NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Cannelton, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Cannelton, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 76 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 76
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
119 deaths in all
What the records show for Cannelton
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Cannelton; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 54 mph winds when its centre passed 48 miles away. The record near Cannelton begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 8 miles away. Of the 356 Indiana cities on this site, 65% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Cannelton. The highest rating among the 76 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 3, 1974, came within 10 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on December 10, 2021, killed 57 people. Of the 76, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 52 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 16. The most recent tornado was on March 30, 2025. Of the 356 Indiana cities, 94% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Cannelton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 42 times since 1972, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 356 Indiana cities, 78% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Cannelton.
Compare Cannelton's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Cannelton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 28 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Cannelton: 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 Cannelton
By decade
- 2020s11(1 EF3+)
- 2010s23
- 2000s18(2 EF3+)
- 1990s8
- 1980s6
- 1970s6(3 EF3+)
- 1960s2(1 EF3+)
- 1950s2(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 16 mi | 32 mi | 31 / 270 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 10 mi | 68 mi | 6 / 86 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 24 mi | 168.53 mi | 57 / 515 |
| Nov 6, 2005 | F3 | 23 mi | 41.3 mi | 24 / 238 |
| Oct 18, 2007 | EF3 | 22 mi | 6.99 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Nov 19, 1970 | F3 | 5 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 19, 1963 | F3 | 24 mi | 85.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 9, 1952 | F3 | 3 mi | 35 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F2 | 6 mi | 32.3 mi | 1 / 19 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 6 mi | 16.49 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 19, 2011 | EF2 | 19 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 18, 2007 | EF2 | 24 mi | 3.05 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 76, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Cannelton
The Storm Prediction Center has 42 hail reports within 10 miles of Cannelton since 1972, made on 30 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 19, 1989. The most recent report is from March 15, 2025. April and May have the most reports, 11 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Cannelton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cannelton, IN, 3 miles southwest of Cannelton at 402 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 27°F. May is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 48.9 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 25 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 76 nights a year. Snowfall averages 10.7 inches a year, most of it in January. That 48.9 inches is more than at 96 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (83%). Tell City, 4 miles northwest, has its own station (Tell City, IN): 51.2 inches a year, 2.3 more than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 27 | 3.3 | 7 | 3.5 |
| Feb | 48 | 29 | 3.5 | 6 | 2.8 |
| Mar | 55 | 37 | 4.8 | 8 | 1.0 |
| Apr | 68 | 46 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 76 | 57 | 5.5 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 65 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 69 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 68 | 2.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 62 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 50 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 57 | 38 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 46 | 31 | 4.4 | 8 | 3.4 |
| Year | 66 | 48 | 48.9 | 81 | 10.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cannelton, IN (402 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 Cannelton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 200 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Cannelton: 142 thunderstorm wind reports, 42 floods, 15 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $582,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 104 mph, on October 24, 2001. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 212 have had fewer than Cannelton.
May 30, 2004: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Cannelton — $200,000 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
Perry County, which includes Cannelton, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 6 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on July 22, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Perry County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $11.5 million a year, the 60th highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.6 million (57%), 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.