NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Poland, 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 Poland, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 89 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 89
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
3 deaths in all
What the records show for Poland
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Poland; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 56 miles away. The record near Poland 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 Poland. The highest rating among the 89 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 8 times; the most recent, on March 31, 2023, came within 12 miles. Of the 89, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 34 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Of the 356 Indiana cities, 76% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Poland. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 38 times since 1971, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 356 Indiana cities, 83% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Poland.
Compare Poland's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Poland
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 42 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 Poland: 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 Poland
By decade
- 2020s7(1 EF3+)
- 2010s11
- 2000s16(1 EF3+)
- 1990s16(3 EF3+)
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s15
- 1960s9(2 EF3+)
- 1950s8
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 12 mi | 5.92 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Sep 20, 2002 | F3 | 20 mi | 112 mi | 0 / 127 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F3 | 20 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F3 | 21 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F3 | 18 mi | 5.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 10, 1986 | F3 | 21 mi | 35 mi | 0 / 22 |
| Apr 29, 1963 | F3 | 21 mi | 23.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 29, 1963 | F3 | 22 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 16, 2025 | EF2 | 24 mi | 14.04 mi | 1 / 3 |
| May 16, 2025 | EF2 | 24 mi | 35.27 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF2 | 24 mi | 8.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 15, 2019 | EF2 | 17 mi | 3.68 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 89, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Poland
The Storm Prediction Center has 38 hail reports within 10 miles of Poland since 1971, made on 28 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on June 18, 2021, the most recent report. April and June have the most reports, 11 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Poland
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Spencer, IN, 11 miles southeast of Poland at 549 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 20°F. June is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 49.8 inches over 82 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 18 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 129 nights a year. Snowfall averages 15.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 49.8 inches is more than at 103 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (90%). Cloverdale, 9 miles northeast, has its own station (Greencastle 1 W, IN): 46.3 inches a year, 3.5 less than here, and a July average high of 83°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 20 | 3.5 | 6 | 6.9 |
| Feb | 42 | 23 | 2.6 | 6 | 4.2 |
| Mar | 52 | 31 | 3.7 | 7 | 1.5 |
| Apr | 64 | 41 | 5.3 | 9 | 0.1 |
| May | 74 | 51 | 5.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 60 | 5.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 64 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 84 | 62 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 54 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 67 | 42 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 53 | 32 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Dec | 42 | 25 | 3.5 | 7 | 2.8 |
| Year | 63 | 42 | 49.8 | 82 | 15.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Spencer, IN (549 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 Poland
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 88 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Poland: 61 thunderstorm wind reports, 15 floods, 11 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $91.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on December 23, 2015. June has had the most flash floods, 7 of 11. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 166 have had fewer than Poland.
December 23, 2015: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Poland — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
June 4, 2008: flood 6 miles from the centre of Poland — $90.0 million damage.
NWS: “Flooding occurred along the Eel River in Clay County, including near Bowling Green, due to heavy rainfall.”
January 3, 2005: flood 9 miles from the centre of Poland — $500,000 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
Owen County, which includes Poland, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1991, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 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 Owen County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, 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 $10.5 million a year, the 64th highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.1 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.