Indiana heat

Every recorded heat record since 1996 · 66 counties with a record

NOAA's Storm Events Database records 607 heat records in Indiana from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 23 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the July 1, 2012 excessive heat in Vanderburgh County: 3 deaths. Indiana ranks 26th of 51 states and territories by count and 26th of 50 per square mile.

Heat in Indiana, 1996 to 2026

Heat records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.

recorded, no damage figure
under $1 million
$1 million or more
$10 million or more
$100 million or more, or 10 deaths
$1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
a year with a death

Records: 6071996 to June 30, 2026
A year since 2000: 23average
Deaths: 520 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars: –as filed
Busiest year: 202376 records

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.

Are heat records common in Indiana?

Indiana averages about 23 heat records a year since 2000, 26th of 51 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2023 (76). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Indiana records 169 heat records since 1996, 26th of 50 states and territories by that measure.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.

Which counties in Indiana have the most heat records?

Per square mile, Vanderburgh County leads Indiana: 71 days with a heat record since 1996, 304.2 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Vanderburgh County has the most heat records (71 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).

Vanderburgh County 304.2 (71)
Pike County 188.4 (63)
Warrick County 182.0 (70)
Spencer County 171.3 (68)
Posey County 171.0 (70)
Gibson County 137.5 (67)
Switzerland County 31.7 (7)
Union County 31.0 (5)
Fayette County 23.3 (5)
Dearborn County 22.9 (7)
Porter County 19.1 (8)
Franklin County 18.2 (10)

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.

When is the heat season in Indiana?

80% of its heat records since 1996 fell in July and August. The busiest month is July (324 records).

The values, month by month

Jan 0 · Feb 6 · Mar 0 · Apr 0 · May 0 · Jun 112 · Jul 324 · Aug 159 · Sep 0 · Oct 0 · Nov 0 · Dec 6 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.

What were the deadliest heat records in Indiana?

Indiana: the storms with the most deaths since 1996
Date	Record	Killed	Damage
2012-07-01	Excessive HeatVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh The historic heat wave that began in late June continued into July. This heat was comparable to the intense heat experienced in the 1930's. The high temperature exceeded 100 degrees on 10 out of 11 days going back to June 28 and ending on July 8. At Evansville, the high of 107 degrees on the 5th was one degree shy of ...	3	–
2011-07-21	Excessive HeatSt. Joseph County · forecast zone St. Joseph A 56 year old male was found unconscious by family in his home around 130 am EDT July 21, and died an hour later at a local hospital. Autopsy results indicated his death was indirectly related to the heat, with a preexisting heart condition being the primary cause.	1	–
2000-06-14	HeatMarion County · forecast zone Marion A 52 year old woman with an extensive medical history died in her apartment from heat stroke. Her landlord turned off her air conditioning and the room temperature was at 109.8 degrees when she was found.	1	–

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.

Are heat records becoming more frequent in Indiana?

Indiana's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.

Heat: Indiana and the United States by decade (2020s to June 30, 2026)
Decade	Indiana	United States	Indiana's share
1996-99	79	4,355	1.8%
2000s	60	9,163	0.7%
2010s	236	16,445	1.4%
2020-26	232	26,796	0.9%

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

The most recent heat records in Indiana

The 12 most recent records, to June 30, 2026
Date	Record	Damage
2026-06-30	Excessive HeatMadison County · forecast zone Madison	–
2026-06-30	Excessive HeatBartholomew County · forecast zone Bartholomew	–
2026-06-30	Excessive HeatShelby County · forecast zone Shelby	–
2026-06-29	Excessive HeatMarion County · forecast zone Marion	–
2026-06-29	Excessive HeatHenry County · forecast zone Henry	–
2026-06-29	Excessive HeatMontgomery County · forecast zone Montgomery	–
2026-06-29	Excessive HeatParke County · forecast zone Parke	–
2026-06-29	HeatBenton County · forecast zone Benton	–
2026-06-29	HeatJasper County · forecast zone Jasper	–
2026-06-29	HeatNewton County · forecast zone Newton	–
2026-06-29	HeatPorter County · forecast zone Porter	–
2026-06-29	HeatLake County · forecast zone Lake	–

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.