242
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$5.0M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Porter County, Indiana: 242 recorded events between 1960 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 85. That places the county #730 nationally and #17 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Porter County, Indiana: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Porter County is the 2020s, when 95 of the county's 242 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 Porter County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 56.0% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #730 for this hazard and #17 within Indiana, putting it in the 76.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Porter County with 55 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 30, 2025 | (VPZ) PORTER COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT | 70 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 15, 2007 | SOUTH HAVEN | 55 | 1 | 0 | $15K |
| Aug 6, 2000 | COUNTYWIDE | 61 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2026 | CLANRICARDE | 50 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | BEATRICE | 52 | $0 |
| Apr 13, 2026 | (VPZ) PORTER COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT | 51 | $0 |
| Oct 18, 2025 | MALDEN | 55 | $0 |
| Jul 24, 2025 | BEVERLY SHORES | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 2025 | KOUTS | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 2025 | KOUTS | 52 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 2025 | KOUTS | 55 | $0 |
| May 16, 2025 | WHEELER | 53 | $0 |
| May 16, 2025 | BURLINGTON BEACH | 60 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Porter County
- Hail 87
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A 34 year old male semi truck driver was killed when severe thunderstorm winds blew the truck over and onto the driver as he was standing outside of the cab. The incident occurred at Pratt Industries in Valparaiso. The ASOS at the nearby Porter County Airport recorded an 81 mph gust around the time of the incident.
Widespread wind damage from near Lakes of The Four Seasons along the Lake/Porter County line, through central Porter County, ending southeast of Kouts, near the Porter LaPorte County line. Numerous trees were uprooted and blown over. At least 50 houses across the county were damaged. The most intense damage was near Kouts where large hardwood trees were uprooted or snapped. Twenty three large metal truss towers for high tension power lines were blown down along a four mile path east of Kouts. Winds with the most intense damage were estimated at 100 to 120 mph.
A strong thunderstorm moved south across eastern Porter County and damaged or blew down 12 trees along County Road 150S in Morgan Township. One of these trees fell onto a truck which appeared to be totaled. A window was blown in and a shed was also blown down. Another tree was blown down along County Road 75E.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Porter County, Indiana?
242 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Porter County between 1960 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Porter County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Porter County measured 85.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Porter 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 Porter County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/porter-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.