DisasterAWARE
7
Very High

tornado Tornado Risk in Columbus, OH

Risk Level: Very High — Score 7/10

FEMA: 7Historical: 10

Live Tornado alert status near Columbus

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Key Risk Factors

  • FEMA rates Columbus's county as Relatively High risk
  • Estimated annual loss of $29M from this hazard type
  • Extensive history of significant events in this area
  • High recent activity — multiple events in the last 12 months
  • Occurs roughly 0.29 times per year on average

Peak season: April-June

Last significant event: Tornado — Franklin [OH] (2022-08-21)

Highest Risk Cities for Tornados

1
Chicago, IL
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
2
Houston, TX
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
3
San Antonio, TX
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
4
Dallas, TX
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
5
Austin, TX
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
6
Fort Worth, TX
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
7
Indianapolis, IN
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
8
Oklahoma City, OK
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
9
Memphis, TN
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
10
Louisville, KY
FEMA: 9Historical: 10
Columbus is not in the top 10 for tornado risk among tracked cities.

How Columbus Compares

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Notable Tornado Events Near Columbus

DisasterAWARE's historical archive records 5 notable tornado events near Columbus, ranked below by impact. The most impactful: Tornado — Franklin [OH] (August 2022).

Tornado — Franklin [OH]

August 20, 2022 — WARNING

Impact data not available

Tornado — Franklin [OH]

July 5, 2022 — WARNING

Impact data not available

Tornado — Franklin [OH]

August 31, 2018 — WARNING

Impact data not available

Tornado — Franklin [OH]

November 17, 2017 — WARNING

Impact data not available

Tornado — Franklin [OH]

July 9, 2017 — WARNING

Impact data not available

Tornado Preparedness Tips

  • 1.Identify a safe room or storm shelter in your home or building
  • 2.Practice tornado drills — get low, cover your head, stay away from windows
  • 3.Have a NOAA Weather Radio for tornado watch and warning alerts
  • 4.Secure outdoor objects that could become projectiles in high winds
  • 5.Know the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning

Related Pages

earthquake
Earthquake Risk in Columbus
Score: 5/10
wildfire
Wildfire Risk in Columbus
Score: 1/10
hurricane
Hurricane Risk in Columbus
Score: 1/10
flood
Flood Risk in Columbus
Score: 7/10
winter-storm
Winter Storm Risk in Columbus
Score: 9/10
landslide
Landslide Risk in Columbus
Score: 3/10
extreme-heat
Extreme Heat Risk in Columbus
Score: 7/10
drought
Drought Risk in Columbus
Score: 3/10
high-wind
High Wind Risk in Columbus
Score: 7/10
tsunami
Tsunami Risk in Columbus
Score: 0/10
tornado
Tornado Risk in Indianapolis, IN
Score: 9/10
tornado
Tornado Risk in Louisville, KY
Score: 9/10
tornado
Tornado Risk in Chicago, IL
Score: 9/10

How this data is built

Columbus, OH tornado risk combines Historical Event Intelligence with authoritative hazard modeling from the Geospatial Intelligence Layers catalog. Live tornado monitoring is available through the Event Intelligence API and the DisasterAWARE Platform.

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