NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Milan, 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 Milan, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1915. Since 1950, 81 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 81
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
22 deaths in all
What the records show for Milan
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Milan; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 74 miles away. The record near Milan begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was an unnamed storm in 1915, a tropical storm 49 miles away. Of the 356 Indiana cities on this site, 65% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Milan. The strongest of the 81 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on April 3, 1974; its path came within 18 miles, and it killed 3 people. The deadliest, an F4 on April 3, 1974, killed 11 people. Of the 81, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 39 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 31. The most recent tornado was on July 20, 2025. Of the 356 Indiana cities, 87% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Milan. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 50 times since 1970, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 356 Indiana cities, 66% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Milan.
Compare Milan's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Milan
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Milan: 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 Milan
By decade
- 2020s21
- 2010s13(1 EF3+)
- 2000s5
- 1990s21(4 EF3+)
- 1980s1
- 1970s12(4 EF3+)
- 1960s4(2 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 18 mi | 20.8 mi | 3 / 210 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 15 mi | 35.6 mi | 11 / 190 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 20 mi | 35.6 mi | 4 / 17 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F4 | 23 mi | 26.7 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 14 mi | 33 mi | 0 / 37 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 13 mi | 27.1 mi | 0 / 104 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 6 mi | 8.69 mi | 3 / 5 |
| Apr 9, 1999 | F3 | 11 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 9, 1999 | F3 | 22 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 10, 1969 | F3 | 24 mi | 54.5 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Apr 19, 1963 | F3 | 21 mi | 85.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 30, 2004 | F2 | 13 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 81, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Milan
The Storm Prediction Center has 50 hail reports within 10 miles of Milan since 1970, made on 40 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on April 29, 1970. The most recent report is from July 2, 2023. April has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Milan
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Brookville, IN, 22 miles north of Milan 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%). Moores Hill, 6 miles southeast, has its own station (Cincinnati-Fernbank, OH): 47.6 inches a year, 3.6 more than here, and a July average high of 86°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 Milan
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 181 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Milan: 127 thunderstorm wind reports, 32 floods, 19 flash floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $889,000 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 19. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 249 have had fewer than Milan.
March 28, 1997: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Milan — $100,000 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 Milan, 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.