across northern Ohio eased as thunderstorm rains became more widespread. None the less, very dry soil conditions persisted in a few areas that missed the brunt of the thunderstorm activity.
• Drought in Ohio, September 1 to 30, 199911 eventsSeptember rainfall for Eastern Ohio again averaged below normal, with the Palmer Drought Severity Index keeping the entire area under a moderate to severe drought. The Crop Moisture Index also showed abnormally dry conditions continuing across all of Eastern Ohio.
• Drought in Ohio, August 1 to 31, 199911 eventsThe dry conditions that actually began in July 1998 continued through the month of August. On August 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared all of Eastern Ohio an agricultural disaster area.
• Drought in Ohio, September 1 to 30, 202410 eventsExtreme Drought (D3) conditions continued through the month of September for several counties in Ohio. Conditions worsened to Exceptional Drought in the first week of the month for several counties as very hot and dry conditions persisted.
• Drought in Ohio, October 1 to 31, 19999 eventsThe drought severity eased as monthly rainfall was near normal. Amounts of 2.5 to 3.0" were common. Ground water shortages were still a concern at the end of the month.
• Drought in Ohio, September 1 to 30, 19999 eventsDrought severity either increased, or remain about constant during the month. The rainfall during September was mostly between 1 to 2 inches. Yet, South Point of Lawrence County had even less rain, with just three quarters of an inch.
• Drought in Ohio, August 1 to 31, 19999 eventsThe drought eased during the month of August across southeast Ohio. Monthly rains were 3 to 6 inches. Temperatures were not as hot, as those felt during July. However, the drought still lingered at month's end.
• Drought in Ohio, September 1 to 25, 20029 eventsThe emerging drought from August peaked during the first 2 weeks of September, as hot and dry conditions lingered. Rains of 1.5 to 2 inches, plus cooler temperatures, dampened the drought by the fourth week of the month.
• Drought in Ohio, November 1 to 30, 20249 eventsAfter several dry months, November helped bring some relief to the region. By the end of November, there had been enough rain for improvement to D2 (Severe Drought) conditions after 15 weeks with counties in either Extreme (D3) or Exceptional (D4) Drought.
• Drought in Ohio, October 1 to 31, 20249 eventsExtreme (D3) and Exceptional (D4) Drought continued for many counties in eastern Ohio through the entire month of October as dry conditions persisted. Most of the region saw 25% or less of their normal precipitation for the month.
• Drought in Ohio, October 1 to 31, 20249 eventsOctober began with Moderate Drought (D1) conditions or worse across southeast Ohio. The worst drought (D4) covered portions of Perry, Morgan, Athens, Vinton, and Meigs counties, while conditions improved to the south.
• Drought in Ohio, August 1 to 31, 20249 eventsAfter a quiet end to the month of July, exceptionally dry weather prevailed through the majority of August and attributed to a historical drought across the Ohio River Valley.
• Drought in Ohio, December 1 to 31, 20249 eventsSevere Drought (D2) continued through December for several counties in Ohio. Conditions did improve by the end of the month with only a small area remaining by the beginning of January.
• Drought in Ohio, November 1 to 30, 20249 eventsDrought conditions continued into November, with worst conditions (D3 to D4) spanning Perry, Morgan, Washington, Athens, Vinton, and Meigs counties. Fortunately, a series of systems brought beneficial rainfall to the area during the month.
• Drought in Ohio, September 1 to 30, 20249 eventsAcross the bulk of southeast Ohio, severe (D2) to exceptional (D4) drought conditions carried over from August into the beginning of September. Little rainfall occurred during the first three weeks of the month which allowed the drought to progressively worsen.
• Drought in Ohio, September 1 to 30, 20259 eventsFairly dry conditions were observed from late August into September, which resulted in abnormally dry (D0) to moderate drought (D1) conditions across portions of southeast Ohio by the beginning of the month.
• Drought in Ohio, July 1 to 31, 19998 eventsThe drought strengthened during the first half of the month, then eased slightly during the last 2 weeks. The worst drought conditions remained in Athens, Lawrence, Gallia, Meigs, and Jackson Counties. In Lawrence County, an emergency drought declaration was issued.
• Drought in Ohio, August 1 to 31, 20248 eventsSevere Drought (D2) conditions continued in several counties in eastern Ohio through the month of August. Deterioration to Extreme Drought (D3) conditions occurred for portions of the counties in mid August.
• Drought in Ohio, June 1 to 30, 19997 eventsThe drought continued to spread and strengthen in southeast Ohio. A deterioration in stream flow and soil moisture was noted. Some showers at the end of the month temporarily helped the top soil and the crops.

Drought everywhereEvery kind of event in Ohio

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.