NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Atlanta, IN
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Atlanta, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 126 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 16 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 126
- EF3 or stronger
- 16
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
58 deaths in all
What the records show for Atlanta
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Atlanta; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 40 miles away. The record near Atlanta begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Atlanta has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 63% of the 356 Indiana cities on this site. The highest rating among the 126 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on May 14, 1972, came within 25 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 11, 1965, killed 28 people. Of the 126, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 49 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 33. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Atlanta has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 77% of the 356 Indiana cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 49 times since 1967, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 356 Indiana cities, 67% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Atlanta.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Atlanta
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 3 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 11 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Atlanta: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Atlanta
By decade
- 2020s13
- 2010s20(1 EF3+)
- 2000s16(1 EF3+)
- 1990s19(2 EF3+)
- 1980s8
- 1970s24(2 EF3+)
- 1960s18(9 EF3+)
- 1950s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 3 mi | 45.7 mi | 28 / 123 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 16 mi | 48 mi | 25 / 835 |
| May 14, 1972 | F4 | 25 mi | 30 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 25 mi | 21.8 mi | 0 / 44 |
| Apr 9, 1953 | F3 | 5 mi | 156.7 mi | 3 / 22 |
| Mar 6, 1961 | F3 | 19 mi | 2 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Aug 24, 2016 | EF3 | 19 mi | 8.63 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Sep 20, 2002 | F3 | 18 mi | 112 mi | 0 / 127 |
| Jun 11, 1998 | F3 | 13 mi | 18.5 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F3 | 19 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 7, 1977 | F3 | 10 mi | 11.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 26, 1965 | F3 | 24 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 126, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Atlanta
The Storm Prediction Center has 49 hail reports within 10 miles of Atlanta since 1967, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 33 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 10 days, most recently May 1, 2016. The most recent report is from March 14, 2024. May has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Atlanta
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Tipton 5 SW, IN, 5 miles west of Atlanta at 890 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 35°F and 17°F. June is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 42.4 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 15 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 132 nights a year. That 42.4 inches is more than at 51 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (44%). Elwood, 11 miles northeast, has its own station (Elwood, IN): 42.5 inches a year, 0.1 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 17 | 2.8 | 6 |
| Feb | 39 | 20 | 2.2 | 5 |
| Mar | 50 | 29 | 3.1 | 7 |
| Apr | 63 | 39 | 4.4 | 8 |
| May | 73 | 50 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Jun | 82 | 60 | 5.4 | 8 |
| Jul | 85 | 62 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Aug | 84 | 60 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Sep | 79 | 53 | 3.3 | 5 |
| Oct | 66 | 41 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Nov | 51 | 31 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Dec | 40 | 23 | 2.7 | 6 |
| Year | 62 | 40 | 42.4 | 78 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Tipton 5 SW, IN (890 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Atlanta
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 107 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Atlanta: 92 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 floods, 6 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 2 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on June 6, 2008. June has had the most flash floods, 3 of 6. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 103 have had fewer than Atlanta.
April 19, 2013: flood 3 miles from the centre of Atlanta — 2 killed, $26,000 damage.
June 11, 2026: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Atlanta — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
June 4, 2008: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Atlanta — $250,000 damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Hamilton County, which includes Atlanta, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 4 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on August 25, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Hamilton County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $129.0 million a year, the 3rd highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $72.8 million (56%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Atlanta
- Arcadia, IN3 mi
- Tipton, IN5 mi
- Cicero, IN6 mi
- Elwood, IN11 mi
- Noblesville, IN11 mi
- Sheridan, IN12 mi
- Sharpsville, IN12 mi
- Frankton, IN13 mi
- Westfield, IN14 mi
- Lapel, IN14 mi
- Carmel, IN17 mi
- Fishers, IN18 mi
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