The typical thunderstorm in Ohio is about 15 miles in diameter and lasts for about 30 minutes. Despite their small size, all thunderstorms are dangerous. Ohio is susceptible to many types of dangerous weather conditions from thunderstorms. Ohio thunderstorms can produce tremendous lightning, a phenomenon that kills more people across the country each year than tornadoes. Thunderstorms over the state occasionally become severe.
Severe thunderstorms produce high winds and occasionally hail and tornadoes.
Fortunately, only about 5 percent of all thunder- storms become severe, with only about 1 percent becoming tornadic. However, abundant moisture from the Gulf of Mexico leads to torrential rainfall from Ohio thunderstorms, which in turn leads to flood potential. Several atmospheric factors must come together for severe thunderstorms to form in Ohio. These airflows result in an unstable airmass over Ohio. A weather system to lift the low level moist air and produce thunderstorms.