365
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$2.5M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Elkhart County, Indiana: 365 recorded events between 1960 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 85. That places the county #273 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Elkhart County, Indiana: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Elkhart County is the 2010s, when 102 of the county's 365 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Elkhart County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 65.8% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #273 for this hazard and #4 within Indiana, putting it in the 91.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Elkhart County with 96 recorded events, while Feb is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 5, 2005 | COUNTYWIDE | 60 | 1 | 0 | $30K |
| Nov 10, 1998 | NAPPANEE | 0 | 0 | 1 | $5K |
| Sep 26, 1986 | 70 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 11, 2026 | BENTON | 51 | $0 |
| Feb 19, 2026 | BENTON | 58 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 2025 | BENTON | 58 | $0 |
| Jun 24, 2025 | WAKARUSA | 52 | $1K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | MIDDLEBURY | 52 | $1K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | ELKHART MIDWAY ARPT | 52 | $1K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | GOSHEN | 52 | $1K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | GOSHEN | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 2025 | NAPPANEE MUNI | 52 | $10K |
| May 16, 2025 | (EKM)ELKHART MUNI AR | 51 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Elkhart County
- Hail 127
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
EXTENSIVE TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE OCCURRED ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTY. SEVERAL BUILDINGS AND CARS IN DOWNTOWN GOSHEN SUSTAINED MINOR TO MODERATE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE DUE TO LARGE TREES AND LIMBS CRASHING DOWN. BUSINESSES ON THE EAST SIDE OF GOSHEN ALONG HIGHWAY 33 SUSTAINED DAMAGE. THE HOLIDAY INN HAD PART OF ITS ROOF BLOWN OFF. LOCAL BANK HAD ITS STEEL BANK SIGN FLATTENED.
Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down across the county, including Wakarusa, Goshen, Elkhart, Nappanee and Bristol. A few trees and tree limbs were blown down onto houses and vehicles. A trailer park in Bristol suffered damage as trees fell onto vehicles and mobile homes. Debris from the mobile homes was then thrown at other residences, causing additional damage. A 65 mph wind gust was observed west of Nappanee, with the Goshen airport reporting a 59 mph wind gust.
One of a series of 7 50-foot power poles were struck by high winds, causing a cascade effect with the other 6 falling shortly thereafter, onto State Route 15, just south of Bristol. Occupants of 5 vehicles were trapped for a few hours while power lines were de-energized. A car was reported to have been set on fire as a result of the live wires. One of the drivers reported seeing the pole begin to fall, which resulted in him speeding up to avoid the pole. However a pole immediately ahead of him began falling as well, causing him to swerve into a corn field. Less than a mile away form the downed poles, a dump truck loaded with dirt rolled over in a ditch. It is unknown if this is due to strong winds or attempting to avoid the upcoming downed poles. A tree fell onto a car a mile east of the downed poles, crushing the roof and windshield. No injuries were reported with any of the accidents.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Elkhart County, Indiana?
365 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Elkhart County between 1960 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Elkhart County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Elkhart County measured 85.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Elkhart County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Elkhart County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/elkhart-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.