NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Harlan, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Harlan, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 81 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 81
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
3 deaths in all
What the records show for Harlan
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Harlan; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 18 miles away. The record near Harlan begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Harlan is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 356 Indiana cities on this site. The highest rating among the 81 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on August 24, 2016, came within 2 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on March 27, 1991, killed 1 person. Of the 81, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 34 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 20. The most recent tornado was on March 30, 2025. Of the 356 Indiana cities, 87% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Harlan. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 62 times since 1974, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 356 Indiana cities, 51% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Harlan.
Compare Harlan's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Harlan
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 3 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Harlan: 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 Harlan
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s9(1 EF3+)
- 2000s14
- 1990s11(1 EF3+)
- 1980s9
- 1970s14(1 EF3+)
- 1960s7(2 EF3+)
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27, 1991 | F3 | 24 mi | 21 mi | 1 / 24 |
| May 16, 1968 | F3 | 11 mi | 50.3 mi | 1 / 15 |
| Aug 24, 2016 | EF3 | 2 mi | 5.16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 24 mi | 8.7 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 6, 1961 | F3 | 24 mi | 33.4 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF2 | 4 mi | 7.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 24, 2016 | EF2 | 9 mi | 4.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 24, 2001 | F2 | 24 mi | 12.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 2001 | F2 | 17 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 14, 2000 | F2 | 14 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 8, 1992 | F2 | 17 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Jul 14, 1992 | F2 | 22 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 28 |
The strongest 12 of 81, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Harlan
The Storm Prediction Center has 62 hail reports within 10 miles of Harlan since 1974, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 33 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 3 days, most recently April 19, 2017. The most recent report is from June 25, 2023. June and August have the most reports, 13 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Harlan
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hicksville, OH, 7 miles northeast of Harlan at 750 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 33°F and 17°F. May is the wettest at 4.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.9 inches; the year adds up to 35.1 inches over 70 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 22 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 143 nights a year. That 35.1 inches is more than at 2 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (2%). Leo, 9 miles west, has its own station (Garrett 1 S, IN): 39.5 inches a year, 4.4 more than here, and a July average high of 81°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 17 | 2.3 | 6 |
| Feb | 37 | 19 | 1.9 | 5 |
| Mar | 47 | 28 | 2.3 | 6 |
| Apr | 61 | 37 | 3.5 | 7 |
| May | 72 | 48 | 4.4 | 8 |
| Jun | 81 | 59 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Jul | 85 | 61 | 2.8 | 5 |
| Aug | 83 | 60 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Sep | 77 | 51 | 2.9 | 6 |
| Oct | 64 | 42 | 2.6 | 6 |
| Nov | 50 | 31 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Dec | 38 | 23 | 2.3 | 5 |
| Year | 61 | 40 | 35.1 | 70 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hicksville, OH (750 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 Harlan
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 115 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Harlan: 106 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 flash floods and 4 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $917,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on June 29, 2012. May has had the most flash floods, 4 of 5. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 77 have had fewer than Harlan.
July 21, 2016: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Harlan — 3 injured.
May 21, 2010: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Harlan — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Local media reported flash flooding across portions of far western Defiance County, mainly from Hicksville to Ney. Water entered the first floor of the Hicksville Community Memorial Hospital, forcing the evacuation of a few patients, as well as power being shut off to the laboratory and radiology departments.”
May 25, 2011: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Harlan — $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
Allen County, which includes Harlan, has been named in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1978, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 4 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on April 15, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Allen County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail; Relatively Low for heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $97.3 million a year, the 4th highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $59.7 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.