NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Ossian, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Ossian, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 101 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 101
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
10 deaths in all
What the records show for Ossian
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Ossian; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 28 miles away. The record near Ossian begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Ossian has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 63% of the 356 Indiana cities on this site. The highest rating among the 101 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on November 10, 2002, came within 22 miles. Of the 101, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 38 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 20. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Of the 356 Indiana cities, 54% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Ossian. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 81 times since 1957, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Ossian has more hail reports within 10 miles than 68% of the 356 Indiana cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Ossian
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 3 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Ossian: 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 Ossian
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s17(2 EF3+)
- 2000s15(2 EF3+)
- 1990s16
- 1980s10
- 1970s15
- 1960s14(2 EF3+)
- 1950s8
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 10, 2002 | F4 | 22 mi | 52.8 mi | 4 / 17 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 19 mi | 52.5 mi | 4 / 125 |
| May 16, 1968 | F3 | 9 mi | 50.3 mi | 1 / 15 |
| May 27, 2019 | EF3 | 21 mi | 12.76 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Aug 24, 2016 | EF3 | 22 mi | 5.16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F3 | 19 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF2 | 17 mi | 7.86 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 2016 | EF2 | 15 mi | 2.35 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 26, 2001 | F2 | 13 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Oct 8, 1992 | F2 | 13 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Jul 12, 1992 | F2 | 21 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 2, 1992 | F2 | 9 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 101, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Ossian
The Storm Prediction Center has 81 hail reports within 10 miles of Ossian since 1957, made on 53 separate days. Of these, 41 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on June 15, 1964. The most recent report is from April 2, 2025. June has the most reports, 25.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Ossian
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Bluffton 6N, IN, 5 miles south of Ossian at 861 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 17°F. May and June are the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.0 inches; the year adds up to 40.1 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 12 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 126 nights a year. Snowfall averages 23.3 inches a year, most of it in January. That 40.1 inches is more than at 25 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (22%). Roanoke, 11 miles northwest, has its own station (Fort Wayne International Airport, IN): 39.6 inches a year, 0.5 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 17 | 2.5 | 6 | 7.6 |
| Feb | 36 | 19 | 2.0 | 5 | 6.5 |
| Mar | 47 | 28 | 2.7 | 6 | 3.6 |
| Apr | 60 | 39 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.4 |
| May | 71 | 51 | 4.7 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 60 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 61 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 63 | 42 | 2.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 49 | 32 | 3.1 | 6 | 1.1 |
| Dec | 37 | 23 | 2.3 | 6 | 4.1 |
| Year | 59 | 41 | 40.1 | 77 | 23.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Bluffton 6N, IN (861 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 Ossian
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 122 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Ossian: 110 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 flash floods, 3 heavy rain events, 2 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $630,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 91 mph, on June 29, 2012. July has had the most flash floods, 3 of 6. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 103 have had fewer than Ossian.
September 8, 2020: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Ossian — 1 injured.
May 14, 2022: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Ossian — 1 injured.
NWS: “A young boy suffered a broken arm after being thrown from a bounce house during a roughly 45 mph wind gust.”
June 9, 2008: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Ossian — $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
Wells County, which includes Ossian, has been named in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 8 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 snowstorms, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Wells County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.6 million a year, the 69th highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.4 million (56%), 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 Ossian
- Markle, IN8 mi
- Bluffton, IN10 mi
- Roanoke, IN11 mi
- Decatur, IN12 mi
- Fort Wayne, IN15 mi
- Monroe, IN16 mi
- New Haven, IN17 mi
- Monroeville, IN17 mi
- Huntington, IN17 mi
- Berne, IN19 mi
- Warren, IN20 mi
- Geneva, IN22 mi
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