NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Salem, 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 Salem, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 110 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 110
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
36 deaths in all
What the records show for Salem
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Salem; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 53 mph winds when its centre passed 68 miles away. The record near Salem begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 44 miles away. Of the 356 Indiana cities on this site, 65% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Salem. The strongest of the 110 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on April 3, 1974; its path came within 10 miles, and it killed 6 people. The deadliest, an EF4 on March 2, 2012, killed 11 people. Of the 110, 13 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 61 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 25. The most recent tornado was on July 16, 2025. Salem has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 57% of the 356 Indiana cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 33 times since 1963, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 356 Indiana cities, 91% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Salem.
Compare Salem's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Salem
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 28 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Salem: 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 Salem
By decade
- 2020s21
- 2010s27(2 EF3+)
- 2000s13(1 EF3+)
- 1990s13(4 EF3+)
- 1980s8
- 1970s12(4 EF3+)
- 1960s9(1 EF3+)
- 1950s7
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 10 mi | 68 mi | 6 / 86 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF4 | 10 mi | 46.6 mi | 11 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 19 mi | 35.6 mi | 11 / 190 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 20 mi | 18 mi | 0 / 9 |
| May 30, 2004 | F3 | 18 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 11 |
| Sep 26, 1976 | F3 | 25 mi | 4.9 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 16 mi | 35.8 mi | 1 / 26 |
| May 25, 2011 | EF3 | 23 mi | 6.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F3 | 25 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F3 | 18 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F3 | 10 mi | 41 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 1963 | F3 | 2 mi | 85.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 110, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Salem
The Storm Prediction Center has 33 hail reports within 10 miles of Salem since 1963, made on 25 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently March 2, 2012. The most recent report is from May 19, 2022. May has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Salem
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Salem, IN, in Salem at 785 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 24°F. May is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 46.9 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 25 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 104 nights a year. Snowfall averages 14.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 46.9 inches is more than at 77 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (67%). Borden, 14 miles southeast, has its own station (Louisville Mcalpine, KY): 48.0 inches a year, 1.1 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 24 | 3.5 | 6 | 4.9 |
| Feb | 46 | 26 | 3.2 | 6 | 4.1 |
| Mar | 56 | 34 | 4.8 | 8 | 2.2 |
| Apr | 68 | 43 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.3 |
| May | 76 | 53 | 5.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 65 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 63 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 56 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 45 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 56 | 35 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Dec | 44 | 28 | 4.0 | 6 | 2.2 |
| Year | 66 | 45 | 46.9 | 75 | 14.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Salem, IN (785 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 Salem
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 135 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Salem: 105 thunderstorm wind reports, 27 flash floods, 2 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $936,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on January 29, 2008. June has had the most flash floods, 9 of 27. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 284 have had fewer than Salem.
May 8, 1996: thunderstorm wind in Salem — $150,000 damage.
March 1, 2017: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Salem — $150,000 damage.
January 29, 2008: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Salem — $120,000 damage.
NWS: “A squall line produced a swath of wind damage as it crossed Washington County. Straight line winds destroyed a barn on South Church Road and another on Fairview Road.”
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 Salem's ZIP code 47167 have filed 26 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1988, and were paid $2.3 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. Of the 155 Indiana cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 51 have fewer than Salem.
Washington County, which includes Salem, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 15 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 Washington County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.9 million a year, the 50th highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.1 million (48%), 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 Salem
- Pekin, IN8 mi
- Campbellsburg, IN10 mi
- Palmyra, IN13 mi
- Borden, IN14 mi
- Scottsburg, IN16 mi
- Greenville, IN17 mi
- Henryville, IN18 mi
- Austin, IN18 mi
- Crothersville, IN19 mi
- Orleans, IN19 mi
- Brownstown, IN19 mi
- Depauw, IN19 mi
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