NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Versailles, 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 Versailles, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1915. Since 1950, 88 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 88
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
23 deaths in all
What the records show for Versailles
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Versailles; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 71 miles away. The record near Versailles begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was an unnamed storm in 1915, a tropical storm 50 miles away. Of the 356 Indiana cities on this site, 65% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Versailles. The strongest of the 88 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on April 3, 1974; its path came within 21 miles, and it killed 3 people. The deadliest, an F4 on April 3, 1974, killed 11 people. Of the 88, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 40 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 32. The most recent tornado was on July 20, 2025. Of the 356 Indiana cities, 78% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Versailles. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 59 times since 1970, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 356 Indiana cities, 56% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Versailles.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Versailles
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Versailles: 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 Versailles
By decade
- 2020s18
- 2010s17(1 EF3+)
- 2000s5
- 1990s22(5 EF3+)
- 1980s2
- 1970s16(5 EF3+)
- 1960s5(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 21 mi | 20.8 mi | 3 / 210 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 7 mi | 35.6 mi | 11 / 190 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 21 mi | 35.6 mi | 4 / 17 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F4 | 25 mi | 26.7 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 22 mi | 33 mi | 0 / 37 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 13 mi | 27.1 mi | 0 / 104 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 5 mi | 8.69 mi | 3 / 5 |
| Sep 26, 1976 | F3 | 21 mi | 14.6 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Apr 9, 1999 | F3 | 4 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 9, 1999 | F3 | 13 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F3 | 18 mi | 41 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 19, 1963 | F3 | 14 mi | 85.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 88, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Versailles
The Storm Prediction Center has 59 hail reports within 10 miles of Versailles since 1970, made on 43 separate days. Of these, 26 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on April 29, 1970. The most recent report is from April 2, 2024. June has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Versailles
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is N Vernon 2 ESE, IN, 18 miles west of Versailles at 743 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 40°F and 23°F. April is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 49.4 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 19 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 102 nights a year. Snowfall averages 17.2 inches a year, most of it in February. That 49.4 inches is more than at 97 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (84%). Osgood, 9 miles north, has its own station (Greensburg, IN): 47.1 inches a year, 2.3 less than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 23 | 3.4 | 6 | 4.8 |
| Feb | 45 | 26 | 3.2 | 7 | 5.9 |
| Mar | 55 | 34 | 4.2 | 7 | 2.2 |
| Apr | 67 | 44 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.1 |
| May | 75 | 53 | 4.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 4.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 68 | 45 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 55 | 35 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Dec | 44 | 28 | 3.7 | 7 | 3.9 |
| Year | 65 | 44 | 49.4 | 79 | 17.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at N Vernon 2 ESE, IN (743 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 Versailles
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 199 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Versailles: 121 thunderstorm wind reports, 42 floods, 33 flash floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 70 mph, on June 15, 2010. June has had the most flash floods, 13 of 33. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 307 have had fewer than Versailles.
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
Ripley County, which includes Versailles, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Ripley County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $14.1 million a year, the 44th highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.0 million (50%), 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 Versailles
- Holton, IN7 mi
- Osgood, IN9 mi
- Milan, IN9 mi
- Dillsboro, IN11 mi
- Moores Hill, IN11 mi
- Sunman, IN17 mi
- Aurora, IN18 mi
- Batesville, IN18 mi
- Madison, IN18 mi
- Westport, IN20 mi
- Rising Sun, IN20 mi
- Vevay, IN20 mi
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