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Tornado in Benton County, Indiana
23 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.
Benton County, Indiana, has 23 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 17 different years.
March is the busiest month, with 5 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 10 events against 4 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.1% of the 2,103 tornado events recorded in Indiana; its 5.7 per 100 square miles compares with 5.9 statewide.
By rating: 13 at (E)F0, 4 at (E)F1, 5 at (E)F2, 0 at (E)F3, 1 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Indiana
| Measure | Benton County | Indiana | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 23 | 2,103 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 5.7 | 5.9 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 26.4 | 3.1 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 276 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | March | June | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
5Apr
3May
4Jun
4Jul
2Aug
2Sep
1Oct
1Nov
1Dec
0
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 23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jun 2026 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2017 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Nov 2013 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 May 2013 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Aug 2008 | Tornado | EF0 | $5K | $5K | — | — | County |
| 18 Oct 2007 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Apr 2006 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 1993 | Tornado | F0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 1991 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Sep 1988 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 1984 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Mar 1976 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 1975 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 1975 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 May 1975 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 1975 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 1974 | Tornado | F4 | $250M | — | — | — | County |
| 6 Mar 1956 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | 3 | County |
| 1 Jun 1954 | Tornado | F2 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Benton County had?
23 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 Benton County?
11 Jun 2026 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Benton County?
The tornado of 3 Apr 1974, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $250M.
How does Benton County compare with Indiana for tornado?
5.7 events per 100 square miles against 5.9 statewide; the county holds 23 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.