Elkhart County, Indiana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 18039 · population 206,994 · 463 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 706 records for Elkhart County, Indiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 423 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (370 records). The deadliest day on its record was April 11, 1965: tornado records filed for Elkhart County that day count 62 deaths across 2 records. FEMA has issued 13 declarations naming the county since 1965, 11 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 24, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 706on 423 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 67530 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $45Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 36strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 13latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Elkhart County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 370 since 1960. 50% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1960 fell in June and July. The rank column places the county among Indiana's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 370 | 207 | 1960-2026 | 1 | 2 | $3.8M | 10 of 91 |
| Hail | 129 | 78 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 0 | $36K | 21 of 91 |
| Winter storms | 118 | 116 | 1997-2026 | 3 | 5 | $36K | 20 of 91 |
| Tornadoes | 36 | 24 | 1954-2026 | 62 | 515 | $37M | 34 of 91 |
| Floods | 19 | 12 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $4.0M | 83 of 91 |
| High wind and dust storms | 18 | 18 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 4 | $25K | 21 of 91 |
| Lightning | 7 | 7 | 2001-2024 | 0 | 4 | $348K | 17 of 91 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 6 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 61 of 91 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2005-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 of 91 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2005-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 71 of 91 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Elkhart County had?
NOAA records 36 tornadoes in Elkhart County from 1954 to 2026, the strongest rated F4, with 62 deaths and 515 injuries recorded in the county. That is 34th of 91 Indiana counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 35 tornadoes whose track touched Elkhart County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 36: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 82 people, 62 of them in Elkhart County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-11 18:10, as SPC files it | Elkhart | F4 | 37 mi | 36 |
| 1965-04-11 17:15, as SPC files it | Wakarusa to Middlebury | F4 | 21.2 mi | 31 |
| 1965-04-11 16:45, as SPC files it | La Paz | F3 | 35.6 mi | 10 |
| 1965-04-11 17:40, as SPC files it | Shipshewana | F4 | 21.6 mi | 5 |
| 2007-10-18 20:05, as SPC files it | Nappanee | EF3 | 20.33 mi | 0 |
| 1962-04-30 14:00, as SPC files it | South Bend to Elkhart | F3 | 36.5 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Indiana.
Every tornado record filed for Elkhart County (36)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Simonton Lake, Elkhart County | EF2 6.12 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2024-07-15 | Elkhart County | EF1 1.19 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $470K |
| 2016-08-20 | Benton, Elkhart County | EF0 0.06 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-09-27 | Nappanee, Elkhart County | EF0 0.57 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2010-06-23 | Middlebury, Elkhart County | EF0 0.53 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2010-06-23 | Millersburg, Elkhart County | EF0 1.85 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $135K |
| 2010-06-23 | Benton, Elkhart County | EF1 3.45 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $68K |
| 2010-06-23 | Goshen, Elkhart County | EF1 0.98 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $677K |
| 2010-06-23 | Wakarusa, Elkhart County | EF1 11.85 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $440K |
| 2007-10-18 | Nappanee, Elkhart County | EF3 7.16 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 4 | $16M |
| 2001-10-24 | Elkhart County | F0 0.1 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 3 | $1.6M |
| 2001-10-24 | Elkhart Municipal Ar, Elkhart County | F0 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $83K |
| 1998-08-25 | Dunlap, Elkhart County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $543K |
| 1998-08-25 | Bristol, Elkhart County | F0 9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $362K |
| 1992-08-03 | Elkhart County | F0 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1992-08-03 | Elkhart County | F0 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-10-16 | Elkhart County | F2 6 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1980-07-05 | Elkhart County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Elkhart County | F4 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1967-10-24 | Elkhart County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-10-24 | Elkhart County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1966-07-05 | Elkhart County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1965-08-08 | Elkhart County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1965-06-05 | Elkhart County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1965-05-26 | Elkhart County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1965-04-11 | Elkhart County | F4 21.6 mi x 333 yd | 31 | 252 | – |
| 1965-04-11 | Elkhart County | F4 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1965-04-11 | Elkhart County | F3 5.6 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1965-04-11 | Elkhart County | F4 21.2 mi x 33 yd | 31 | 252 | – |
| 1964-04-28 | Elkhart County | F2 3.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1962-07-20 | Elkhart County | F1 1.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1962-04-30 | Elkhart County | F3 13.4 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1961-05-06 | Elkhart County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1956-07-20 | Elkhart County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1956-07-20 | Elkhart County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1954-06-01 | Elkhart County | F1 | 0 | 1 | $3K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Elkhart County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 16, 2026 hail ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-16 | HailWaterford Mills, Elkhart County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindMiddlebury, Elkhart County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindDunlap, Elkhart County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindElkhart Municipal Ar, Elkhart County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-11 | TornadoSimonton Lake, Elkhart County | EF2 6.12 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindGoshen Airport, Elkhart County | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindJamestown, Elkhart County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-04-27 | Strong WindElkhart County · forecast zone Elkhart | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-03-13 | High WindElkhart County · forecast zone Elkhart | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-11 | Thunderstorm WindBenton, Elkhart County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-19 | Thunderstorm WindBenton, Elkhart County | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-06 | Winter WeatherElkhart County · forecast zone Elkhart | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-11 | TornadoElkhart County | F4 21.2 mi x 33 yd | 31 | 252 | – |
| 1965-04-11 | TornadoElkhart County | F4 21.6 mi x 333 yd | 31 | 252 | – |
| 2015-08-02 | Strong WindElkhart County · forecast zone Elkhart A tree branch was blown down by gusty winds onto a bleacher at a soccer game in Studebaker Park. Five people of varying ages, including a ten month old girl were injured. The ten month old child died as a result of her injuries on August 5th. A ten year old child suffered severe head trauma with others suffering ... | 30 kt wind | 1 | 4 | – |
| 2005-02-28 | Winter WeatherElkhart County · forecast zone Elkhart A combination of light snow, which developed in advance of an approaching area of low pressure, and road temperatures around freezing, created slippery conditions for motorists across portions of northern Indiana. Numerous accidents occurred, especially in portions of Elkhart county, where at least 1 fatality and 4 ... | 1 | 4 | – | |
| 2022-12-22 | Winter StormElkhart County · forecast zone Elkhart A major winter storm brought snow and blowing snow that led to whiteout conditions at times from early Friday morning into Saturday afternoon. Storm total snowfall amounts ranged from 4 to 7 inches across far northwest portions of the county to 2 to 4 inches across the remainder of the county. The combination of snow ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2018-01-24 | Winter WeatherElkhart County · forecast zone Elkhart Light freezing drizzle with temperatures in the upper 20s created difficult travel conditions. A glaze of ice on roads played a part in numerous accidents across the region. A 25 year old man was killed in an accident near US 6 and county road 25 before 10 am. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2005-06-05 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Elkhart County Widespread damage was reported across Elkhart county ahead of a bow echo that raced east affecting locations south of US 20 and north of US 6. A 50 year old man was outside preparing to place his truck into shelter when the storm struck, blowing part of a barn roof off and onto the gentleman. Family members pulled him ... | 60 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $45K |
| 2007-10-18 | TornadoNappanee, Elkhart County The tornado continued northeast out of Kosciusko County into the southeast side of Nappanee where the most extensive damage occurred. The width of the tornado decreased to one quarter mile and intensified just south of US-6 and County Road 7 as wind speeds increased to around 165 mph, in the upper range of the EF3 ... | EF3 7.16 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 4 | $16M |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-10-18 | TornadoNappanee, Elkhart County | EF3 7.16 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 4 | $16M |
| 2006-07-12 | Flash FloodCountywide, Elkhart County | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | |
| 2001-10-24 | TornadoElkhart County | F0 0.1 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 3 | $1.6M |
| 1994-04-26 | Thunderstorm WindGoshen, Elkhart County | 0 | 0 | $995K | |
| 2010-06-23 | TornadoGoshen, Elkhart County | EF1 0.98 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $677K |
| 1998-07-21 | Thunderstorm WindGoshen, Elkhart County | 0 | 0 | $543K | |
| 1998-08-25 | TornadoDunlap, Elkhart County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $543K |
| 2024-07-15 | TornadoElkhart County | EF1 1.19 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $470K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: October 16, 1988 (tornado, Elkhart County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Elkhart County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 5 | 14 | 35 | 48 | 79 | 102 | 87 |
| Hail | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 25 | 38 | 35 | 23 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 27 | 61 | 27 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 2 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
50% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1960 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 56 · Feb 41 · Mar 41 · Apr 36 · May 78 · Jun 144 · Jul 129 · Aug 84 · Sep 25 · Oct 16 · Nov 22 · Dec 34 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Elkhart County
FEMA's register lists 13 declarations that include Elkhart County: 6 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for snowstorm (4) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3641 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020-04-03 | DR-4515 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3456 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-05-04 | DR-4363 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2008-01-30 | DR-1740 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2007-03-12 | EM-3274 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3238 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-01-21 | DR-1573 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2001-01-24 | EM-3162 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 1999-01-15 | EM-3135 | Snowstorm | In-Winter Storm 12/23/98 |
| 1991-01-05 | DR-891 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-02-02 | EM-3028 | Snowstorm | Snowstorms |
| 1965-04-14 | DR-189 | Tornado | Tornadoes & Severe Storms |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Elkhart County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 19 flood or flash flood records for Elkhart County from 1996 to 2025, on 12 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Elkhart County ranks 627th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3.8 million on 378 claims filed in Elkhart County; the most in one year was 112 in 2018. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 6 · 1979: 11 · 1980: 5 · 1981: 20 · 1982: 55 · 1985: 40 · 1989: 5 · 1990: 16 · 1991: 1 · 1992: 2 · 1993: 6 · 1996: 14 · 1998: 3 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 4 · 2004: 7 · 2005: 7 · 2006: 3 · 2007: 3 · 2008: 36 · 2009: 2 · 2011: 2 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 3 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2018: 112 · 2019: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2026: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Elkhart County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Elkhart County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $49.3 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $3.1M | 4.9 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $10M | 3.3 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively High | $7.2M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $2.3M | 2.9 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $23M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $202K | 17 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $413K | 40 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $139K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Elkhart County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in IndianaEvery Indiana tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in IndianaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Indiana recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Elkhart CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Elkhart County's FEMA declarations (CSV)13 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis