NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Valparaiso, 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 Valparaiso, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 102 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 102
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
3 deaths in all
What the records show for Valparaiso
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Valparaiso; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 63 miles away. The record near Valparaiso begins with an unnamed storm in 1923; 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 Valparaiso. The highest rating among the 102 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 7 times; the most recent, on March 12, 1976, came within 16 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on October 24, 2001, killed 1 person. Of the 102, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 50 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 31. The most recent tornado was on March 19, 2025. Of the 356 Indiana cities, 52% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Valparaiso. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 84 times since 1960, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Valparaiso has more hail reports within 10 miles than 71% of the 356 Indiana cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Valparaiso
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 3 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Valparaiso: 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 Valparaiso
By decade
- 2020s18
- 2010s22
- 2000s10
- 1990s4
- 1980s8
- 1970s14(3 EF3+)
- 1960s17(4 EF3+)
- 1950s9
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 1976 | F3 | 16 mi | 38.5 mi | 1 / 15 |
| Mar 12, 1976 | F3 | 16 mi | 12.6 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Jun 20, 1974 | F3 | 17 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Oct 24, 1967 | F3 | 9 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 12, 1965 | F3 | 18 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 14 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F3 | 6 mi | 33.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 30, 1962 | F3 | 13 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 24, 2001 | F2 | 10 mi | 35 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 2014 | EF2 | 20 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 19, 2009 | EF2 | 9 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 4, 2008 | EF2 | 17 mi | 2.74 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 1977 | F2 | 6 mi | 6.8 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 102, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Valparaiso
The Storm Prediction Center has 84 hail reports within 10 miles of Valparaiso since 1960, made on 55 separate days. Of these, 58 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 11 days, most recently March 14, 2019. The most recent report is from May 7, 2024. June has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Valparaiso
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Valparaiso Wtr Wks, IN, 3 miles northeast of Valparaiso at 800 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 83°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 32°F and 18°F. May is the wettest at 4.6 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 2.2 inches; the year adds up to 40.2 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 9 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 124 nights a year. Snowfall averages 40.0 inches a year, most of it in January. That 40.2 inches is more than at 27 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (23%). Portage, 9 miles northwest, has its own station (Indiana Dunes Nl, IN): 39.4 inches a year, 0.8 less than here, and a July average high of 82°F against 83°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 18 | 2.4 | 6 | 14.6 |
| Feb | 36 | 21 | 2.2 | 4 | 5.5 |
| Mar | 48 | 29 | 2.6 | 6 | 6.7 |
| Apr | 61 | 39 | 3.7 | 7 | 1.2 |
| May | 71 | 49 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 80 | 59 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 81 | 62 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 75 | 54 | 2.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 64 | 44 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Nov | 49 | 34 | 3.3 | 7 | 2.3 |
| Dec | 37 | 24 | 2.6 | 5 | 9.4 |
| Year | 60 | 41 | 40.2 | 76 | 40.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Valparaiso Wtr Wks, IN (800 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 Valparaiso
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 232 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Valparaiso: 196 thunderstorm wind reports, 18 floods, 7 flash floods, 7 lightning strikes and 4 heavy rain events. They killed 4 people and injured 5, and the NWS estimated $13.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 12, 2013. August has had the most flash floods, 3 of 7. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 120 have had fewer than Valparaiso.
August 24, 2007: flood 4 miles from the centre of Valparaiso — 2 killed, 1 injured, $25,000 damage.
NWS: “A van drove into eight inches of flood water, lost control, crossed the median into westbound lanes and was hit by a semi-trailer. Two passengers were killed and the driver was critically injured.”
May 15, 2007: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Valparaiso — 1 killed, $15,000 damage.
March 30, 2025: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Valparaiso — 1 killed.
NWS: “A 34 year old male semi truck driver was killed when severe thunderstorm winds blew the truck over and onto the driver as he was standing outside of the cab. The incident occurred at Pratt Industries in Valparaiso.”
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 Valparaiso's 2 ZIP codes have filed 100 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $1.1 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1981: 14 claims (14% of all) and $96,000, then Hurricane Ike in 2008 with 11. The year with the most claims was 1983, with 21. 25% 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, 113 have fewer than Valparaiso.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1981 | 14 | $96,000 |
| Hurricane Ike2008 | 11 | $262,000 |
Porter County, which includes Valparaiso, has been named in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1991, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 4 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on August 25, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Porter County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and coastal flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $58.2 million a year, the 8th highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $25.2 million (43%), 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 Valparaiso
- Portage, IN9 mi
- Chesterton, IN10 mi
- Westville, IN10 mi
- Hobart, IN11 mi
- Wanatah, IN11 mi
- Lake Station, IN12 mi
- Kouts, IN12 mi
- Hebron, IN13 mi
- Merrillville, IN14 mi
- Crown Point, IN15 mi
- Gary, IN16 mi
- Griffith, IN19 mi
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