Sandusky, OH rainwater: 27,047 gallons off a roof
Rainwater from a roof in Sandusky, OH
27,047gallons a year
That is a 1,500 sq ft asphalt roof under Sandusky, OH's normal 34.0 inches of rain, about 795 gallons for every inch that falls.
In Sandusky, 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 Sandusky station (0.4 mi away). Sandusky, OH ranks 167th wettest of the 176 cities covered in Ohio.
Month by month in Sandusky
| Month | Rain (in) | Off the roof (gal) | Garden shortfall (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.90 | 1,510 | |
| Feb | 1.77 | 1,407 | |
| Mar | 2.56 | 2,035 | |
| Apr | 3.76 | 2,988 | 74 |
| May | 3.25 | 2,583 | 137 |
| Jun | 3.67 | 2,917 | 85 |
| Jul | 3.55 | 2,822 | 100 |
| Aug | 3.02 | 2,400 | 166 |
| Sep | 3.07 | 2,440 | 160 |
| Oct | 2.72 | 2,162 | 203 |
| Nov | 2.64 | 2,098 | |
| Dec | 2.12 | 1,685 |
Apr is the wettest month (3.76 in, 2,988 gal off the roof); Feb the driest (1.77 in). Garden shortfall is what a 200 sq ft vegetable bed needs beyond the rain that lands on it, April to October.
What size rain barrel for Sandusky
Best fit: one 55-gallon barrel, which delivers about 741 gallons to the garden in a normal year (80.2% of its need).
If you set one up, a 55-gallon barrel with a downspout diverter is the whole job. Check that the overflow points away from your foundation, because most of Sandusky's roof water will pass straight through it.
| Tank | Water used (gal/yr) | Spills over (gal/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 gal | 741 | 25,271 |
| 110 gal | 741 | 25,271 |
| 165 gal | 741 | 25,271 |
| 275 gal | 741 | 25,271 |
| 550 gal | 741 | 25,271 |
| 1,000 gal | 741 | 25,271 |
| 1,500 gal | 741 | 25,271 |
| 2,500 gal | 741 | 25,271 |
| 5,000 gal | 741 | 25,271 |
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