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Indiana · County tornado history

LaGrange County, Indiana tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 14 tornadoes in LaGrange County, Indiana from 1950 through 2024, about one every 5.4 years. That ranks it 75 of 92 counties in Indiana with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on September 24, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
14
Since 2000
2
Strongest
F4, April 11, 1965
Most recent
EF1, September 24, 2024
Peak month
April (6)
Per 1,000 sq mi
36
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 LaGrange County

April has brought the most, 6 of 14. About 86% touched down between 3 pm and 9 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) 2
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 5
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 3
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
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 LaGrange County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 11, 1965 F4 37 mi 333 yd 36 321
April 11, 1965 F4 21.6 mi 177 yd 5 41
April 3, 1974 F3 36.2 mi 1,000 yd 5 53
May 6, 1961 F3 33.4 mi 800 yd 5
March 12, 1976 F2 9.3 mi 100 yd 9
March 12, 1976 F2 13.4 mi 127 yd 8
April 3, 1956 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
April 3, 1974 F1 8.8 mi 350 yd 5
September 24, 2024 EF1 1.9 mi 125 yd 2
October 5, 1978 F1 1 mi 40 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch LaGrange 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
September 24, 2024 EF1 1.9 mi 125 yd 2
June 30, 2014 EF1 0.9 mi 50 yd
May 18, 1997 F0 1 mi 200 yd 1
May 18, 1997 F0 1 mi 100 yd 1
April 8, 1980 F1 0.5 mi 60 yd
October 5, 1978 F1 1 mi 40 yd
March 12, 1976 F2 9.3 mi 100 yd 9
March 12, 1976 F2 13.4 mi 127 yd 8

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 LaGrange County as relatively moderate, with a score of 81 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.19 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,291,739 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 LaGrange County had?

14 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 2 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in LaGrange County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on September 24, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in LaGrange County?

An F4 on April 11, 1965, with a 21.6-mile path.

When is tornado season in LaGrange County?

April 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.