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Indiana · County tornado history

Elkhart County, Indiana tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 36 tornadoes in Elkhart County, Indiana from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.1 years. That ranks it 4 of 92 counties in Indiana with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on July 15, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
36
Since 2000
11
Strongest
F4, April 3, 1974
Most recent
EF1, July 15, 2024
Peak month
June (8)
Per 1,000 sq mi
77
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively High

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Elkhart County

June has brought the most, 8 of 36. About 58% touched down between 2 pm and 8 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 11
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 11
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 4
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Elkhart County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 11, 1965 F4 37 mi 333 yd 36 321
April 11, 1965 F4 21.2 mi 10 yd 31 252
April 3, 1974 F4 108.7 mi 1,760 yd 18 285
April 11, 1965 F4 21.6 mi 177 yd 5 41
April 11, 1965 F3 35.6 mi 250 yd 10 82
April 30, 1962 F3 36.5 mi 10 yd 49
October 18, 2007 EF3 20.3 mi 880 yd
October 24, 2001 F2 4.6 mi 1,320 yd 3
April 28, 1964 F2 4.5 mi 100 yd 2
June 24, 1958 F2 7.3 mi 10 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Elkhart County was an F4 on April 11, 1965. It killed 36 people and injured 321 along its 37-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
July 15, 2024 EF1 1.2 mi 250 yd
August 20, 2016 EF0 0.1 mi 50 yd
September 27, 2011 EF0 0.6 mi 30 yd
June 23, 2010 EF0 1.9 mi 50 yd
June 23, 2010 EF0 0.3 mi 25 yd
June 23, 2010 EF1 3.5 mi 100 yd
June 23, 2010 EF1 1.1 mi 50 yd
June 23, 2010 EF1 11.8 mi 50 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Elkhart County as relatively high, with a score of 91 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.23 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $7,191,132 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Elkhart County had?

36 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 11 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Elkhart County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on July 15, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Elkhart County?

An F4 on April 3, 1974, with a 108.7-mile path.

When is tornado season in Elkhart County?

June has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.