NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Paoli, 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 Paoli, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 100 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 100
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
25 deaths in all
What the records show for Paoli
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Paoli; the strongest was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm with 46 mph winds when its centre passed 31 miles away. The record near Paoli begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Helene in 2024. Of the 356 Indiana cities on this site, 88% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Paoli. The strongest of the 100 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on April 3, 1974; its path came within 18 miles, and it killed 6 people. The deadliest, an EF4 on March 2, 2012, killed 11 people. Of the 100, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 58 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 23. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Of the 356 Indiana cities, 56% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Paoli. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 54 times since 1987, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 356 Indiana cities, 61% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Paoli.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Paoli
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 28 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Paoli: 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 Paoli
By decade
- 2020s14
- 2010s32(2 EF3+)
- 2000s12(2 EF3+)
- 1990s14(4 EF3+)
- 1980s7
- 1970s7(2 EF3+)
- 1960s6(2 EF3+)
- 1950s8
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 18 mi | 68 mi | 6 / 86 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF4 | 17 mi | 46.6 mi | 11 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 17 mi | 11 mi | 1 / 51 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 13 mi | 106 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 25 mi | 18 mi | 0 / 9 |
| May 30, 2004 | F3 | 13 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 11 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 19 mi | 35.8 mi | 1 / 26 |
| May 25, 2011 | EF3 | 23 mi | 6.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 8, 2009 | EF3 | 23 mi | 1.06 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F3 | 25 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 24, 1967 | F3 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 19, 1963 | F3 | 9 mi | 85.3 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 Paoli
The Storm Prediction Center has 54 hail reports within 10 miles of Paoli since 1987, made on 35 separate days. Of these, 35 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on June 25, 2023. The most recent report is from June 18, 2025. June has the most reports, 19.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Paoli
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Paoli, IN, 2 miles north of Paoli at 560 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 21°F. April and May are the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 49.6 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 26 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 119 nights a year. Snowfall averages 12.8 inches a year, most of it in February. That 49.6 inches is more than at 100 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (87%). French Lick, 8 miles west, has its own station (Dubois S In Forage Fm, IN): 51.7 inches a year, 2.1 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 | 40 | 21 | 3.4 | 6 | 3.7 |
| Feb | 45 | 24 | 3.4 | 6 | 5.2 |
| Mar | 55 | 32 | 4.4 | 7 | 1.2 |
| Apr | 67 | 41 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 76 | 52 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 61 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 65 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 62 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 54 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 68 | 42 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 55 | 33 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 44 | 26 | 4.0 | 7 | 2.6 |
| Year | 65 | 43 | 49.6 | 78 | 12.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Paoli, IN (560 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 Paoli
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 123 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Paoli: 98 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 flash floods, 3 floods, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $671,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on April 2, 2006. April has had the most flash floods, 6 of 20. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 257 have had fewer than Paoli.
May 27, 2004: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Paoli — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “An antique shop was destroyed by thunderstorm winds. Some trees were thrown on to homes.”
April 2, 2006: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Paoli — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Several homes sustained major roof damage. A new modular home was blown off its foundation.”
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 Paoli's ZIP code 47454 have filed 18 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1982, and were paid $87,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 11% 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, 32 have fewer than Paoli.
Orange County, which includes Paoli, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1979, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on July 22, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Orange County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $11.4 million a year, the 61st highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.6 million (49%), 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 Paoli
- French Lick, IN8 mi
- Orleans, IN8 mi
- Marengo, IN13 mi
- Mitchell, IN14 mi
- Campbellsburg, IN14 mi
- English, IN15 mi
- Dubois, IN16 mi
- Shoals, IN18 mi
- Depauw, IN19 mi
- Salem, IN22 mi
- Palmyra, IN23 mi
- Bedford, IN23 mi
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