NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Paragon, 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
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Paragon, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 94 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 94
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Paragon
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Paragon; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 67 miles away. The record near Paragon begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 356 Indiana cities on this site, 37% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Paragon. The highest rating among the 94 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 7 times; the most recent, on March 31, 2023, came within 7 miles. Of the 94, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 36 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 24. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Of the 356 Indiana cities, 66% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Paragon. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 78 times since 1968, with stones up to 3.25 inches. Paragon has more hail reports within 10 miles than 66% of the 356 Indiana cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Paragon
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 49 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 Paragon: 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 Paragon
By decade
- 2020s7(1 EF3+)
- 2010s14
- 2000s15(1 EF3+)
- 1990s11(3 EF3+)
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s17
- 1960s11
- 1950s12(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 7 mi | 5.92 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Oct 11, 1954 | F3 | 25 mi | 4.7 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Sep 20, 2002 | F3 | 7 mi | 112 mi | 0 / 127 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F3 | 4 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F3 | 8 mi | 5.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Jul 30, 1992 | F3 | 25 mi | 7 mi | 0 / 25 |
| Mar 10, 1986 | F3 | 5 mi | 35 mi | 0 / 22 |
| May 16, 2025 | EF2 | 21 mi | 35.27 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 25, 2023 | EF2 | 22 mi | 5.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF2 | 7 mi | 8.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 15, 2019 | EF2 | 10 mi | 3.68 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 2008 | EF2 | 25 mi | 10.59 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 94, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Paragon
The Storm Prediction Center has 78 hail reports within 10 miles of Paragon since 1968, made on 47 separate days. Of these, 47 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.25 inches, fell on April 5, 2010. The most recent report is from May 7, 2024. May has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Paragon
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Martinsville 2 SW, IN, 7 miles east of Paragon at 592 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 36°F and 19°F. June is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 45.5 inches over 78 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 127 nights a year. Snowfall averages 16.7 inches a year, most of it in January. That 45.5 inches is more than at 70 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (61%). Gosport, 6 miles southwest, has its own station (Spencer, IN): 49.8 inches a year, 4.3 more than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 19 | 3.2 | 6 | 6.3 |
| Feb | 41 | 21 | 2.4 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Mar | 51 | 29 | 3.6 | 7 | 2.1 |
| Apr | 63 | 40 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.1 |
| May | 73 | 50 | 5.0 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 81 | 60 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 84 | 63 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 83 | 61 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 78 | 53 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 41 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 52 | 32 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Dec | 41 | 24 | 3.1 | 6 | 3.9 |
| Year | 62 | 41 | 45.5 | 78 | 16.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Martinsville 2 SW, IN (592 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 Paragon
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 162 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Paragon: 127 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 11 floods and 8 heavy rain events. They killed 2 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $3.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on January 29, 2008. June has had the most flash floods, 11 of 16. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 219 have had fewer than Paragon.
April 5, 2014: flood 7 miles from the centre of Paragon — 2 killed, $9,000 damage.
June 7, 2008: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Paragon — $1.3 million damage.
March 31, 2023: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Paragon — $800,000 damage.
NWS: “Supercell thunderstorm straight line winds downed numerous large trees and snapped power poles in southwestern Morgan County, where a storm spotter estimated a 60 mph gust.”
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 Paragon's ZIP code 46166 have filed 17 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1990, and were paid $328,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 47% 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, 27 have fewer than Paragon.
Morgan County, which includes Paragon, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1991, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 5 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 Morgan County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and hail; Relatively Low for inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $26.5 million a year, the 21st highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $15.3 million (58%), 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 Paragon
- Gosport, IN6 mi
- Martinsville, IN9 mi
- Monrovia, IN10 mi
- Ellettsville, IN12 mi
- Cloverdale, IN13 mi
- Spencer, IN14 mi
- Mooresville, IN16 mi
- Poland, IN17 mi
- Clayton, IN17 mi
- Morgantown, IN18 mi
- Bloomington, IN19 mi
- Coatesville, IN19 mi
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