NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Holton, 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
2 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Holton, 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, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 100
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
21 deaths in all
What the records show for Holton
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Holton; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1892, a tropical storm with 51 mph winds when its centre passed 52 miles away. The record near Holton begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was an unnamed storm in 1915, a tropical storm 43 miles away. Of the 356 Indiana cities on this site, 88% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Holton. The highest rating among the 100 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 3, 1974, came within 14 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 3, 1974, killed 11 people. Of the 100, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 47 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 35. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Of the 356 Indiana cities, 56% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Holton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 51 times since 1968, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 356 Indiana cities, 65% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Holton.
Compare Holton's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Holton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Holton: 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 Holton
By decade
- 2020s17
- 2010s18(1 EF3+)
- 2000s12
- 1990s20(3 EF3+)
- 1980s4
- 1970s21(6 EF3+)
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 12 mi | 35.6 mi | 11 / 190 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 14 mi | 35.6 mi | 4 / 17 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 19 mi | 27.1 mi | 0 / 104 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | in town | 8.69 mi | 3 / 5 |
| Sep 26, 1976 | F3 | 22 mi | 14.6 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Sep 26, 1976 | F3 | 24 mi | 4.9 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 21 mi | 35.8 mi | 1 / 26 |
| Apr 9, 1999 | F3 | 10 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 9, 1999 | F3 | 11 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F3 | 17 mi | 41 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 1963 | F3 | 7 mi | 85.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 19, 2025 | EF2 | 22 mi | 13.55 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 Holton
The Storm Prediction Center has 51 hail reports within 10 miles of Holton since 1968, made on 39 separate days. Of these, 23 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on April 14, 2006. The most recent report is from June 18, 2025. June has the most reports, 17.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Holton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is N Vernon 2 ESE, IN, 12 miles southwest of Holton at 743 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 23°F. April is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 49.4 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 19 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 102 nights a year. Snowfall averages 17.2 inches a year, most of it in February. That 49.4 inches is more than at 97 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (84%). Osgood, 7 miles northeast, has its own station (Greensburg, IN): 47.1 inches a year, 2.3 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 23 | 3.4 | 6 | 4.8 |
| Feb | 45 | 26 | 3.2 | 7 | 5.9 |
| Mar | 55 | 34 | 4.2 | 7 | 2.2 |
| Apr | 67 | 44 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.1 |
| May | 75 | 53 | 4.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 4.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 68 | 45 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 55 | 35 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Dec | 44 | 28 | 3.7 | 7 | 3.9 |
| Year | 65 | 44 | 49.4 | 79 | 17.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at N Vernon 2 ESE, IN (743 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 Holton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 154 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Holton: 100 thunderstorm wind reports, 29 floods, 24 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on June 15, 2010. June has had the most flash floods, 8 of 24. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 275 have had fewer than Holton.
March 4, 2026: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Holton — $150,000 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
Ripley County, which includes Holton, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Ripley County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $14.1 million a year, the 44th highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.0 million (50%), 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.