NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Columbus, 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
1 tropical system has passed within 75 miles of Columbus, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1915. Since 1950, 100 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 100
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
9 deaths in all
What the records show for Columbus
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Columbus; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1915, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 19 miles away. Of the 356 Indiana cities on this site, 100% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Columbus. The highest rating among the 100 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on June 2, 1990, came within 14 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 3, 1974, killed 4 people. Of the 100, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 33 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 25. The most recent tornado was on July 16, 2025. Of the 356 Indiana cities, 56% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Columbus. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 50 times since 1963, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 356 Indiana cities, 66% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Columbus.
Compare Columbus's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Columbus
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Columbus: 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 Columbus
By decade
- 2020s14
- 2010s9
- 2000s10(2 EF3+)
- 1990s17(3 EF3+)
- 1980s6
- 1970s23(3 EF3+)
- 1960s12(2 EF3+)
- 1950s9(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 12 mi | 35.6 mi | 4 / 17 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 14 mi | 18 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Oct 11, 1954 | F3 | 20 mi | 4.7 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 2008 | EF3 | 22 mi | 9.68 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Sep 26, 1976 | F3 | 18 mi | 4.9 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 9 mi | 35.8 mi | 1 / 26 |
| Nov 15, 2005 | F3 | 10 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F3 | 16 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 30, 1992 | F3 | 11 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Apr 14, 1968 | F3 | 7 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 1963 | F3 | 22 mi | 85.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 31, 1958 | F3 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 100, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Columbus
The Storm Prediction Center has 50 hail reports within 10 miles of Columbus since 1963, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 35 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on August 1, 1993. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Columbus
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Columbus, IN, 2 miles south of Columbus at 609 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 39°F and 22°F. June is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 47.3 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 22 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 108 nights a year. Snowfall averages 16.3 inches a year, most of it in January. That 47.3 inches is more than at 80 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (70%). Edinburgh, 12 miles north, has its own station (Franklin Wwtp, IN): 45.4 inches a year, 1.9 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39 | 22 | 3.4 | 6 | 5.9 |
| Feb | 43 | 24 | 2.9 | 6 | 4.5 |
| Mar | 54 | 32 | 3.8 | 7 | 1.8 |
| Apr | 66 | 42 | 5.0 | 9 | 0.0 |
| May | 75 | 53 | 5.0 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 62 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 55 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 68 | 44 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 54 | 34 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 43 | 26 | 3.7 | 7 | 4.0 |
| Year | 65 | 44 | 47.3 | 80 | 16.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Columbus, IN (609 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 Columbus
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 145 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Columbus: 112 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 floods, 14 flash floods and 3 lightning strikes. They killed 3 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $402.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on June 15, 2019. June has had the most flash floods, 9 of 14. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 204 have had fewer than Columbus.
June 7, 2008: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Columbus — 1 killed, $10,000 damage.
April 5, 2018: flood 1 mile from the centre of Columbus — 1 killed.
NWS: “Fox 59 reported that a missing kayaker was found dead Friday, April 6th not far from where his kayak was found earlier in the day. It is believed the 26-year-old man drowned while kayaking on suspected flood waters of the Driftwood River near Columbus on the morning of April 5th.”
April 6, 2025: flood in Columbus — 1 killed.
NWS: “The exact time is unknown, but the victim chose to stay in his home near the river when moderate to major flooding was ongoing. He was found 5 days later having drowned.”
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
Flood insurance policyholders in Columbus's 2 ZIP codes have filed 401 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $13.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Storm in 2008: 242 claims (60% of all) and $11.0 million, then Central U.S. April Flooding in 2025 with 20. 68% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 155 Indiana cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 146 have fewer than Columbus.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Storm2008 | 242 | $11.0 million |
| Central U.S. April Flooding2025 | 20 | $441,000 |
Bartholomew County, which includes Columbus, has been named in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 floods, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on July 22, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Bartholomew County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $33.6 million a year, the 18th highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $20.4 million (61%), 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.