47
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
209
Direct injuries
$104.4M
Property damage
Tornado in Marion County, Indiana: 47 recorded events between 1952 and 2019. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #432 nationally and #3 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Marion County, Indiana: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Marion County is the 1970s, when 9 of the county's 47 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 Marion County archive, tornado makes up 4.4% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #432 for this hazard and #3 within Indiana, putting it in the 85.1 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Marion County with 13 recorded events, while Oct 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.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-05-14 | EF4 | 30.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2002-09-20 | EF3 | 112.0 mi | 150 yd | Crossed in |
| 1992-11-22 | EF3 | 9.0 mi | 433 yd | Touched down here |
| 1978-06-25 | EF3 | 1.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1969-08-09 | EF3 | 0.1 mi | 167 yd | Touched down here |
| 1963-04-22 | EF3 | 0.3 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-02 | EF2 | 13.0 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 2008-05-30 | EF2 | 7.1 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 2006-03-31 | EF2 | 17.0 mi | 700 yd | Crossed in |
| 2004-05-30 | EF2 | 20.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 20, 2002 | SOUTHPORT | F2 | 0 | 97 | $40.0M |
| May 31, 2004 | SUNSHINE GARDENS | F2 | 0 | 26 | $19.0M |
| Apr 23, 1963 | F3 | 0 | 20 | $2.5M | |
| May 31, 2008 | LAWRENCE | EF2 | 0 | 18 | $29.0M |
| May 14, 1972 | F4 | 0 | 17 | $250K | |
| Mar 10, 1986 | F3 | 0 | 10 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 2, 1980 | F2 | 0 | 6 | $0 | |
| Aug 9, 1969 | F3 | 0 | 6 | $250K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 15, 2019 | FIVE PTS | EF0 | $30K |
| Jun 15, 2019 | BEECH GROVE | EF1 | $1.1M |
| Aug 24, 2016 | WOODRUFF PLACE | EF0 | $15K |
| May 31, 2015 | BEECH GROVE | EF1 | $49K |
| Jun 24, 2014 | SIX PTS | EF1 | $500K |
| Sep 1, 2012 | FLACKVILLE | EF0 | $0 |
| May 31, 2008 | LAWRENCE | EF2 | $29.0M |
| Jan 30, 2008 | IND EAGLE CREEK ARPT | EF1 | $100K |
| Jun 13, 2005 | INDIANAPOLIS | F0 | $0 |
| May 31, 2004 | SUNSHINE GARDENS | F2 | $19.0M |
Other hazards here
More from Marion County
- Thunderstorm Wind 515
- Hail 368
- Flash Flood 58
- Flood 44
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous structures were damaged in Marion County with the hardest hit area being an apartment complex near 38th Street and Mitthoefer Road. The tornado was associated with an embedded supercell that was overtaken by a line. Based on damage indicators, wind speeds were estimated around 125 mph. This tornado formed near 42nd Street and Post Road and tracked southeastward for 3.1 miles before exiting Marion County on North County Line Road 500 meters south of East 38th Street. The tornado continued in Hancock County. While in Marion County the tornado was rated EF-2 and while in Hancock County the tornado was rated EF-1. The tornado continued to the southeast in Hancock County for 4.0 miles. This made the entire path length 7.1 miles. The width of the tornado while in Hancock County was 100 yards and lasted from 2132 until 2136. Overall, the tornado was on the ground from 2127 until 2136. The tornado lifted in Hancock County 500 feet south of West 200 North on North 400 West. While in Hancock County the tornado damaged barns, houses, billboards, trees, and powerlines.
The EF-1 rated tornado, with max wind speeds of 100 mph, began southwest of Beech Grove causing roof damage before crossing Emerson Avenue and causing additional roof damage to a school, apartment complex, and house. Alro Steel Company also sustained damage to the roof and wall of a warehouse-like structure. Numerous power poles were also downed near the Alro structure. In addition to the roof damage at Beech Grove High School, they also had more than 20 classrooms damaged or destroyed. The scoreboard on the football field was significantly damaged as well. The tornado continued for several hundred feet before dissipating.
The tornado damaged 30 homes, five businesses and a school as it traveled along 86th and 82nd streets in the Nora area of northeast Indianapolis. Numerous trees and power lines were downed by the storm. One boat was flipped on top of another at Geist Reservoir.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Marion County, Indiana?
47 tornado events are recorded in Marion County between 1952 and 2019, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Marion County?
The strongest tornado on record in Marion County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Marion 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
“Tornado in Marion County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/marion-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.