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Tornado in Bartholomew County, Indiana
20 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Bartholomew County, Indiana, has 20 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 17 different years.
April is the busiest month, with 5 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 2 events against 5 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1% of the 2,103 tornado events recorded in Indiana; its 4.9 per 100 square miles compares with 5.9 statewide.
By rating: 3 at (E)F0, 7 at (E)F1, 6 at (E)F2, 2 at (E)F3, 1 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 1 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Indiana
| Measure | Bartholomew County | Indiana | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 20 | 2,103 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 4.9 | 5.9 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 2.4 | 3.1 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 276 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | April | June | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
1Apr
5May
3Jun
3Jul
2Aug
0Sep
3Oct
0Nov
2Dec
1
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 20 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jun 2026 | Tornado | EF0 | $10K | $4K | — | — | County |
| 19 Mar 2025 | Tornado | EF2 | $1.6M | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Nov 2005 | Tornado | F1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 1996 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Nov 1992 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Sep 1988 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1987 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1978 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 6 | County |
| 26 Sep 1976 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 1974 | Tornado | F3 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 1974 | Tornado | F4 | $25M | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 1973 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 1973 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 1971 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 1969 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Apr 1968 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Dec 1967 | Tornado | F2 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Sep 1959 | Tornado | — | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1959 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Apr 1957 | Tornado | F1 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Bartholomew County had?
20 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Bartholomew County?
21 Jun 2026 (Tornado, EF0). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Bartholomew County?
The tornado of 3 Apr 1974, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $25M.
How does Bartholomew County compare with Indiana for tornado?
4.9 events per 100 square miles against 5.9 statewide; the county holds 20 of the state's 2,103 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.