Lorain, OH rainwater: 32,118 gallons off a roof
Lorain, OH: gallons off the roof each year
32,118gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Lorain, OH's normal 40.4 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Lorain, OH a single barrel does most of the work. Storms come often enough that a small tank refills before it runs dry, and a bigger one would mostly sit full.
Rainfall: NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals, the Elyria 0.4 Se station (6.0 mi away). Lorain, OH ranks 139th wettest of the 176 cities covered in Ohio.
Month by month in Lorain
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.73 | 2,170 | |
| Feb | 2.29 | 1,820 | |
| Mar | 2.86 | 2,273 | |
| Apr | 3.46 | 2,750 | 111 |
| May | 3.90 | 3,100 | 56 |
| Jun | 4.14 | 3,290 | 26 |
| Jul | 4.00 | 3,179 | 44 |
| Aug | 3.75 | 2,981 | 75 |
| Sep | 3.66 | 2,909 | 86 |
| Oct | 3.91 | 3,108 | 55 |
| Nov | 3.08 | 2,448 | |
| Dec | 2.63 | 2,090 |
Jun is the wettest month (4.14 in, 3,290 gal off the roof); Feb the driest (2.29 in). Garden shortfall is what a 200 sq ft vegetable bed needs beyond the rain that lands on it, April to October.
Which tank size is worth it in Lorain
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 352 gallons to the garden in a normal year (77.8% of its need).
Before you buy, a 55-gallon barrel with a downspout diverter is the whole job. Check that the overflow points away from your foundation, because most of Lorain's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 352 | 30,626 |
| 110 gal | 352 | 30,626 |
| 165 gal | 352 | 30,626 |
| 275 gal | 352 | 30,626 |
| 550 gal | 352 | 30,626 |
| 1,000 gal | 352 | 30,626 |
| 1,500 gal | 352 | 30,626 |
| 2,500 gal | 352 | 30,626 |
| 5,000 gal | 352 | 30,626 |
Simulated storm by storm through a normal year using the station's count of days with 0.1 in or more of rain each month.
Is rainwater collection legal in Ohio?
Legal. Ohio regulates rainwater cisterns used as a drinking-water source as private water systems (OAC chapter 3701-28): local health department permit, continuous disinfection and filtration. No state rule restricting non-potable collection or storage size.
Checked against the current source on 2026-11-06. Source