Skip to content
Twisters.us
Find my countyFind my countyTexasKansasOklahomaSee all: StatesWhat to do in a tornadoWatch vs. warningStorm shelters and safe roomsSee all: Stay safeTornado Alley mapEF scaleEvery EF5See all: Records

Indiana · County tornado history

Hancock County, Indiana tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 24 tornadoes in Hancock County, Indiana from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.1 years. That ranks it 34 of 92 counties in Indiana with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on February 27, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
24
Since 2000
7
Strongest
F4, June 11, 1998
Most recent
EF1, February 27, 2023
Peak month
May (5)
Per 1,000 sq mi
78
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

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 Hancock County

May has brought the most, 5 of 24. About 58% touched down between 1 pm and 7 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) 3
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 5
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 10
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 3
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 Hancock County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 14, 1972 F4 30 mi 200 yd 20
April 3, 1974 F4 18.9 mi 10 yd 17
June 11, 1998 F4 13.2 mi 400 yd 4
April 3, 1974 F3 20.7 mi 440 yd 1 25
September 20, 2002 F3 112 mi 150 yd 127
November 26, 1965 F3 1 mi 200 yd 3
March 10, 1986 F2 17.8 mi 150 yd 1 1
May 30, 2004 F2 20 mi 100 yd 26
May 30, 2008 EF2 7.1 mi 150 yd 18
June 2, 1980 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd 4

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Hancock County was an F3 on April 3, 1974. It killed 1 person and injured 25 along its 20.7-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 27, 2023 EF1 0.3 mi 50 yd
February 27, 2023 EF1 5.2 mi 50 yd
October 26, 2010 EF0 0.5 mi 50 yd
May 30, 2008 EF1 4.5 mi 200 yd
May 30, 2008 EF2 7.1 mi 150 yd 18
May 30, 2004 F2 20 mi 100 yd 26
September 20, 2002 F3 112 mi 150 yd 127
June 11, 1998 F2 16 mi 300 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 Hancock County as relatively moderate, with a score of 74 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 $4,764,885 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 Hancock County had?

24 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 7 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Hancock County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on February 27, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Hancock County?

An F4 on June 11, 1998, with a 13.2-mile path.

When is tornado season in Hancock County?

May 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.