Tornadoes · United States · Indiana · 2026

EF2 tornado, South Gate to Drewersburg, Indiana, June 17, 2026

Name: EF2 tornado, South Gate to Drewersburg, Indiana, June 17, 2026
Start: 2026-06-18T05:22:00.000Z
End: 2026-06-18T05:33:00.000Z
Location: South Gate to Drewersburg, Indiana

From South Gate to Drewersburg, this EF2 tornado ran 7.6 miles across Franklin and Butler counties on June 17, 2026, touching down at 1:22 AM EDT and reaching 400 yards wide. It killed nobody.

Preliminary. This is NWS ILN's damage survey, filed in the Damage Assessment Toolkit as Drewersburg IN. 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 mphthis tornado
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.
Unrated
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: EF2, preliminary
Date: June 17, 2026
Touchdown: 1:22 AM EDT (05:22 UTC)
Lifted: 1:33 AM EDT (05:33 UTC)
On the ground: 11 minutes
Path length: 7.6 miles (12.3 km)
Path width: 400 yards (366 m)
Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Counties: Franklin and Butler counties
Touchdown point: 39.341, -84.930
Lift-off point: 39.330, -84.789
Highest wind the damage implies: 125 mph
Surveyed by: NWS ILN
The office's name for it: Drewersburg IN
Survey last edited: July 1, 2026
Record number: None yet. SPC numbers 2026 in the spring of 2027.

What the survey found

The tornado curved southeast as it moved onto State Line Road, blowing some large tree limbs down. The tornado weakened to EF-0 intensity as it moved into Butler County, Ohio. A few large tree limbs were knocked down on Schradin Road, and this is believed to be the end of the tornado.

The National Weather Service would like to thank the Franklin County, Indiana Emergency Management Agency and the Butler County, Ohio Emergency Agency for their assistance and support with this damage survey.

Written by NWS ILN in the NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit. A survey is revised as better evidence arrives.

The damage survey

15 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS ILN, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF2. The highest wind the damage implies is 125 mph.

Large tree limb down at residence. Can see debris across into corn field and circulation in corn
Roof completely removes and some walls collapsed
Tree limbs broken in field east of state line rd on Ohio side

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

Thunderstorms developed during the evening hours and continued into the overnight hours as a low pressure system moved through the Ohio Valley.

The first evidence of tornado damage occurred along Gobblers Knob Road, where some trees were damaged. Additional damage was found on Seeley Road, where large tree limbs were knocked down. The tornado moved east, producing more tree damage along Johnson Fork Road. The tornado strengthened as it moved into Drewersburg, producing more significant tree damage along Welsh Drive and Drewersburg Road. One single family home along Welsh Road had its roof completely lifted off with collapse of some exterior walls.||Winds that produced this damage were estimated to be around 125 mph, which corresponds to an EF-2 rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The tornado continued east, where a roof was lifted off of a home on Drewersburg Road.||The tornado curved southeast as it moved onto State Line Road, blowing some large tree limbs down. The tornado weakened to EF-0 intensity as it moved into Butler County, Ohio, at 0030EST, about a half mile north of Drewersburg. The tornado continued southeast into Butler County, Ohio, before dissipating at 0033EST near Schradin Road, five miles northeast of Harrison, Ohio.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Wilmington, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Jun 17, 9:50 PM EDT, 3 hours 32 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

1) A deep low pressure system brings the chance for severe thunderstorms, flash flooding, and gusty winds overnight.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 17, 9:50 PM EDT, 3 hours 32 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
950 PM EDT Wed Jun 17 2026

.WHAT HAS CHANGED...
Expanded flood watch.

&&

.KEY MESSAGES...
1) A deep low pressure system brings the chance for severe
thunderstorms, flash flooding, and gusty winds overnight.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
KEY MESSAGE 1)

Showers and embedded thunderstorms continue to move across the area.
Severe thunderstorms are expected to move across the area overnight.
There is quite a bit of shear in addition to strong winds with this
system and therefore damaging winds and tornadoes will be a threat.
In addition, given a somewhat west to east orientation there will be
the potential for flash flooding as well and did some expansion of
the flood watch for flash flooding as well. Gusty winds will be
possible outside of thunderstorms and also during the day on Thursday
as well.

&&

.AVIATION /01Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
Rain showers with some embedded thunderstorms will continue to move
across the region this evening. During the overnight hours a broken
line of storms is expected to move through the TAF sites. Have tempo
IFR conditions along with thunderstorms and gusty winds. Went with
wind gusts around 35 to 40 knots as the storms move through, however
there is the potential for some higher gusts. Wind gusts are also
expected at times overnight outside of thunderstorms as well. LLWS is
expected too overnight.

Thunderstorms will move out of the TAF sites by morning and there
will be a brief decrease in winds although not expecting them to go
calm. Winds will pick up during the day on Thursday with additional
wind gusts. Cu are expected in addition to some mid and high clouds
on Thursday. Some scattered shower activity during the afternoon is
also possible.

OUTLOOK...Thunderstorms possible Sunday and Monday.

&&

.ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OH...Flood Watch through Thursday morning for OHZ042-051-053-060>062-070-
     071-077>079-081.
KY...Flood Watch through Thursday morning for KYZ089>099.
IN...Flood Watch through Thursday morning for INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-
     080.

&&

DISCUSSION...08/04
AVIATION...08

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 17, 9:29 PM EDT, 3 hours 53 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
929 PM EDT Wed Jun 17 2026

KYZ100-OHZ026-034-035-043>046-052-054>056-063>065-072>074-080-082-
088-190130-
Lewis-Hardin-Mercer-Auglaize-Shelby-Logan-Union-Delaware-Champaign-
Madison-Franklin-Licking-Fayette-Pickaway-Fairfield-Clinton-Ross-
Hocking-Highland-Pike-Scioto-
929 PM EDT Wed Jun 17 2026

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Kentucky, central
Ohio, south central Ohio, southwest Ohio and west central Ohio.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Severe thunderstorms will be possible overnight. Damaging wind is
the primary threat. However, localized flash flooding and isolated
tornadoes are also possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is likely overnight.

INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>099-OHZ042-051-053-060>062-070-
071-077>079-081-190130-
Wayne-Fayette-Union-Franklin-Ripley-Dearborn-Ohio-Switzerland-
Carroll-Gallatin-Boone-Kenton-Campbell-Owen-Grant-Pendleton-Bracken-
Robertson-Mason-Darke-Miami-Clark-Preble-Montgomery-Greene-Butler-
Warren-Hamilton-Clermont-Brown-Adams-
929 PM EDT Wed Jun 17 2026

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for east central Indiana,
southeast Indiana, northern Kentucky, south central Ohio, southwest
Ohio and west central Ohio.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Flood Watch.

Severe thunderstorms will be possible overnight. Damaging wind is
the primary threat along with the possibility for a few tornadoes.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Flood Watch.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is likely overnight.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 17, 11:38 PM EDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
1138 PM EDT Wed Jun 17 2026

INZ073-180415-
Ripley IN-
1138 PM EDT Wed Jun 17 2026

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT PORTIONS OF RIPLEY COUNTY
THROUGH 1215 AM EDT...

At 1138 PM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located 9 miles northeast
of Vernon, moving east at 35 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 45 mph and very heavy rain.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects. Visibility will be poor and hydroplaning
         is possible.

Locations impacted include...
Versailles, Milan, Osgood, Holton, Friendship, Versailles Lake, Cross
Plains, Rexville, Otter Village, Benham, Olean, and New Marion.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a sturdy building.

Motorists should slow down and use extra caution.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 500 AM EDT for southeastern
Indiana.

To report hazardous weather conditions, go to our website at
weather.gov/iln and submit your report via social media, when you can
do so safely.

&&

LAT...LON 3916 8544 3919 8509 3893 8514 3893 8520
      3892 8520 3893 8545
TIME...MOT...LOC 0338Z 279DEG 32KT 3905 8544

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...45 MPH

Hatzos

Local storm report, Jun 18, 1:12 AM EDT, 10 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
112 AM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1237 AM     Tstm Wnd Gst     2 SE Hebron             39.04N 84.67W
06/18/2026  M60 MPH          Boone              KY   ASOS

            ASOS station KCVG Cincinnati/Northern
            Kentucky International Airport.

&&

Local storm report, Jun 18, 1:19 AM EDT, 3 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
119 AM EDT Thu Jun 18 2026

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0100 AM     Flood            2 SSE Norwood           39.14N 84.44W
06/18/2026                   Hamilton           OH   Emergency Mngr

            High water reported over roadways with
            vehicles stranded and water rescues
            underway.

&&

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.

Cncnati-Daytn, OH (KILN), 00:00Z

5.4 hours before the tornado, 92 km from the path. June 18, 2026.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 136 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -23 J/kg
Surface CAPE: 620 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1205 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 78 kt
0-1 km bulk shear: 34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 427 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 684 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.2
Supercell composite: 3.4
0-3 km lapse rate: 6.5 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Cncnati-Daytn, OH (KILN), 12:00Z

6.6 hours after it, 92 km from the path. June 18, 2026.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.

Hodograph

Mixed-layer CAPE: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -82 J/kg
Surface CAPE: 236 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1110 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 66 kt
0-1 km bulk shear: 32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -10 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 330 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.3
0-3 km lapse rate: 4.7 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Harrison (I67), 11 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)	Temp (°F)	Dew point (°F)	Wind	Gust (kt)	Pressure (mb)	Weather
00:00 UTC

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Cincinnati radar (KILN), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 05:24 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.

This ground now

The live radar over the track Every 2026 tornado in Indiana Every tornado in Indiana since 1950 Warnings in force in Indiana now The forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of June 17, 2026

27 more have been surveyed in the United States that day, so far.

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Injuries
June 17	7:23 AM CDT	EF1	Jefferson, IA	2.0	0
June 17	8:25 AM CDT	EF1	Warren, IL	1.3	100
June 17	9:05 AM CDT	EF1	Lee, IA to IL	1.3	100
June 17	1:28 PM CDT	Unrated	Dale, AL	5.3	0
June 17	1:30 PM CDT	Unrated	Dale, AL	5.1	0
June 17	4:12 PM CDT	EF0	Coffee, AL	0.5	50
June 17	4:19 PM CDT	EF1	Menard, IL	24.1	150
June 17	4:53 PM CDT	EF2	Allamakee, IA to WI	33.5	320
June 17	5:05 PM CDT	EF1	Christian, IL	10.7	700
June 17	5:27 PM CDT	EF1	Shelby, IL	3.4	75
June 17	5:45 PM CDT	EF1	Grant, WI	21.7	150
June 17	6:32 PM CDT	EF1	Iowa, WI	6.6	100
June 17	6:42 PM CDT	EF2	Coles, IL	13.8	800	1
June 17	6:48 PM CDT	EF0	Sangamon, IL	5.7	200
June 17	7:10 PM CDT	EF1	Dane, WI	2.7	300
June 17	7:16 PM CDT	EF0	Lafayette, WI	1.2	50
June 17	7:56 PM CDT	EF3	Effingham, IL	31.9	500	2
June 17	9:07 PM EDT	EF1	Vigo, IN	6.6	300
June 17	8:36 PM CDT	EF1	Jasper, IL	1.1	125
June 17	8:41 PM CDT	Unrated	Jasper, IL	2.0	20
June 17	9:44 PM EDT	EF3	Owen, IN	18.5	880	1
June 17	9:32 PM CDT	EF0	Lake, IL	0.3	125
June 17	10:43 PM EDT	EF1	Brown, IN	1.4	100
June 17	12:03 AM EDT	EF1	Jackson, IN	6.3	325
June 17	12:14 AM EDT	EF2	Dearborn, IN to KY	8.9	450	1
June 17	12:34 AM EDT	EF1	Boone, KY	6.2	400
June 17	12:56 AM CDT	EF0	Terrebonne Parish, LA	3.0	200

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.