Tornadoes · United States · Indiana · 2026
EF1 tornado, Wilfred to Hymera, Indiana, June 21, 2026
From Wilfred to Hymera, this EF1 tornado ran 2.7 miles across Sullivan County on June 21, 2026, touching down at 6:22 PM EDT and reaching 425 yards wide. It killed nobody.
Preliminary. This is NWS IND's damage survey, filed in the Damage Assessment Toolkit as Hymera. 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 mphthis tornado
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.
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
- EF1, preliminary
- Date
- June 21, 2026
- Touchdown
- 6:22 PM EDT (22:22 UTC)
- Lifted
- 6:27 PM EDT (22:27 UTC)
- On the ground
- 5 minutes
- Path length
- 2.7 miles (4.4 km)
- Path width
- 425 yards (389 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Sullivan County
- Touchdown point
- 39.196, -87.354
- Lift-off point
- 39.187, -87.307
- Highest wind the damage implies
- 100 mph
- Surveyed by
- NWS IND
- The office's name for it
- Hymera
- Survey last edited
- June 22, 2026
- Record number
- None yet. SPC numbers 2026 in the spring of 2027.
What the survey found
The tornado touched down west of County Road 300 E before damaging a barn just to the east with part of the roof ripped off. The tornado caused extensive damage to a grove of trees between County Road 300E and 375E with additional damage to 3 structures along 375E. Structural damage was minor with damage to mainly siding or shingles, but many trees were snapped along the path. The tornado then continued southeastward snapping and uprooting more trees. The tornado crossed 475E before dissipating near State Road 48.
Written by NWS IND in the NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit. A survey is revised as better evidence arrives.
The damage survey
21 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS IND, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 105 mph.
- Power poles broken and large tree branches snapped
- Large tree uprooted and fell onto house causing roof damage. Tree was facing ESE
- Large tree branch snapped and facing E/ESE
- Tree facing east. Many trees downed likely by RFD winds
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
The 21st late day brought a quickly-evolving set-up featuring an increasingly moist column supported by an approaching Middle Mississippi Valley upper short wave trough, strengthening flow amid a warm frontal zone draped over the local central Indiana region providing 35-50KT of effective wind shear, and advection of higher low-level dewpoints with daytime heating which provided sufficient destabilization. Severe rotating supercells tracked across Illinois into southern central Indiana as they aligned into a Mesoscale Convective Vortex (MCV).||Wind damage occurred within nine central Indiana zones and as far east as Brown County, five (mainly EF-0) tornadoes were focused in Owen County and points south and west, while the region's farthest southwestern counties experienced scattered flash flooding following downpours from multiple supercells. A final EF-0 torando and flash flooding also occurred in Bartholomew County. This Bartholomew County EF-0 was Indiana's 63rd tornado in 2026...a new yearly state tornado record (73 events) was set later in the evening, with 74 tallied by the end of June 21st.
An EF-1 tornado with path length of 2.74 miles and path width of 425 yards tracked east-southeastward before ending at the western edge of Hymera. Damage was mostly limited to trees and a few structures northeast of Shelburn and northwest of Hymera. Peak winds were 100 mph.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The forecast that day
The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 19:57 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.
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 Indianapolis, IN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Jun 21, 5:35 PM EDT, 47 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Heavy rain and severe storms are possible this afternoon into early Monday
- Flooding threat for both river/non-river will increase through the early week from heavy rainfall on damp/saturated soils
- Temperatures will trend from slightly below normal to near normal through Saturday...trend to very warm/humid late in period
Area forecast discussion, Jun 21, 5:35 PM EDT, 47 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 535 PM EDT Sun Jun 21 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Heavy rain and severe storms are possible this afternoon into early Monday - Flooding threat for both river/non-river will increase through the early week from heavy rainfall on damp/saturated soils - Temperatures will trend from slightly below normal to near normal through Saturday...trend to very warm/humid late in period && .MESOSCALE UPDATE... Issued at 534 PM EDT Sun Jun 21 2026 An MCV currently located across central IL is pushing eastward towards the region. Dewpoints continue to rise ahead of the approaching disturbance amid increasing moisture advection. Latest surface observations depict dewpoints well in the 60s to near 70F. Dewpoints along or near the I-70 corridor are now in the low to mid 60s. This along with daytime heating has allowed for sufficient destabilization over the past few hours. Meanwhile, strengthening deep-layer flow is promoting effective shear around 35-50kt supporting supercell potential. Multiple tornadoes have already been reported across central Illinois recently with the modestly buoyant and highly sheared environment likely to push into southwest portions of central IN over the next hour and eventually further northeast. Latest IND VAD wind profiles already support this with an enlarging hodograph and significant low-level veering. Any discrete cells that form ahead of the developing linear storm mode across central Illinois will pose the greatest tornado threat, but line embedded tornadoes are also possible given ample low-level wind shear. Isolated large hail cannot be ruled out with any discrete cells. However, modest instability and potential for upscale growth in a moisture rich environment limits this threat. Radar imagery has shown one long-lived discrete supercell out ahead of the developing linear segments in central Illinois. If this supercell can continue to remain deviant it will likely impact far western portions of of the forecast area including Sullivan and Vigo counties within 20-25 minutes. The environment upstream of this storm remains favorable for supercell maintenance and tornado potential. && .DISCUSSION (This evening through Sunday)... Issued at 302 PM EDT Sun Jun 21 2026 This afternoon through Monday... Quiet weather conditions continue across central Indiana at this time ahead of an approaching MCS with an associated MCV. Look for this system to continue pushing eastward supporting widespread showers and thunderstorms towards this evening. Increasing clouds has limited destabilization to some degree, but moisture advection and daytime heating is allowing for gradual destabilization this afternoon. Deep-layer and low-level shear will also increase over the next several hours with the approaching disturbance promoting stronger flow. Favorable effective shear values around 30-50 kt combined with modest instability supports the potential for organized storms with all hazards possible. Latest model guidance still depicts enlarging low-level hodographs across portions of central IN favoring an isolated tornado threat. The greatest tornado threat is across southwest portions of central Indiana where the greatest instability and low-level wind shear overlap. Some uncertainty remains on storm mode at least initially. There does appear to be at least a brief opportunity for discrete cells later this afternoon into the early evening before multiple linear segments then develop leading to a greater damaging wind gust threat with embedded tornadoes possible. Isolated large hail cannot be ruled out, but modest instability and linear storm mode by the evening hours should mostly limit this threat. A Flood Watch is in effect through 8 AM Monday morning for much of central IN with the potential for 1 to 3 inches of rainfall from multiple rounds of storms. Locally higher amounts cannot be ruled out. Expect precipitation chances to diminish late tonight into Monday morning as the aforementioned disturbance shifts east. Surface high pressure will then build in providing quiet weather for much of the day Monday. Isolated showers are possible across east- central IN through the first half of the day. Lingering clouds and northerly surface flow will keep temperatures cooler. Look for highs in the 70s. Monday night through Sunday... Generally active pattern will continue this week amid overall zonal pattern. Established trough over northern North America that has been guiding mid-latitude pattern...will shift from south-central Canada to more pronounced, perhaps cut-off upper lows over SW Canada to the northern Rockies late this week. This transition will allow a subtropical ridge to build over the central US, bringing seasonably warm and humid conditions into Indiana next weekend. The next round of broad and seasonably weak Canadian surface high pressure will pass through Indiana Monday night to Tuesday night, dropping dewpoints to the mainly low to mid-50s at night, and light northerly breezes under H850 temperatures as low as 10 degrees Celsius during the day Tuesday. Transition back to more summery weather Wednesday with light southwest flow returning moderate humidity ahead of next wave...which should bring periods of scattered RWs/few TRWs through the Wednesday night-Thursday night period as the disturbance's boundary slowly crosses the region. Expect a shorter period of improvement around the Friday timeframe as western trough deepens near Vancouver...only allowing next northern surface ridge to graze the CWA, with isolated diurnal convective chances continuing...and increasing through Saturday as light southerly flow boosts humidity through moderate to high levels. Temperatures through the workweek to see subtle increase in afternoon maximums from around 80F to low 80s, although mid-80s should be more common along the US-50 corridor...while morning lows steadily climb from 50s to 65-70F by week's end. && .AVIATION (18Z TAF Issuance)... Issued at 140 PM EDT Sun Jun 21 2026 Impacts: - Scattered to numerous TSRA around 21Z-06Z...sct convection after - Outside of convection...CIGs to deteriorate from west to east, to MVFR 23Z-02Z...and to IFR, NW to SE, during 03Z-08Z - Winds veering to southerly by 04Z south of KLAF...and NNW by 18Z Monday Discussion: VFR conditions will continue near central Indiana terminals through 22Z at KLAF...and 23Z-02Z along/south of I-70. Surface low pressure, currently over northern Missouri, will slowly cross the region through the TAF period. Mid/high clouds will gradually give way to lower CIGs around 050-060 by 20Z-21Z. Associated area of convection currently over most of Illinois will reach KLAF/KHUF around 21Z...and KIND/KBMG by 23Z...continuing into the late evening. Expect further scattered -SHRA/convection through at least 12Z Monday. Winds to gust to 15-20KT at times through the period outside of convection...with flow veering with the passing surface low, from southeasterly this afternoon and early evening, to southerly by 04Z at sites south of KLAF. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flood Watch through Monday morning for INZ028>030-035>037-039- 043>048-051>057-060>065-067>072. && MESOSCALE...Melo AVIATION...AGM DISCUSSION...AGM/Melo
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 21, 4:36 PM EDT, 1 hour 46 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 436 PM EDT Sun Jun 21 2026 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>064-067>072-222045- Carroll-Warren-Tippecanoe-Clinton-Howard-Fountain-Montgomery-Boone- Tipton-Hamilton-Madison-Delaware-Randolph-Vermillion-Parke-Putnam- Hendricks-Marion-Hancock-Henry-Vigo-Clay-Owen-Morgan-Johnson-Shelby- Rush-Sullivan-Greene-Monroe-Brown-Bartholomew-Knox-Daviess-Martin- Lawrence-Jackson-Jennings- 436 PM EDT Sun Jun 21 2026 This hazardous weather outlook is for central Indiana. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Thunderstorms are expected this afternoon into tonight with some severe storms possible, mainly from through 100 AM EDT. Damaging winds and isolated tornadoes are the primary threats from the storms. Lightning is also a threat with any thunderstorm. In addition, moderate to heavy rainfall is expected this afternoon into tonight which may lead to localized flooding and increase current minor river flooding. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Additional thunderstorms are possible Monday and again Wednesday through Saturday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to pass along flooding and severe weather reports. && More information, along with other weather, hydrological and climate information can be found at http://weather.gov/ind INZ065-222045- Decatur- 436 PM EDT Sun Jun 21 2026 This hazardous weather outlook is for central Indiana. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Residents living southwest of McCoy Lake are encouraged to closely monitor conditions through tonight as releases from the dam are planned. Thunderstorms are expected this afternoon into tonight with some severe storms possible, mainly from through 100 AM EDT. Damaging winds and isolated tornadoes are the primary threats from the storms. Lightning is also a threat with any thunderstorm. In addition, moderate to heavy rainfall is expected this afternoon into tonight which may lead to localized flooding and increase current minor river flooding. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Additional thunderstorms are possible Monday and again Wednesday through Saturday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to pass along flooding and severe weather reports. && More information, along with other weather, hydrological and climate information can be found at http://weather.gov/ind
In the hours before
Local storm report, Jun 21, 6:21 PM EDT, 1 minute before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Indianapolis IN
621 PM EDT Sun Jun 21 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0613 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 1 N Indiana State Unive 39.49N 87.41W
06/21/2026 Vigo IN Public
Tree branch and shingles blown off by
thunderstorm winds.
&&
BHThe 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
10.4 hours before the tornado, 152 km from the path. June 21, 2026.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -96120 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1482 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 41 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 4 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 10 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 35 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 3.5 K/km
Lincoln, IL (KILX), 00:00Z
1.6 hours after it, 152 km from the path. June 22, 2026.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 43 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -35 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 101 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 643 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 58 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 27 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 194 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 223 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.1 K/km
The surface observations
Terre Haute (HUF), 29 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 Indianapolis radar (KIND), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 22:21 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 trackEvery 2026 tornado in IndianaEvery tornado in Indiana since 1950Warnings in force in Indiana nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of June 21, 2026
43 more have been surveyed in the United States that day, so far.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 21 | 2:21 PM CDT | EF0 | Saint Louis, MO | 0.5 | 10 | |||
| June 21 | 3:22 PM CDT | EF0 | Shelby, IL | 1.3 | 150 | |||
| June 21 | 3:30 PM CDT | EF1 | Clay, IL | 7.4 | 200 | |||
| June 21 | 3:35 PM CDT | Unrated | Tazewell, IL | 0.2 | 0 | |||
| June 21 | 3:43 PM CDT | EF1 | Cumberland, IL | 0.8 | 75 | |||
| June 21 | 3:49 PM CDT | EF0 | Fayette, IL | 1.2 | 0 | |||
| June 21 | 4:06 PM CDT | EF0 | Cumberland, IL | 6.4 | 350 | |||
| June 21 | 4:07 PM CDT | EF2 | Jasper, IL | 3.7 | 250 | |||
| June 21 | 4:15 PM CDT | EF2 | Jasper, IL | 2.7 | 300 | |||
| June 21 | 4:22 PM CDT | Unrated | Marion, IL | 1.3 | 0 | |||
| June 21 | 4:31 PM CDT | EF1 | Marion, IL | 2.1 | 190 | |||
| June 21 | 4:36 PM CDT | EF1 | Crawford, IL | 6.9 | 600 | |||
| June 21 | 4:41 PM CDT | EF1 | Crawford, IL | 2.0 | 600 | |||
| June 21 | 5:02 PM CDT | EF3 | Jefferson, IL | 15.3 | 400 | 2 | 5 | |
| June 21 | 5:25 PM CDT | EF1 | Lawrence, IL | 4.4 | 300 | |||
| June 21 | 5:27 PM CDT | EF0 | Fayette, IL | 3.4 | 25 | |||
| June 21 | 5:47 PM CDT | EF1 | Wayne, IL | 1.5 | 75 | |||
| June 21 | 5:53 PM CDT | EF1 | Richland, IL | 3.2 | 300 | |||
| June 21 | 6:56 PM EDT | EF0 | Owen, IN | 0.9 | 25 | |||
| June 21 | 7:00 PM EDT | EF0 | Knox, IN | 0.3 | 80 | |||
| June 21 | 6:37 PM CDT | EF0 | Wayne, IL | 0.5 | 75 | |||
| June 21 | 7:58 PM EDT | EF0 | Martin, IN | 2.0 | 50 | |||
| June 21 | 7:02 PM CDT | EF2 | Gibson, IN | 11.5 | 300 | |||
| June 21 | 7:11 PM CDT | EF1 | Wayne, IL | 3.8 | 50 | |||
| June 21 | 8:12 PM EDT | EF0 | Bartholomew, IN | 0.5 | 85 | |||
| June 21 | 7:27 PM CDT | Unrated | Christian, IL | 0.1 | 0 | |||
| June 21 | 7:38 PM CDT | EF1 | Gibson, IN | 1.5 | 25 | |||
| June 21 | 7:52 PM CDT | EF1 | Warrick, IN | 1.0 | 50 | |||
| June 21 | 7:52 PM CDT | EF0 | Warrick, IN | 0.3 | 50 | |||
| June 21 | 7:57 PM CDT | EF0 | Warrick, IN | 1.0 | 25 | |||
| June 21 | 8:00 PM CDT | EF0 | Shannon, MO | 2.7 | 200 | $5 | ||
| June 21 | 8:07 PM CDT | Unrated | Shelby, IL | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| June 21 | 8:15 PM CDT | EF1 | Spencer, IN | 0.3 | 125 | |||
| June 21 | 9:50 PM EDT | EF1 | Clark, IN | 3.0 | 150 | |||
| June 21 | 8:53 PM CDT | Unrated | White, IL | 0.2 | 25 | |||
| June 21 | 9:15 PM CDT | EF1 | Warrick, IN | 3.0 | 75 | 2 | ||
| June 21 | 10:53 PM EDT | EF0 | Harrison, IN | 0.8 | 100 | |||
| June 21 | 10:03 PM CDT | EF0 | Spencer, IN | 1.0 | 25 | |||
| June 21 | 10:37 PM CDT | EF1 | Warrick, IN | 0.5 | 50 | |||
| June 21 | 10:39 PM CDT | EF1 | Warrick, IN | 2.5 | 150 | |||
| June 21 | 11:07 PM CDT | EF0 | Breckinridge, KY | 0.9 | 50 | |||
| June 21 | 11:14 PM CDT | EF1 | Breckinridge, KY | 1.1 | 70 | |||
| June 21 | 11:44 PM CDT | EF0 | Hancock, KY | 3.5 | 100 |
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.