Tornadoes · United States · Indiana · 2026
Unrated tornado, Malden, Indiana, June 11, 2026
This Unrated tornado ran 0.2 miles across Porter County on June 11, 2026, touching down at 8:23 PM CDT and reaching 10 yards wide. It killed nobody.
Preliminary. This is NWS LOT's damage survey, filed in the Damage Assessment Toolkit as Kouts Satellite. The rating, the path and the casualties are the survey's and can change while it is revised. The Storm Prediction Center compiles the official record of 2026 from these surveys and publishes it in the spring of 2027; this page moves to that tornado's permanent address when it does.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unratedthis tornado
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
The survey
- Rating, as surveyed
- Unrated, preliminary
- Date
- June 11, 2026
- Touchdown
- 8:23 PM CDT (01:23 UTC)
- Lifted
- 8:24 PM CDT (01:24 UTC)
- On the ground
- 1 minutes
- Path length
- 0.2 miles (0.4 km)
- Path width
- 10 yards (9 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Porter County
- Touchdown point
- 41.366, -86.934
- Lift-off point
- 41.368, -86.931
- Surveyed by
- NWS LOT
- The office's name for it
- Kouts Satellite
- Survey last edited
- July 6, 2026
- Record number
- None yet. SPC numbers 2026 in the spring of 2027.
What the survey found
Based on storm chaser and storm spotter photos and videos, a tornado developed to the west of the weakening Kouts tornado. The location is estimated based on triangulation of the aforementioned photos and videos. With no known damage caused by the tornado, it has been rated an EFU.
Written by NWS LOT in the NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit. A survey is revised as better evidence arrives.
The damage survey
156 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS IWX and NWS LOT, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EFU. The highest wind the damage implies is 165 mph.
- Garage door open or penetrated. Blew out back wall. Single damage on south side
- Entire row of trees and hedges uprooted toward the NNW and NW.
- Additional views of downed towers. Picture of standing towers also included for reference.
- Two homes with significant roof damage. RV camper turned over.
Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.
What the Weather Service recorded
Severe thunderstorms moved across northwest Indiana during the afternoon and evening of June 11th producing wind damage, localized flooding and several tornadoes.
Based on storm chaser and spotter photos and videos a brief satellite tornado developed just south of the primary and weakening tornado moving through Kouts. The location of this tornado is based on triangulation of the photos and videos. This tornado did not produce any known damage.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
32 minutes of warning. NWS LOT issued a tornado warning for this county at 00:51 UTC, 32 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 01:30 UTC.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 19:02 UTC and running to 02:00 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15:05 UTC | 02:13 UTC | Flood Watch | LOT |
| 19:02 UTC | 02:00 UTC | Tornado Watch | LOT |
| 19:41 UTC | 20:27 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LOT |
| 00:35 UTC | 01:09 UTC | Tornado Warning | LOT |
| 00:37 UTC | 03:45 UTC | Flood Advisory | LOT |
| 00:51 UTC | 01:30 UTC | Tornado Warning | LOT |
| 01:30 UTC | 02:19 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LOT |
| 03:49 UTC | 00:00 UTC | Flood Advisory | LOT |
Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.
The forecast that day
The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Enhanced Risk, with a 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 01:00 UTC.
SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.
The air that afternoon
The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.
Lincoln, IL (KILX), 12:00Z
10.6 hours after it, 195 km from the path. June 12, 2026.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -10754 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1364 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 66 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 20 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -26 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 79 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 2.9 K/km
The surface observations
Valparaiso (VPZ), 12 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23:56 UTC | 80 | 74 | 150° 8 kt | 1004.7 | ||
| 00:38 UTC | 80 | 74 | 160° 6 kt | 1004.4 | VCTS | |
| 00:56 UTC | 81 | 73 | 190° 8 kt | 1005.1 | TS | |
| 01:12 UTC | 72 | 69 | 310° 16 kt | 25 | 1005.8 | +TSRA |
| 01:20 UTC | 69 | 69 | 310° 11 kt | 1004.7 | +TSRA FG | |
| 01:34 UTC | 70 | 70 | 4 kt | 1004.1 | -TSRA BR | |
| 01:42 UTC | 70 | 70 | 20° 7 kt | 1003.7 | -TSRA | |
| 01:56 UTC | 71 | 70 | 1004.1 | -TSRA BR | ||
| 02:00 UTC | 73 | 71 | 280° 15 kt | 24 | 1004.4 | +TSRA BR |
| 02:07 UTC | 73 | 72 | 270° 10 kt | 24 | 1005.1 | -TSRA BR |
| 02:14 UTC | 75 | 71 | 260° 22 kt | 33 | 1005.8 | VCTS -RA |
| 02:25 UTC | 74 | 71 | 290° 15 kt | 28 | 1006.1 | -TSRA |
| 02:36 UTC | 71 | 67 | 290° 5 kt | 1006.1 | -TSRA | |
| 02:47 UTC | 71 | 67 | 250° 12 kt | 20 | 1006.8 | VCTS -RA |
| 02:56 UTC | 72 | 68 | 240° 11 kt | 1006.8 | -RA |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Chicago radar (KLOT), 100 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 01:19 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
What was reported nearby
Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:11 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 W St. John | Lake, IN | Public report of multiple uprooted trees and broken branches near Gettler Street and 99th Place. Time estimated by radar. |
| 00:11 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 W St. John | Lake, IN | Public report of multiple uprooted trees and broken branches near Gettler Street and 99th Place. Time estimated by radar. |
| 00:11 UTC | TORNADO | 3 Wsw St. John | Lake, IN | NWS survey confirms a preliminary EF-0 tornado. Peak winds near 85 mph, width of 150 yards, and length of 5.5 miles. |
| 00:16 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 W St. John | Lake, IN | Multiple large branches broken, tree branches on house, near 93rd Avenue and Northcote Avenue. |
| 00:16 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 W St. John | Lake, IN | Multiple large branches broken, tree branches on house, near 93rd Avenue and Northcote Avenue. |
| 00:24 UTC | TSTM WND GST 54 | 3 Nw Merrillville | Lake, IN | Private weather station KINMERRI15 reported 54 mph gust. |
| 00:24 UTC | TSTM WND GST 54 | 3 Nw Merrillville | Lake, IN | Private weather station KINMERRI15 reported 54 mph gust. |
| 00:25 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 N Merrillville | Lake, IN | Roof damage to Andrean High School in Merrillville. Multiple large branches broken in the vicinity. Possible tornado. Relayed via broadcast media. |
| 00:25 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 N Merrillville | Lake, IN | Roof damage to Andrean High School in Merrillville. Multiple large branches broken in the vicinity. Possible tornado. Relayed via broadcast media. |
| 00:25 UTC | TORNADO | 3 Se Griffith | Lake, IN | *** 1 INJ *** Corrects previous tornado report from 3 SE Griffith. An NWS damage survey confirmed an EF-2 tornado with peak winds of 120 mph, path length of 6.5 miles, and maximum width of 700 yards. |
| 00:25 UTC | TORNADO | 3 Se Griffith | Lake, IN | *** 1 INJ *** Corrects previous tornado report from 3 SE Griffith. An NWS damage survey confirmed an EF-2 tornado with peak winds of 120 mph, path length of 6.5 miles, and maximum width of 700 yards. |
| 00:25 UTC | TORNADO | 3 Se Griffith | Lake, IN | An NWS damage survey confirmed an EF-2 tornado with peak winds of 120 mph, path length of 6.5 miles, and maximum width of 700 yards. |
| 00:29 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | 3 W Cedar Lake | Lake, IN | Trained spotter reports rotating wall cloud with funnel cloud just west of Cedar Lake. |
| 00:29 UTC | FUNNEL CLOUD | 3 W Cedar Lake | Lake, IN | Trained spotter reports rotating wall cloud with funnel cloud just west of Cedar Lake. |
| 00:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Nnw Merrillville | Lake, IN | Damage to trees, power lines, and structures near 61st Avenue and Adams Street in Merrillville. Possible tornado. Time estimated by radar. |
| 00:32 UTC | TORNADO | 2 Ssw Cedar Lake | Lake, IN | NWS survey confirms a preliminary EF-0 tornado. Peak winds of 80 mph, width of 150 yards, and length of 4.1 miles. |
| 00:33 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Sw Cedar Lake | Lake, IN | Public report of roof damage and fence damage on Drummond Street in southwest Cedar Lake. Time estimated by radar. |
| 00:33 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Sw Cedar Lake | Lake, IN | Public report of roof damage and fence damage on Drummond Street in southwest Cedar Lake. Time estimated by radar. |
| 00:36 UTC | TORNADO | 3 Ne Schneider | Lake, IN | NWS survey confirms a preliminary EF-0 tornado. Peak winds of 85 mph, width of 200 yards, and length of 12.6 miles. |
| 00:41 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Ogden Dunes | Porter, IN | Several trees downed across Ogden Dunes, including some onto houses and cars. |
| 00:41 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Ogden Dunes | Porter, IN | Several trees downed across Ogden Dunes, including some onto houses and cars. |
| 00:45 UTC | FLOOD | 2 Ene Cedar Lake | Lake, IN | Roadway flooding near 133rd Avenue and Colfax Avenue near Cedar Lake. Relayed via amateur radio. |
| 00:45 UTC | FLOOD | 2 Ene Cedar Lake | Lake, IN | Roadway flooding near 133rd Avenue and Colfax Avenue near Cedar Lake. Relayed via amateur radio. |
| 00:48 UTC | TORNADO | 5 Ne Shelby | Lake, IN | An NWS damage survey confirmed an EF-3 tornado with peak winds of 165 mph, path length of 22.2 miles, and maximum width of 400 yards. |
| 00:48 UTC | TORNADO | 5 Ne Shelby | Lake, IN | An NWS damage survey confirmed an EF-3 tornado with peak winds of 165 mph, path length of 22.2 miles, and maximum width of 400 yards. |
| 00:49 UTC | TSTM WND GST 56 | 1 Ene Ogden Dunes | Porter, IN | Private weather station KINPORTA72 reported 56 mph gust. |
| 00:49 UTC | TSTM WND GST 56 | 1 Ene Ogden Dunes | Porter, IN | Private weather station KINPORTA72 reported 56 mph gust. |
| 00:51 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 E Dune Acres | Porter, IN | Indiana Dunes National Park law enforcement report numerous trees and powerlines downed across the park. Two large branches approximately 20 inches in diameter fallen on park structures. Time estimated by radar. |
| 00:51 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 E Dune Acres | Porter, IN | Indiana Dunes National Park law enforcement report numerous trees and powerlines downed across the park. Two large branches approximately 20 inches in diameter fallen on park structures. Time estimated by radar. |
| 00:51 UTC | TORNADO | 4 Sw Hebron | Lake, IN | Public report of tornado on the grand east of Lowell near I-65. |
| 00:51 UTC | TORNADO | 4 Sw Hebron | Lake, IN | Public report of tornado on the grand east of Lowell near I-65. |
| 00:54 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 N Portage | Porter, IN | Widespread tree damage reported in Portage. Time estimated from radar. |
| 00:54 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 N Portage | Porter, IN | Widespread tree damage reported in Portage. Time estimated from radar. |
| 00:58 UTC | TORNADO | 2 Sse Hebron | Porter, IN | Storm chaser video shows tornado southeast of Hebron. |
| 00:58 UTC | TORNADO | 2 Sse Hebron | Porter, IN | Storm chaser video shows tornado southeast of Hebron. |
| 01:00 UTC | RAIN 2.73 | 1 E Dyer | Lake, IN | Private weather station KINSCHER24 reported 2.73 inches of rainfall during two waves of rainfall between 2 PM and 8 PM. |
| 01:00 UTC | RAIN 2.73 | 1 E Dyer | Lake, IN | Private weather station KINSCHER24 reported 2.73 inches of rainfall during two waves of rainfall between 2 PM and 8 PM. |
| 01:02 UTC | TORNADO | 4 Sse Boone Grove | Porter, IN | Trained spotter report of tornado near 900 South Road and 200 West Road with debris in the air. |
| 01:02 UTC | TORNADO | 4 Sse Boone Grove | Porter, IN | Trained spotter report of tornado near 900 South Road and 200 West Road with debris in the air. |
| 01:05 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 Se Lake Village | Newton, IN | Report of snapped corn and flipped over irrigation system. Time estimated by radar. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2026 tornado in IndianaEvery tornado in Indiana since 1950Warnings in force in Indiana nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of June 11, 2026
65 more have been surveyed in the United States that day, so far.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 11 | 5:10 AM CDT | EF1 | Cass, NE | 2.0 | 40 | |||
| June 11 | 5:15 AM CDT | EF0 | Cass, NE | 0.3 | 20 | |||
| June 11 | 5:21 AM CDT | EF1 | Cass, NE | 2.0 | 40 | |||
| June 11 | 5:29 AM CDT | EF1 | Fremont, IA | 1.5 | 30 | |||
| June 11 | 5:33 AM CDT | EF0 | Mills, IA | 1.7 | 20 | |||
| June 11 | 5:58 AM CDT | EF1 | Page, IA | 7.2 | 100 | |||
| June 11 | 6:08 AM CDT | EF1 | Montgomery, IA | 5.7 | 0 | |||
| June 11 | 6:08 AM CDT | EF1 | Montgomery, IA | 5.7 | 0 | |||
| June 11 | 6:11 AM CDT | EF1 | Page, IA | 1.9 | 50 | |||
| June 11 | 6:26 AM CDT | EF2 | Adams, IA | 6.0 | 200 | |||
| June 11 | 4:05 PM CDT | Unrated | Washington, IA | 0.1 | 0 | |||
| June 11 | 4:15 PM CDT | Unrated | Hancock, IL | 0.2 | 0 | |||
| June 11 | 4:54 PM CDT | Unrated | McDonough, IL | 0.1 | 0 | |||
| June 11 | 4:56 PM CDT | EF3 | Woodford, IL | 11.2 | 930 | |||
| June 11 | 5:17 PM CDT | EF0 | Fulton, IL | 2.4 | 30 | |||
| June 11 | 5:31 PM CDT | Unrated | Fulton, IL | 0.2 | 20 | |||
| June 11 | 5:31 PM CDT | EF1 | LaSalle, IL | 4.4 | 500 | |||
| June 11 | 5:32 PM CDT | EF3 | Livingston, IL | 11.9 | 600 | 7 | ||
| June 11 | 5:44 PM CDT | EF1 | Livingston, IL | 22.8 | 900 | |||
| June 11 | 5:55 PM CDT | Unrated | Livingston, IL | 0.8 | 250 | |||
| June 11 | 5:58 PM CDT | Unrated | LaSalle, IL | 0.3 | 100 | |||
| June 11 | 6:08 PM CDT | EF1 | Tazewell, IL | 12.9 | 300 | |||
| June 11 | 6:12 PM CDT | EF1 | Kenosha, WI | 0.5 | 75 | |||
| June 11 | 6:12 PM CDT | Unrated | Bureau, IL | 1.4 | 0 | |||
| June 11 | 7:01 PM CDT | Unrated | Lee, IL | 6.0 | 50 | |||
| June 11 | 7:06 PM CDT | EF0 | McLean, IL | 11.0 | 100 | |||
| June 11 | 7:08 PM CDT | Unrated | Kankakee, IL | 0.6 | 50 | |||
| June 11 | 7:11 PM CDT | EF0 | Lake, IN | 6.0 | 150 | |||
| June 11 | 7:20 PM CDT | EF1 | Champaign, IL | 9.1 | 0 | |||
| June 11 | 7:23 PM CDT | EF1 | Ford, IL | 6.9 | 100 | |||
| June 11 | 7:25 PM CDT | EF2 | Lake, IN | 6.5 | 700 | 1 | ||
| June 11 | 7:26 PM CDT | EF1 | Champaign, IL | 3.0 | 150 | |||
| June 11 | 7:32 PM CDT | EF0 | Lake, IN | 4.1 | 150 | |||
| June 11 | 7:36 PM CDT | EF0 | Lake, IN | 12.7 | 200 | |||
| June 11 | 7:39 PM CDT | EF1 | Vermilion, IL | 13.6 | 100 | |||
| June 11 | 7:44 PM CDT | EF1 | Vermilion, IL | 8.1 | 100 | |||
| June 11 | 7:45 PM CDT | EF0 | Iroquois, IL | 2.1 | 250 | |||
| June 11 | 7:48 PM CDT | EF1 | Iroquois, IL | 1.2 | 50 | |||
| June 11 | 7:48 PM CDT | EF3 | Lake, IN | 22.5 | 450 | |||
| June 11 | 7:52 PM CDT | EF1 | DuPage, IL | 3.0 | 400 | |||
| June 11 | 7:58 PM CDT | EF0 | Newton, IN | 12.6 | 200 | |||
| June 11 | 8:58 PM EDT | EF1 | Benton, IN | 12.3 | 250 | |||
| June 11 | 7:58 PM CDT | EF0 | Newton, IN | 15.6 | 200 | |||
| June 11 | 8:59 PM EDT | EF0 | Warren, IN | 10.5 | 75 | |||
| June 11 | 8:04 PM CDT | EF0 | DuPage, IL | 1.3 | 150 | |||
| June 11 | 8:15 PM CDT | EF2 | Cook, IL | 8.3 | 350 | 6 | ||
| June 11 | 9:29 PM EDT | EF0 | Barry, MI | 4.6 | 50 | |||
| June 11 | 9:31 PM EDT | EF0 | Kent, MI | 4.2 | 70 | |||
| June 11 | 9:31 PM EDT | EF0 | Carroll, IN | 3.4 | 75 | |||
| June 11 | 9:43 PM EDT | EF0 | Carroll, IN | 0.3 | 25 | |||
| June 11 | 9:46 PM EDT | EF1 | Cass, IN | 0.8 | 250 | |||
| June 11 | 9:58 PM EDT | EF1 | Cass, IN | 1.5 | 100 | |||
| June 11 | 10:11 PM EDT | EF1 | Marshall, IN | 0.7 | 125 | |||
| June 11 | 10:11 PM EDT | EF0 | Marshall, IN | 2.9 | 125 | |||
| June 11 | 10:22 PM EDT | EF1 | Wabash, IN | 4.7 | 0 | 2 | ||
| June 11 | 10:22 PM EDT | EF1 | Marshall, IN | 3.4 | 300 | |||
| June 11 | 10:33 PM EDT | EF1 | Huntington, IN | 5.8 | 75 | |||
| June 11 | 10:39 PM EDT | EF1 | Huntington, IN | 7.9 | 50 | |||
| June 11 | 10:42 PM EDT | EF2 | Elkhart, IN | 6.1 | 100 | 1 | ||
| June 11 | 10:44 PM EDT | EF1 | Huntington, IN | 0.7 | 25 |
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. A survey can be revised, so the rating, the path and the casualties can all still change.
Sources
NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit, the record the survey teams file from the damage, and NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports. Neither is the official database for 2026, which SPC publishes in the spring of 2027.