Tornado Update | April 3, 2026

A week has passed since an EF-1 tornado struck the Hardin County Fairgrounds. Adjusters from both the CORSA Policy (held by the Hardin County Commissioners on the grounds, buildings, and infrastructure) and the Public Entity Pool of Ohio (PEP) have both been on site to conduct their assessments. Estimates are four to six weeks before those assessments are returned to the fair. Additional damage has also occurred to the Youth & Ag Center roof in last night’s winds. The board will continue to work through the weekend to clean up debris and stabalize structures.

An older-youth clean-up day was discussed for this weekend, but due to forecasted gusty winds and the quantity of large debris on the fairgrounds, we are cancelling all youth coming to the fairgrounds this weekend.

To help combat misinformation, we have developed some Frequently Asked Questions. Please remember that official information related to this event can always be found at hardincountyfair.org/tornado.

We have started the conversations regarding disaster relief funds from the Ohio Emergency Management Agency. It has been explained to us that, to trigger those relief funds, damage per capita must be above a particular threshold. We don’t expect damage appraisals to be returned for four to six weeks. We have been meeting with county and state leaders regarding relief dollars, and those conversations have been productive. So, to be frank, we don’t know yet.

Yes. But it’s a little more involved than that. The grounds are owned by the Hardin County Commissioners and are leased to the Hardin County Agricultural Society. The buildings, grounds, and infrastructure are on the county’s insurance policy. The building’s contents and assets fall under the fair board’s insurance.

Not at this scale. Our development plan consisted of a multi-year strategic approach. We did not ever plan to move this quickly, nor did we plan to renovate these buildings.

We don’t have any plans to raise ticket prices. Ticket sales directly support fair operations throughout the year. Major repairs and capital improvements are funded by public stakeholders, the Hardin County Fair Foundation, and private donations.

No. The Hardin County Fair does not receive any tax revenue. The last time the Hardin County Fair had a tax levy was in 1949, and that’s what built the Merchant’s Building (Now the Youth & Ag Center) and replaced the canvas roof on the Grandstand with steel.

It depends. Right now, we’re estimating that power will be fully restored and functional by June 1st. That timeline is with no additional setbacks. The Community Building will be available again soon. The internet infrastructure is going to take longer to restore.

We’re having a fair. We survived having the fair during the COVID-19 pandemic, so we can do this. Having a new building built by the time the fair opens is not a realistic expectation. We’re committed to rebuilding the right way, not the fast way. That means you may see a few more tents than normal this year.