NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Topeka, 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 Topeka, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 86 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 86
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
129 deaths in all
What the records show for Topeka
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Topeka; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 22 miles away. The record near Topeka begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Ike in 2008. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Topeka has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 63% of the 356 Indiana cities on this site. The highest rating among the 86 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 5 times; the most recent, on April 3, 1974, came within 3 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 11, 1965, killed 36 people. Of the 86, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 32 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Of the 356 Indiana cities, 79% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Topeka. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 49 times since 1981, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 356 Indiana cities, 67% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Topeka.
Compare Topeka's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Topeka
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 3 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 65 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 Topeka: 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 Topeka
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s16
- 2000s7(1 EF3+)
- 1990s10(1 EF3+)
- 1980s5
- 1970s10(2 EF3+)
- 1960s19(8 EF3+)
- 1950s10
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 11 mi | 37 mi | 36 / 321 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 13 mi | 21.2 mi | 31 / 252 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 23 mi | 90.3 mi | 23 / 294 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 3 mi | 108.7 mi | 18 / 285 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 6 mi | 21.6 mi | 5 / 41 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F3 | 22 mi | 35.6 mi | 10 / 82 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 11 mi | 36.2 mi | 5 / 53 |
| Mar 27, 1991 | F3 | 25 mi | 21 mi | 1 / 24 |
| Oct 18, 2007 | EF3 | 18 mi | 20.33 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 30, 1962 | F3 | 20 mi | 36.5 mi | 0 / 49 |
| Jul 23, 1961 | F3 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 6, 1961 | F3 | 7 mi | 33.4 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 86, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Topeka
The Storm Prediction Center has 49 hail reports within 10 miles of Topeka since 1981, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on July 2, 2011. The most recent report is from July 20, 2023. April has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Topeka
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lagrange, IN, 9 miles northeast of Topeka at 900 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 31°F and 17°F. May is the wettest at 4.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.9 inches; the year adds up to 38.5 inches over 73 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 11 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 140 nights a year. That 38.5 inches is more than at 5 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (4%). Ligonier, 7 miles south, has its own station (Northern Indiana WFO, IN): 39.9 inches a year, 1.4 more than here, and the same July average high, 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 17 | 2.7 | 6 |
| Feb | 34 | 18 | 1.9 | 4 |
| Mar | 45 | 27 | 2.5 | 5 |
| Apr | 59 | 38 | 3.6 | 7 |
| May | 70 | 49 | 4.3 | 8 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 4.1 | 7 |
| Jul | 83 | 62 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Aug | 81 | 60 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Sep | 75 | 53 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Oct | 62 | 43 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Nov | 48 | 31 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Dec | 36 | 23 | 2.3 | 6 |
| Year | 59 | 40 | 38.5 | 73 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lagrange, IN (900 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 Topeka
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 131 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Topeka: 126 thunderstorm wind reports and 5 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $539,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 14, 2018.
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
LaGrange County, which includes Topeka, has been named in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 4 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives LaGrange County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.6 million a year, the 54th 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.