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Tornado in Howard County, Indiana
27 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.
NCEI records 27 tornado events in Howard County, Indiana, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 17 years.
April is the busiest month, with 6 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 12 events against 6 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.3% of the 2,103 tornado events recorded in Indiana; its 9.2 per 100 square miles compares with 5.9 statewide.
NCEI attributes 18 deaths in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 9 at (E)F0, 6 at (E)F1, 5 at (E)F2, 4 at (E)F3, 1 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5 and 2 unrated. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Indiana
| Measure | Howard County | Indiana | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 27 | 2,103 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 9.2 | 5.9 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 18 | 276 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | April | June | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
0Mar
5Apr
6May
1Jun
2Jul
4Aug
6Sep
0Oct
1Nov
2Dec
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 27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | $900K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 24 Aug 2016 | Tornado | EF3 | $10M | — | — | 20 | County |
| 24 Aug 2016 | Tornado | EF0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Aug 2016 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Aug 2016 | Tornado | EF1 | $20K | $5K | — | — | County |
| 24 Aug 2016 | Tornado | EF0 | $16K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Aug 2016 | Tornado | EF0 | $8K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Nov 2013 | Tornado | EF2 | $75K | — | — | 5 | County |
| 17 Nov 2013 | Tornado | EF2 | $300K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Oct 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | $80K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jul 2005 | Tornado | F0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 2004 | Tornado | F0 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 2004 | Tornado | F1 | $3.0M | — | — | 1 | County |
| 11 Jun 1998 | Tornado | F3 | $5.0M | — | — | 8 | County |
| 17 Jul 1996 | Tornado | F1 | $65K | $2K | — | — | County |
| 14 Apr 1987 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Apr 1978 | Tornado | — | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 1977 | Tornado | — | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 1976 | Tornado | F0 | $250K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 3 Apr 1974 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Apr 1965 | Tornado | F4 | $250M | — | 17 | 560 | County |
| 6 Mar 1961 | Tornado | F3 | $250K | — | 1 | 3 | County |
| 6 Mar 1961 | Tornado | F3 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 1955 | Tornado | F2 | $2.5M | — | — | 3 | County |
| 9 Jul 1951 | Tornado | F2 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Howard County had?
27 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 Howard County?
31 Mar 2023 (Tornado, EF1). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Howard County?
The tornado of 11 Apr 1965, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $250M; 17 deaths recorded.
How does Howard County compare with Indiana for tornado?
9.2 events per 100 square miles against 5.9 statewide; the county holds 27 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.