NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Laurel, 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 Laurel, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1915. Since 1950, 83 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 83
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Laurel
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Laurel; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1892, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 52 miles away. The record near Laurel begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was an unnamed storm in 1915, a tropical storm 27 miles away. Of the 356 Indiana cities on this site, 65% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Laurel. The highest rating among the 83 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on June 2, 1990, came within 24 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 3, 1974, killed 4 people. Of the 83, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 41 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Of the 356 Indiana cities, 85% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Laurel. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 43 times since 1980, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 356 Indiana cities, 77% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Laurel.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Laurel
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Laurel: 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 Laurel
By decade
- 2020s18
- 2010s12
- 2000s11(1 EF3+)
- 1990s15(1 EF3+)
- 1980s4(1 EF3+)
- 1970s9(1 EF3+)
- 1960s9(2 EF3+)
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 2 mi | 35.6 mi | 4 / 17 |
| Jul 9, 1980 | F4 | 10 mi | 11 mi | 2 / 25 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 24 mi | 33 mi | 0 / 37 |
| Apr 25, 1961 | F4 | 12 mi | 63.1 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Jun 3, 2008 | EF3 | 17 mi | 9.68 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Sep 19, 1960 | F3 | 10 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 15, 2019 | EF2 | 12 mi | 14.48 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F2 | 14 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F2 | 21 mi | 23 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jun 19, 1973 | F2 | 23 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 9, 1969 | F2 | 11 mi | 0.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 10, 1969 | F2 | 16 mi | 33.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 83, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Laurel
The Storm Prediction Center has 43 hail reports within 10 miles of Laurel since 1980, made on 30 separate days. Of these, 28 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on June 20, 1995. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Laurel
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Brookville, IN, 11 miles southeast of Laurel at 630 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 38°F and 21°F. June is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 44.0 inches over 82 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 32 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 119 nights a year. Snowfall averages 17.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 44.0 inches is more than at 61 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (53%). Connersville, 11 miles north, has its own station (Rushville, IN): 45.7 inches a year, 1.7 more than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 21 | 3.4 | 7 | 6.1 |
| Feb | 42 | 23 | 2.7 | 6 | 5.0 |
| Mar | 53 | 31 | 3.6 | 7 | 2.1 |
| Apr | 66 | 41 | 4.6 | 9 | 0.0 |
| May | 76 | 51 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 60 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 64 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 62 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 55 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 68 | 42 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 54 | 33 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Dec | 43 | 26 | 3.4 | 8 | 4.0 |
| Year | 65 | 42 | 44.0 | 82 | 17.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Brookville, IN (630 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 Laurel
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 115 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Laurel: 68 thunderstorm wind reports, 29 floods, 17 flash floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 7 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $1.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on April 29, 2025. August has had the most flash floods, 4 of 17. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 235 have had fewer than Laurel.
March 20, 2020: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Laurel — 6 killed, $100,000 damage.
NWS: “A bridge collapsed on Sanes Creek Road near Tee Hill Road due to flash flooding on Sanes Creek. Two vehicles were swept into the water, leading to six fatalities.”
December 31, 2018: flood 8 miles from the centre of Laurel — 1 killed, $2,000 damage.
June 5, 2005: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Laurel — 6 injured.
NWS: “Six people were struck by lightning at at paintball facility in Sheridan. Two were treated and released at the scene, with four being transported to area hospitals for treatment.”
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 Laurel's ZIP code 47024 have filed 11 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 2005, and were paid $117,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 45% 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, 6 have fewer than Laurel.
Franklin County, which includes Laurel, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 6 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on August 25, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Franklin County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.6 million a year, the 53rd highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $8.2 million (65%), 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 Laurel
- Connersville, IN11 mi
- Brookville, IN11 mi
- Batesville, IN14 mi
- Rushville, IN16 mi
- Liberty, IN17 mi
- Sunman, IN18 mi
- Greensburg, IN19 mi
- West Harrison, IN22 mi
- Cambridge City, IN22 mi
- Centerville, IN24 mi
- Guilford, IN24 mi
- Okeana, OH24 mi
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