Ohio: How Often Are We Directly Affected By Tropical Systems?

FOX 8 Roof cam showing our live trucks at E. 55th Marina - October 2012

Some impressive names come to mind right off the top. Hurricane Sandy. Hurricane Ike.  Hurricane Katrina.  Yet all of these didn't have official tropical designations when they passed over Ohio.  Yet we were impacted significantly by many of them. Here is the break down:

A total of 27 have tracked across Ohio. Most recently the remains of Nate in 2017. 

Image:  James Parish

Only 11 tropical systems (mainly depressions and extra-tropical storms) have passed within 100 miles of Cleveland. 

If we expand our search a total of 36 tropical systems have passed within 200 miles of Cleveland.

The only system (8 total) that were classified as a Tropical depression or Tropical Storm per the National Hurricane Center over Ohio were: Unnamed storm in 1888 (TS), Audrey 1957 (TS), Frederic 1979 (TS), Hugo 1989 (TS), Isadore 2002 (TD), Nate 2017 (TD), Dennis 2005 (TD) and  Bill 2015 (TD). 

Storms that were designated Tropical Storms over Ohio (4 total)

The last tropical storm to pass over Ohio was Hugo in 1989.

The last tropical depression was Bill in 2015

How about July?  Only 4 systems.

Unnamed storm in 1896, Bob in 1979, Claudette in 1979, Most recently the remains of Dennis in 2005. 

Has Ohio been impacted by tropical remnants in June?  5 times

Unnamed storms in 1902 and 1939, Audrey 1957 (still a tropical storm), Candy 1968, Bill in 2015

Below are maps showing rainfall totals from 10 of the tropical system to impact Ohio and surrounding areas.  Many people asking if Sandy was a tropical storm/depression when it drifted into western Pennsylvania and close to Ohio.  At that point, it was a weakening low pressure system with no official TD or TS designation.