NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Sullivan, 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 Sullivan, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 56 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 56
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
7 deaths in all
What the records show for Sullivan
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Sullivan; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 55 mph winds when its centre passed 54 miles away. The record near Sullivan 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 Sullivan. The highest rating among the 56 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on March 31, 2023, passed within a mile of the city centre. Of the 56, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 17 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on December 28, 2025. Of the 356 Indiana cities, 99% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Sullivan. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 39 times since 1982, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 356 Indiana cities, 81% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Sullivan.
Compare Sullivan's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Sullivan
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 49 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 | 52 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 Sullivan: 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 Sullivan
By decade
- 2020s5(1 EF3+)
- 2010s7
- 2000s5
- 1990s13
- 1980s4
- 1970s10
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | in town | 40.89 mi | 6 / 16 |
| Apr 29, 1963 | F3 | 3 mi | 23.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 10, 1959 | F3 | 20 mi | 3.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 16, 2025 | EF2 | 10 mi | 14.04 mi | 1 / 3 |
| May 25, 2011 | EF2 | 15 mi | 5.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F2 | 15 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F2 | 16 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 30, 1974 | F2 | 11 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 1973 | F2 | 10 mi | 77.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 5, 1969 | F2 | 10 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 30, 1962 | F2 | 15 mi | 26.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 11, 1957 | F2 | 5 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 56, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Sullivan
The Storm Prediction Center has 39 hail reports within 10 miles of Sullivan since 1982, made on 28 separate days. Of these, 26 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on May 16, 2025. The most recent report is from November 18, 2025. May has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Sullivan
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Palestine, IL, 13 miles southwest of Sullivan at 450 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 38°F and 23°F. April is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.6 inches; the year adds up to 46.3 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 38 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 101 nights a year. Snowfall averages 11.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 46.3 inches is more than at 72 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (63%). Carlisle, 9 miles south, has its own station (Freelandville, IN): 45.4 inches a year, 0.9 less 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 | 38 | 23 | 3.5 | 6 | 4.3 |
| Feb | 44 | 26 | 2.6 | 5 | 2.2 |
| Mar | 54 | 35 | 3.6 | 7 | 1.1 |
| Apr | 67 | 45 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 76 | 55 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 63 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 66 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 64 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 56 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 68 | 46 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 54 | 35 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.5 |
| Dec | 42 | 28 | 3.1 | 6 | 3.4 |
| Year | 65 | 45 | 46.3 | 75 | 11.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Palestine, IL (450 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 Sullivan
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 92 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Sullivan: 72 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 flash floods and 7 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $31.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on March 7, 2022. June has had the most flash floods, 4 of 13. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 194 have had fewer than Sullivan.
June 2, 2008: flood 9 miles from the centre of Sullivan — $30.0 million damage.
NWS: “Flooding occurred along the Wabash River in western Sullivan County, including near Riverton, due to heavy rainfall.”
June 27, 2026: flash flood in Sullivan — $150,000 damage.
NWS: “00 inches in under 4 hours from east of Sullivan to south of Bloomfield, produced flash flooding in Linton, Lyons and Switz City. In Linton, vehicles stalled out, a child swept away by water was rescued, and railroad ties floated through town.”
June 21, 2026: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Sullivan — $125,000 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
Sullivan County, which includes Sullivan, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on April 15, 2023. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Sullivan County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $7.9 million a year, the 74th highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.9 million (37%), 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.