NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Terre Haute, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Terre Haute, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 69 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 69
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Terre Haute
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Terre Haute; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 55 mph winds when its centre passed 37 miles away. The record near Terre Haute begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Terre Haute has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 63% of the 356 Indiana cities on this site. The highest rating among the 69 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on March 31, 2023, came within 25 miles. Of the 69, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 21 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Of the 356 Indiana cities, 97% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Terre Haute. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 98 times since 1971, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Terre Haute has more hail reports within 10 miles than 80% of the 356 Indiana cities.
Compare Terre Haute's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Terre Haute
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 3 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 29 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 Terre Haute: 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 Terre Haute
By decade
- 2020s8(1 EF3+)
- 2010s7
- 2000s6
- 1990s14
- 1980s5
- 1970s13
- 1960s9(3 EF3+)
- 1950s7
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 25 mi | 40.89 mi | 6 / 16 |
| Apr 29, 1963 | F3 | 13 mi | 5.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 22, 1963 | F3 | 25 mi | 38.6 mi | 0 / 40 |
| Jun 22, 1960 | F3 | 6 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 10 mi | 48.91 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F2 | 21 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F2 | 22 mi | 17.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 17, 1988 | F2 | 13 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 4 |
| May 15, 1986 | F2 | 13 mi | 5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 27, 1973 | F2 | 14 mi | 77.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 5, 1969 | F2 | 15 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 10, 1969 | F2 | 23 mi | 16.5 mi | 0 / 7 |
The strongest 12 of 69, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Terre Haute
The Storm Prediction Center has 98 hail reports within 10 miles of Terre Haute since 1971, made on 61 separate days. Of these, 60 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on April 27, 1971. The most recent report is from March 30, 2025. April has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Terre Haute
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Terre Haute Hulman Regional Airport, IN, 4 miles east of Terre Haute at 575 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 21°F. April and May are the wettest at 4.7 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.0 inches; the year adds up to 40.7 inches over 72 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 24 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 110 nights a year. That 40.7 inches is more than at 33 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (29%). Rosedale, 13 miles northeast, has its own station (Rockville, IN): 47.5 inches a year, 6.8 more than here, and the same July average high, 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 21 | 2.6 | 5 |
| Feb | 42 | 24 | 2.0 | 5 |
| Mar | 53 | 33 | 2.9 | 7 |
| Apr | 65 | 43 | 4.7 | 8 |
| May | 75 | 53 | 4.7 | 9 |
| Jun | 83 | 62 | 4.6 | 8 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 3.0 | 4 |
| Sep | 79 | 54 | 2.9 | 4 |
| Oct | 67 | 43 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Nov | 53 | 34 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Dec | 41 | 26 | 2.5 | 5 |
| Year | 64 | 43 | 40.7 | 72 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Terre Haute Hulman Regional Airport, IN (575 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 Terre Haute
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 243 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Terre Haute: 176 thunderstorm wind reports, 38 floods, 23 flash floods, 4 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $105.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 82 mph, on February 5, 2008. June has had the most flash floods, 11 of 23. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 271 have had fewer than Terre Haute.
June 1, 2008: flood 2 miles from the centre of Terre Haute — $100.0 million damage.
NWS: “Flooding occurred along the Wabash River in Vigo County, including in Terre Haute, due to heavy rain.”
June 29, 2023: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Terre Haute — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “Amateur radio operators across town estimated a 70-80 mph thunderstorm wind gust. Extensive tree and powerline damage across town with 80 percent of the town without power.”
June 25, 2024: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Terre Haute — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “Widespread significant tree damage due to thunderstorm wind gusts across the southern half of Terre Haute into the Ivy Tech campus area. Numerous homes and cars were damaged by falling trees.”
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 Terre Haute's 5 ZIP codes have filed 568 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $15.3 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Storm in 2008: 424 claims (75% of all) and $14.0 million. 77% 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, 149 have fewer than Terre Haute.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Storm2008 | 424 | $14.0 million |
Vigo County, which includes Terre Haute, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1977, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Vigo County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $46.2 million a year, the 13th highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $24.2 million (52%), 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.