NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Walkerton, 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 Walkerton, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Ike in 2008. Since 1950, 115 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 115
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
79 deaths in all
What the records show for Walkerton
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Walkerton; the strongest was Ike in 2008, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 45 miles away. The record near Walkerton 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 Walkerton. The highest rating among the 115 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 11, 1965, came within 22 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 11, 1965, killed 36 people. Of the 115, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 37 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 32. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Walkerton has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 64% of the 356 Indiana cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 35 times since 1973, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 356 Indiana cities, 89% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Walkerton.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Walkerton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | IkeSep 14 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormSep 3 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 1 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 19 | 25 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 Walkerton: 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 Walkerton
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s19
- 2000s11(2 EF3+)
- 1990s15
- 1980s10
- 1970s16(2 EF3+)
- 1960s21(6 EF3+)
- 1950s16(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 17 mi | 37 mi | 36 / 321 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F4 | 22 mi | 21.2 mi | 31 / 252 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F3 | 5 mi | 35.6 mi | 10 / 82 |
| Oct 24, 2001 | F3 | 11 mi | 47 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Oct 18, 2007 | EF3 | 21 mi | 20.33 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 12, 1976 | F3 | 5 mi | 12.1 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Mar 12, 1976 | F3 | 15 mi | 12.6 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Nov 26, 1965 | F3 | 16 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 11, 1965 | F3 | 5 mi | 33.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 30, 1962 | F3 | 14 mi | 36.5 mi | 0 / 49 |
| Aug 12, 1956 | F3 | 21 mi | 23.4 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 21, 1951 | F3 | 24 mi | 5.4 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 115, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Walkerton
The Storm Prediction Center has 35 hail reports within 10 miles of Walkerton since 1973, made on 23 separate days. Of these, 24 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 March 31, 2023. June has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Walkerton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lakeville, IN, 12 miles east of Walkerton at 841 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 82°F and low of 61°F; January is the coolest, at 31°F and 15°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 7 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 140 nights a year. Snowfall averages 36.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 41.9 inches is more than at 47 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (41%). Plymouth, 13 miles southeast, has its own station (Plymouth, IN): 40.2 inches a year, 1.7 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 82°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 15 | 2.7 | 6 | 13.1 |
| Feb | 35 | 17 | 2.5 | 6 | 10.7 |
| Mar | 46 | 26 | 2.5 | 6 | 3.6 |
| Apr | 59 | 36 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.6 |
| May | 70 | 47 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 79 | 57 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 82 | 61 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 80 | 58 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 75 | 51 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 62 | 40 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 48 | 30 | 3.0 | 7 | 2.7 |
| Dec | 37 | 21 | 2.5 | 6 | 5.8 |
| Year | 59 | 38 | 41.9 | 81 | 36.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lakeville, IN (841 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 Walkerton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 104 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Walkerton: 98 thunderstorm wind reports, 3 flash floods and 3 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $8.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on July 23, 1999.
August 15, 2016: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Walkerton — $5.1 million damage.
February 20, 2018: flood 2 miles from the centre of Walkerton — $1.2 million damage.
NWS: “Damage occurred to several roads as a result of the record flooding from the Yellow River and associated drainage basin. Many county roads were closed for a period of time with even State Routes 30, 331 and 6 being impacted by flood waters.”
February 20, 2018: flood 4 miles from the centre of Walkerton — $1.1 million 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
St. Joseph County, which includes Walkerton, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 severe storms, 4 snowstorms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives St. Joseph County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $60.2 million a year, the 7th highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $27.5 million (46%), 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 Walkerton
- North Liberty, IN6 mi
- Lakeville, IN12 mi
- Plymouth, IN13 mi
- Knox, IN15 mi
- La Porte, IN15 mi
- Rolling Prairie, IN15 mi
- New Carlisle, IN16 mi
- Bremen, IN17 mi
- Culver, IN18 mi
- South Bend, IN18 mi
- Notre Dame, IN20 mi
- Wanatah, IN20 mi
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