Tornadoes · United States · Indiana

Tornadoes in Marion County, Indiana

48 tornadoes have crossed Marion County since 1950, 1 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 3rd of the 92 counties in Indiana with a tornado on record, an average of one every 1.6 years. They have killed 0 people and injured 255. 2 were rated F4 or EF4 and above.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    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.

  4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    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.

  7. 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.

Now

Tornadoes
48
Deaths
0
Injuries
255
F4 and above
2
Worst on record
F4, June 11, 1998

The strongest

  1. F4, Marion, Hancock, Madison and Henry counties, IndianaMay 14, 1972F4, 30.0 mi (48 km)
  2. F4 Cumberland–Greenfield tornado, IndianaJune 11, 1998F4, 13.2 mi (21 km)
  3. F3, Monroe, Morgan, Johnson and Marion counties, IndianaSeptember 20, 2002F3, 112.0 mi (180 km)
  4. F3, Morgan, Johnson, Marion and Shelby counties, IndianaMarch 10, 1986F3, 35.0 mi (56 km)
  5. F3, Marion County, IndianaNovember 22, 1992F3, 9.0 mi (14 km)
  6. F3, Marion County, IndianaJune 25, 1978F3, 1.0 mi (2 km)
  7. F3, Marion County, IndianaApril 22, 1963F3, 0.3 mi (0 km)
  8. F3, Marion County, IndianaAugust 9, 1969F3, 0.1 mi (0 km)
  9. F2, Marion and Hancock counties, IndianaMay 30, 2004F2, 20.0 mi (32 km)
  10. EF2, Marion and Hancock counties, IndianaMay 30, 2008EF2, 7.1 mi (11 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 35 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Marion County. Each year links to every tornado in Indiana that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20261EF0
20192EF1
20161EF0
20151EF1
20141EF1
20121EF0
2008218EF2
20051F0
2004226F2
20022127F3
199814F4
19971F1
19951F2
19941F1
19923F3
19901F0
198811F1
1986222F3
198512F1
19811F1
198026F2
19791F0
19781F3
19761F1
19734F1
1972120F4
197011F1
196916F3
19661F1
1963120F3
19601F1
19591F2
195522F2
19542F1
19521F1

Every tornado that crossed Marion County

48 tornadoes, newest first. The 1 at the top is this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and its rating is marked as preliminary.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
August 1, 20265:20 PM EDTEF0Marion0.2100
June 15, 20197:37 PM EDTEF0Marion0.9100$30,000
June 15, 20197:26 PM EDTEF1Marion1.9200$1.1 million
August 24, 20164:18 PM EDTEF0Marion0.4100$15,000
May 30, 20158:47 PM EDTEF1Marion0.340$49,000
June 24, 20142:32 PM EDTEF1Hendricks2.875$1.5 million
September 1, 20126:41 PM EDTEF0Marion0.125
May 30, 200810:27 PM EDTEF2Marion7.115018$29 million
January 29, 20087:20 PM ESTEF1Marion0.150$100,000
June 12, 20057:45 PM ESTF0Marion0.375
May 30, 20047:00 PM ESTF2Marion20.010026$19 million
May 30, 20046:32 PM ESTF0Hendricks4.175
September 20, 200212:59 PM ESTF3Monroe112.0150127$103 million
June 25, 200212:10 PM ESTF0Marion0.150
June 11, 19986:09 PM ESTF4Cumberland–Greenfield tornado13.24004$1.5 million
March 28, 19976:24 PM ESTF1Marion0.173$750,000
May 13, 199511:47 PM ESTF2Marion6.5400$50,000 to $500,000
April 15, 19948:55 AM ESTF1Marion0.280$500 to $5,000
November 22, 19923:45 PM ESTF3Marion9.0433$500,000 to $5 million
July 16, 19926:57 PM ESTF0Marion0.120
June 17, 199211:15 PM ESTF0Marion0.367$5,000 to $50,000
August 20, 199012:54 PM ESTF0Marion0.530$5,000 to $50,000
September 12, 19881:15 PM ESTF1Marion34.02001$50,000 to $500,000
March 10, 19861:55 PM ESTF1Marion2.5220$50,000 to $500,000
March 10, 19861:28 PM ESTF3Morgan35.044022$500,000 to $5 million
May 27, 19853:33 PM ESTF1Marion0.1172$5,000 to $50,000
April 28, 19817:00 PM ESTF1Marion0.110$5,000 to $50,000
June 2, 19802:00 PM ESTF2Marion0.1106
June 1, 198010:30 AM ESTF0Marion0.110$5,000 to $50,000
July 26, 19799:00 PM ESTF0Marion0.110$500 to $5,000
June 25, 19787:25 PM ESTF3Marion1.0100
June 29, 19765:00 PM ESTF1Marion1.050$5,000 to $50,000
July 4, 197310:25 AM ESTF1Marion15.9100$500,000 to $5 million
June 4, 197310:23 PM ESTF1Marion0.120$500 to $5,000
May 19, 19732:55 PM ESTF1Marion18.420$50,000 to $500,000
May 7, 197312:45 AM ESTF1Marion2.520$50,000 to $500,000
May 14, 19721:05 PM ESTF4Marion30.020020$50,000 to $500,000
May 14, 19703:30 PM EDTF1Marion1.51001$5,000 to $50,000
August 9, 19697:35 AM GMT-4F3Marion0.11676$50,000 to $500,000
July 11, 19665:05 AM GMT-5F1Marion0.110$500 to $5,000
April 22, 19639:28 PM GMT-5F3Marion0.320020$500,000 to $5 million
April 16, 19605:10 PM GMT-5F1Marion0.110$500 to $5,000
February 10, 19596:50 AM GMT-5F2Marion0.450$5,000 to $50,000
November 15, 195511:35 PM GMT-5F2Marion0.1102$5,000 to $50,000
March 22, 19553:30 AM GMT-6F1Marion3.310$5,000 to $50,000
June 13, 19545:00 PM GMT-5F1Marion0.110$500 to $5,000
May 31, 19543:00 PM GMT-5F1Marion0.110$50 to $500
May 9, 19527:45 PM GMT-5F1Marion15.613$50,000 to $500,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Marion CountyThe forecast for Marion CountyThe live radar over Marion CountyEvery county in Indiana

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.