Indiana tornadoes
Every recorded tornado since 1950 · 92 counties with a record
Indiana has recorded 1,763 tornadoes from 1950 through 2025, about 30 a year since 2000, with 139 rated F3/EF3 or stronger (NOAA Storm Prediction Center). The deadliest was the April 11, 1965 Elkhart tornado (36 deaths in Indiana). Indiana ranks 17th of 52 states and territories by count and 9th of 51 per square mile.
Tornadoes in Indiana, 1950 to 2025
Tornadoes per year (SPC; a tornado that crossed a state line counts in each state it touched).
- 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
- 1996: tornado reports rose with NEXRAD Doppler radar, mid-1990s (SPC)
- Tornadoes
- 1,7631950 to 2025
- A year since 2000
- 30average
- Deaths
- 2744,358 injuries
- F3/EF3 or stronger
- 1398% of tornadoes
- Busiest year
- 201173 tornadoes
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025 (state segments). SPC severe weather database.
Are tornadoes common in Indiana?
Indiana averages about 30 tornadoes a year since 2000, 17th of 52 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2011 (73). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Indiana records 492 tornadoes since 1950, 9th of 51 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA SPC, tornadoes 1950-2025, 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 tornadoes?
Per square mile, Vanderburgh County leads Indiana: 26 days with a tornado record since 1950, 111.4 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Tippecanoe County has the most tornado records (55 since 1950); 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).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1950 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is tornado season in Indiana?
Indiana's tornadoes by month. The busiest month is June (368 tornadoes).
The values, month by month
Jan 24 · Feb 39 · Mar 184 · Apr 325 · May 298 · Jun 368 · Jul 172 · Aug 110 · Sep 56 · Oct 72 · Nov 88 · Dec 27 (records).
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments by the month they began, 1950-2025.
What were the deadliest tornadoes in Indiana?
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Killed | Injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-11 | Elkhart · St. Joseph, Elkhart, LaGrange | F4 | 37 mi | 36 | 321 |
| 1965-04-11 | Wakarusa to Middlebury · Elkhart | F4 | 21.2 mi | 31 | 252 |
| 1965-04-11 | Crawfordsville · Montgomery, Boone, Hamilton | F4 | 45.7 mi | 28 | 123 |
| 1965-04-11 | Kokomo · Clinton, Howard, Grant | F4 | 48 mi | 25 | 835 |
| 2005-11-06 | Evansville · Vanderburgh, Warrick, SpencerWhole track: IN, KY; 24 deaths | F3 | 28.5 mi | 24 | 230 |
| 1974-04-03 | Monticello to Rochester · Benton, Tippecanoe, White, Cass | F4 | 108.7 mi | 18 | 285 |
| 1974-04-03 | Henryville · Clark, Scott, Jefferson, Ripley | F4 | 35.6 mi | 11 | 190 |
| 2012-03-02 | New Pekin · Washington, Clark, Scott, JeffersonWhole track: IN, KY; 11 deaths | EF4 | 41.79 mi | 11 | 0 |
| 1965-04-11 | La Paz · Starke, Marshall, St. Joseph, Elkhart | F3 | 35.6 mi | 10 | 82 |
| 1974-04-03 | Daisy Hill · Perry, Crawford, Harrison, Washington | F5 | 68 mi | 6 | 86 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (state segments: deaths and path inside Indiana), 1950-2025; counties are the first four the SPC lists for the segment. SPC severe weather database.
Where have the strongest tornadoes tracked in Indiana?
- F2/EF2
- F3/EF3
- F4/EF4
- F5/EF5
- no end point filed
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, start and end points of each track; county lines: Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (2017), via us-atlas. SPC severe weather database. Census cartographic boundary files.
The strongest tornadoes in Indiana
| Date | Counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | Daisy Hill · Perry, Crawford, Harrison, Washington | F5 | 68 mi | 10 yd | 6 |
| 1974-04-03 | Brandenburg · Harrison | F5 | 4.9 mi | 440 yd | 0 |
| 1974-04-03 | Sayler Park · Ohio | F5 | 0.1 mi | 533 yd | 0 |
| 1965-04-11 | Elkhart · St. Joseph, Elkhart, LaGrange | F4 | 37 mi | 333 yd | 36 |
| 1965-04-11 | Wakarusa to Middlebury · Elkhart | F4 | 21.2 mi | 10 yd | 31 |
| 1965-04-11 | Crawfordsville · Montgomery, Boone, Hamilton | F4 | 45.7 mi | 1,667 yd | 28 |
| 1965-04-11 | Kokomo · Clinton, Howard, Grant | F4 | 48 mi | 880 yd | 25 |
| 1974-04-03 | Monticello to Rochester · Benton, Tippecanoe, White, Cass | F4 | 108.7 mi | 1,760 yd | 18 |
| 2012-03-02 | New Pekin · Washington, Clark, Scott, Jefferson | EF4 | 41.79 mi | 800 yd | 11 |
| 1974-04-03 | Henryville · Clark, Scott, Jefferson, Ripley | F4 | 35.6 mi | 1,200 yd | 11 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database; F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after.
The longest tornado paths in Indiana
| Date | Tornado and counties | Rating | Path in state | Width | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-04-09 | Frankfort to Eaton · Warren, Fountain, Tippecanoe, Clinton | F3 | 119.7 mi | 750 yd | 2 |
| 2002-09-20 | Anderson · Monroe, Morgan, Johnson, Marion | F3 | 112 mi | 150 yd | 0 |
| 1974-04-03 | Monticello to Rochester · Benton, Tippecanoe, White, Cass | F4 | 108.7 mi | 1,760 yd | 18 |
| 1963-04-19 | Salem to North Vernon · Lawrence, Jackson, Jennings | F3 | 85.3 mi | 1,400 yd | 0 |
| 1973-05-27 | Lebanon · Sullivan, Clay, Putnam, Hendricks | F2 | 77.9 mi | 50 yd | 0 |
| 1974-04-03 | Daisy Hill · Perry, Crawford, Harrison, Washington | F5 | 68 mi | 10 yd | 6 |
| 1990-06-02 | Shoals · Knox, Gibson, Pike, Daviess | F4 | 63 mi | 300 yd | 0 |
| 2025-03-15 | Oakland to Loogootee · Gibson, Pike, Daviess | EF2 | 57.49 mi | 400 yd | 0 |
| 1961-04-25 | Shelbyville to Connersville · Shelby, Rush, Fayette, Union | F4 | 53.6 mi | 550 yd | 0 |
| 1968-05-16 | Fort Wayne · Wabash, Huntington, Allen | F3 | 50.3 mi | 10 yd | 1 |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments: path length and width inside the state. SPC severe weather database.
Tornadoes in every Indiana county
All 92 counties: tornadoes whose track touched each, and the strongest
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database: whole tornadoes whose track touched the county (any state segment listing it). SPC severe weather database.
Is Indiana in Tornado Alley?
Tornado Alley has no official boundary; the Storm Prediction Center calls it a media nickname for the central U.S. area of relatively high tornado occurrence. By the record, Indiana ranks 5th of 50 states for tornadoes rated 1 or higher per square mile since 1950 (327 per 10,000 square miles).
Tornado Alley, measured: the states by density and maps of where tornadoes began in two eras.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database and Online Tornado FAQ. SPC's tornado FAQ.
The costliest tornadoes in Indiana
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-11-06 | TornadoNewburgh, Warrick County This tornado, which crossed into Warrick County from Vanderburgh County just south of Interstate 164 (at Angel Mounds), crossed the entire county in less than 20 minutes. The tornado reached its peak intensity in Warrick County, where winds reached about 200 MPH. The peak winds occurred along Highway 261 and Lincoln ... | F3 21 mi x 500 yd | 4 | 30 | $98M |
| 2012-03-02 | TornadoBlue Lick, Clark County This is a continuation of the violent long tracked tornado that began just south of Fredricksburg moved into Clark county as an EF-4 with a path width of one-third of a mile. On Dan Gray Road, many well-constructed homes were leveled. The tornado narrowed to a path width of one-quarter of a mile and decreased in ... | EF4 16.71 mi x 700 yd | 1 | 0 | $71M |
| 2002-09-20 | TornadoSouthport, Marion County One of Indiana's longest tracking tornados formed along a squall line on the morning of September 20. The tornado touched down near Ellettsville in Monroe county and then remained on the ground for 112 miles before lifting in Blackford county. The tornado produced F3 damage at its strongest points. Nearly 100 single ... | F2 17.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 97 | $66M |
| 2002-09-20 | TornadoGreenwood, Johnson County One of Indiana's longest tracking tornados formed along a squall line on the morning of September 20. The tornado touched down near Ellettsville in Monroe county and then remained on the ground for 112 miles before lifting in Blackford county. The tornado produced F3 damage at its strongest points. Nearly 100 single ... | F3 7.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $41M |
| 2008-05-30 | TornadoLawrence, Marion County Numerous structures were damaged in Marion County with the hardest hit area being an apartment complex near 38th Street and Mitthoefer Road. The tornado was associated with an embedded supercell that was overtaken by a line. Based on damage indicators, wind speeds were estimated around 125 mph. This tornado formed ... | EF2 3.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 18 | $40M |
| 2008-06-03 | TornadoPrinces Lakes, Johnson County In Brown County near Peoga damaged occurred to twenty to thirty homes, a barn, powerlines, trees, and a carport due to a tornado. One indirect injury occurred when I firefighter suffered heat stroke. In Johnson County at Camp Atterbury forty buildings were damaged, dozens of vehicles including a 6,000 pound Humvee and ... | EF2 7.19 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 3 | $32M |
| 2004-05-30 | TornadoSunshine Gardens, Marion County A tornado cut a near continuous 18 mile path across southern and eastern Marion County before briefly moving into Hancock County. The tornado dropped down near exit 4 at Harding Street and Interstate 465 on the south side of metro Indianapolis and moved into Hancock County to near Mount Comfort. The worst damage was ... | F2 17.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 26 | $30M |
| 2002-09-20 | TornadoMartinsville, Morgan County One of Indiana's longest tracking tornados formed along a squall line on the morning of September 20. The tornado touched down near Ellettsville in Monroe county and then remained on the ground for 112 miles before lifting in Blackford county. The tornado produced F3 damage at its strongest points. Nearly 100 single ... | F3 20 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 28 | $25M |
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 $250M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 11, 1965 (tornado, Howard County, 17 killed); April 11, 1965 (tornado, Grant County, 8 killed); April 3, 1974 (tornado, Perry County, 2 killed); April 3, 1974 (tornado, Clark County); April 3, 1974 (tornado, Benton County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: property and crop damage as estimated by the National Weather Service, in 2025 dollars.
Are tornadoes becoming more frequent in Indiana?
Indiana's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. The Storm Prediction Center notes that tornado reports rose especially around the installation of the NEXRAD Doppler radar network in the mid-1990s, so a rising count is partly better detection; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Indiana | United States | Indiana's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 163 | 4,837 | 3.4% |
| 1960s | 218 | 6,863 | 3.2% |
| 1970s | 228 | 8,633 | 2.6% |
| 1980s | 141 | 8,250 | 1.7% |
| 1990s | 236 | 12,205 | 1.9% |
| 2000s | 224 | 12,892 | 1.7% |
| 2010s | 329 | 12,232 | 2.7% |
| 2020-25 | 224 | 8,234 | 2.7% |
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, state segments.
The most recent tornadoes in Indiana
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-26 | TornadoMemphis, Clark County | EF0 0.32 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | TornadoMemphis, Clark County | EF1 3.05 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | TornadoValley City, Harrison County | EF0 0.85 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | TornadoRiverview Acres, Bartholomew County | EF0 0.49 mi x 85 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2026-06-21 | TornadoDover Hill, Martin County | EF0 2.02 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2026-06-21 | TornadoJohnstown, Knox County | EF0 0.3 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2026-06-21 | TornadoPatricksburg, Owen County | EF0 0.92 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-06-21 | TornadoWilfred, Sullivan County | EF1 2.74 mi x 425 yd | 0 | 0 | $120K |
| 2026-06-18 | TornadoDeputy, Jefferson County | EF2 14.13 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | TornadoAustin, Scott County | EF1 6.3 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-18 | TornadoBraytown, Switzerland County | EF0 0.98 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2026-06-18 | TornadoSouth Gate, Franklin County | EF2 5.92 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K |
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.
Federal disaster declarations for tornadoes in Indiana
FEMA has declared 21 disasters in Indiana for tornadoes, counting its incident type and declarations that name tornado in the title (FEMA files most storm disasters under Severe Storm); 20 were major disasters, the latest on August 25, 2026.
| Declared | Number | Title | Areas named |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-25 | DR-4933 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 30 |
| 2026-08-15 | EM-3651 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 53 |
| 2025-07-22 | DR-4882 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 25 |
| 2023-04-15 | DR-4704 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes | 13 |
| 2012-03-09 | DR-4058 | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes | 6 |
| 2011-06-23 | DR-1997 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and | 36 |
| 2009-04-22 | DR-1832 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 16 |
| 2008-06-08 | DR-1766 | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes | 50 |
| 2005-11-08 | DR-1612 | Tornado and Severe Storms | 2 |
| 2004-09-01 | DR-1542 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding | 20 |
| 2004-06-03 | DR-1520 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 69 |
| 2003-09-05 | DR-1487 | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 21 |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), through October 2, 2026. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Vanderburgh County: the county's whole recordThe Indiana county with the most tornadoes per square mile
- Tornadoes across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in IndianaTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- Severe thunderstorm wind in Indiana16,768 records
- Hail in Indiana7,627 records
- Floods in Indiana6,083 records