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

White County, Indiana tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 26 tornadoes in White County, Indiana from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.9 years. That ranks it 29 of 92 counties in Indiana with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on March 31, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
26
Since 2000
14
Strongest
F4, April 3, 1974
Most recent
EF0, March 31, 2023
Peak month
June (6)
Per 1,000 sq mi
51
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

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 White County

June has brought the most, 6 of 26. About 65% 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) 13
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 5
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 0
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
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 White County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 3, 1974 F4 108.7 mi 1,760 yd 18 285
June 13, 1958 F2 8.4 mi 50 yd
July 28, 1961 F2 0.1 mi 33 yd
April 14, 1968 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
November 17, 2013 EF2 12 mi 1,200 yd
November 17, 2013 EF2 4.2 mi 300 yd
November 17, 2013 EF2 9.2 mi 900 yd
March 31, 2023 EF2 15.2 mi 500 yd
June 5, 2010 EF1 12.6 mi 150 yd 2
June 1, 1954 F1 0.1 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 White County was an F4 on April 3, 1974. It killed 18 people and injured 285 along its 108.7-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 31, 2023 EF0 1.3 mi 125 yd
March 31, 2023 EF2 15.2 mi 500 yd
August 15, 2018 EF0 0.3 mi 22 yd
July 23, 2017 EF0 1.7 mi 50 yd
May 20, 2017 EF0 1.2 mi 50 yd
March 31, 2016 EF0 3.1 mi 120 yd
November 17, 2013 EF1 0.8 mi 150 yd
November 17, 2013 EF2 9.2 mi 900 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 White County as relatively low, with a score of 53 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.40 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,411,782 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 White County had?

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

When was the last tornado in White County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on March 31, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in White County?

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

When is tornado season in White 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.