NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Austin, 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
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Austin, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 102 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 15 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 102
- EF3 or stronger
- 15
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
34 deaths in all
What the records show for Austin
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Austin; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 67 miles away. The record near Austin begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 62 miles away. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 356 Indiana cities on this site, 37% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Austin. The strongest of the 102 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on April 3, 1974; its path came within 10 miles, and it killed 6 people. The deadliest, an EF4 on March 2, 2012, killed 11 people. Of the 102, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 49 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on July 16, 2025. Of the 356 Indiana cities, 52% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Austin. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 43 times since 1975, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 356 Indiana cities, 77% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Austin.
Compare Austin's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Austin
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 28 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Austin: 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 Austin
By decade
- 2020s12
- 2010s23(1 EF3+)
- 2000s14(1 EF3+)
- 1990s15(6 EF3+)
- 1980s7
- 1970s13(5 EF3+)
- 1960s13(2 EF3+)
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 10 mi | 68 mi | 6 / 86 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF4 | 14 mi | 46.6 mi | 11 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 12 mi | 35.6 mi | 11 / 190 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 19 mi | 18 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Sep 26, 1976 | F3 | 8 mi | 14.6 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Sep 26, 1976 | F3 | 13 mi | 4.9 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 18 mi | 35.8 mi | 1 / 26 |
| Oct 18, 2007 | EF3 | 23 mi | 4.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 9, 1999 | F3 | 23 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 9, 1999 | F3 | 19 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F3 | 16 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F3 | 24 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 7 |
The strongest 12 of 102, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Austin
The Storm Prediction Center has 43 hail reports within 10 miles of Austin since 1975, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 29 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 3, 2007. The most recent report is from March 15, 2025. April and June have the most reports, 11 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Austin
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Seymour 2 N, IN, 17 miles north of Austin at 570 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 38°F and 22°F. April and May are the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 49.6 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 20 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 117 nights a year. Snowfall averages 8.0 inches a year, most of it in January. That 49.6 inches is more than at 101 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (88%). Scottsburg, 4 miles south, has its own station (Salem, IN): 46.9 inches a year, 2.7 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 22 | 3.4 | 7 | 2.8 |
| Feb | 42 | 24 | 3.1 | 5 | 1.8 |
| Mar | 52 | 32 | 4.3 | 7 | 2.0 |
| Apr | 65 | 42 | 5.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
| May | 74 | 53 | 5.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 61 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 64 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 62 | 4.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 78 | 54 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 67 | 42 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 53 | 33 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 42 | 26 | 3.8 | 7 | 1.1 |
| Year | 63 | 43 | 49.6 | 79 | 8.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Seymour 2 N, IN (570 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 Austin
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 147 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Austin: 102 thunderstorm wind reports, 26 floods, 17 flash floods, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 15, and the NWS estimated $1.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 115 mph, on May 31, 1998. March has had the most flash floods, 4 of 17. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 235 have had fewer than Austin.
March 1, 2017: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Austin — 8 injured, $200,000 damage.
March 1, 2017: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Austin — 3 injured, $200,000 damage.
NWS: “A 1-2 mile swath of strong straight-line winds moved across northern Scott County and into western Jefferson County, damaging buildings and toppling trees. |Much of the roof of one home northeast of Austin was blown off, and several others sustained significant siding and roof damage.”
April 9, 1999: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Austin — 3 injured, $50,000 damage.
NWS: “Wind gusts estimated at between 100 and 120 miles an hour rolled a mobile home, leveled 2 barns and damaged a roof off a home. A family of 3 all received minor injuries as their mobile home was rolled.”
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
Scott County, which includes Austin, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Scott County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.8 million a year, the 71st highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.2 million (36%), 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 Austin
- Crothersville, IN4 mi
- Scottsburg, IN4 mi
- Lexington, IN12 mi
- Henryville, IN14 mi
- Seymour, IN15 mi
- Brownstown, IN16 mi
- Hanover, IN18 mi
- Salem, IN18 mi
- Memphis, IN19 mi
- North Vernon, IN20 mi
- Pekin, IN21 mi
- Borden, IN21 mi
All Indiana cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Austin with another place →