NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Evansville, 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 Evansville, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 132 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 132
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
29 deaths in all
What the records show for Evansville
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Evansville; the strongest was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 20 miles away. The record near Evansville begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Helene in 2024. Of the 356 Indiana cities on this site, 65% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Evansville. The highest rating among the 132 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 9 times; the most recent, on July 9, 2024, came within 17 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on November 6, 2005, killed 24 people. Of the 132, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 82 have come since 2000. April and May have had the most tornadoes, 33 each. The most recent tornado was on December 28, 2025. Evansville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 83% of the 356 Indiana cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 127 times since 1962, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Evansville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 88% of the 356 Indiana cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Evansville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 28 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 29 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 Evansville: 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 Evansville
By decade
- 2020s35(1 EF3+)
- 2010s31(2 EF3+)
- 2000s16(2 EF3+)
- 1990s12
- 1980s15(1 EF3+)
- 1970s9
- 1960s9(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 6, 2005 | F3 | 5 mi | 41.3 mi | 24 / 238 |
| Feb 28, 2017 | EF3 | 18 mi | 44.13 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F3 | 13 mi | 22.9 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Jul 9, 2024 | EF3 | 17 mi | 5.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF3 | 19 mi | 14.12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 28, 2009 | EF3 | 16 mi | 12.35 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 3, 1989 | F3 | 18 mi | 3.1 mi | 0 / 8 |
| Jun 28, 1960 | F3 | 21 mi | 14.2 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Nov 15, 1955 | F3 | 2 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Jan 29, 2008 | EF2 | 19 mi | 7.01 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Apr 11, 1979 | F2 | 7 mi | 10 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 7 mi | 10.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 132, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Evansville
The Storm Prediction Center has 127 hail reports within 10 miles of Evansville since 1962, made on 93 separate days. Of these, 64 were 1 inch across or larger, and 11 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 8, 1990. The most recent report is from May 8, 2025. May has the most reports, 33.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Evansville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Evansville Museum, IN, 3 miles southwest of Evansville at 374 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 27°F. April is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 47.9 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 57 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 69 nights a year. That 47.9 inches is more than at 85 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (74%). Chandler, 9 miles east, has its own station (Boonville 1S, IN): 51.1 inches a year, 3.2 more than here, and the same July average high, 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 27 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Feb | 48 | 31 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Mar | 58 | 39 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Apr | 70 | 49 | 5.2 | 8 |
| May | 78 | 58 | 4.8 | 8 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 4.4 | 6 |
| Jul | 89 | 71 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 3.1 | 4 |
| Sep | 84 | 62 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Oct | 72 | 51 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Nov | 58 | 40 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Dec | 47 | 33 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Year | 68 | 50 | 47.9 | 75 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Evansville Museum, IN (374 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 Evansville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 437 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Evansville: 199 thunderstorm wind reports, 134 floods, 52 flash floods, 47 heavy rain events and 5 lightning strikes. They killed 4 people and injured 7, and the NWS estimated $74.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 120 mph, on May 9, 2014. July has had the most flash floods, 8 of 52. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 330 have had fewer than Evansville.
March 10, 2015: flood 6 miles from the centre of Evansville — 1 killed, 1 injured, $50,000 damage.
March 22, 2013: flood 9 miles from the centre of Evansville — 1 killed, $20,000 damage.
July 30, 2024: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Evansville — 1 killed, $5,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Evansville's 9 ZIP codes have filed 809 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $7.3 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Mid-spring storms in 2011: 75 claims (9% of all) and $1.4 million, then Flooding in 1997 with 48 and March storm in 2008 with 24. The year with the most claims was 1980, with 108. 22% 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, 151 have fewer than Evansville.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-spring storms2011 | 75 | $1.4 million |
| Flooding1997 | 48 | $532,000 |
| March storm2008 | 24 | $232,000 |
| Central U.S. April Flooding2025 | 22 | $623,000 |
Vanderburgh County, which includes Evansville, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1991, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 3 floods, 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 Vanderburgh County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $96.4 million a year, the 5th highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $35.9 million (37%), 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 Evansville
- Chandler, IN9 mi
- Newburgh, IN10 mi
- Henderson, KY12 mi
- Haubstadt, IN13 mi
- Elberfeld, IN14 mi
- Wadesville, IN14 mi
- Boonville, IN16 mi
- Fort Branch, IN17 mi
- Poseyville, IN17 mi
- Mount Vernon, IN19 mi
- Richland, IN20 mi
- New Harmony, IN22 mi
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