55
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
87
Direct injuries
$11.2M
Property damage
Tornado in Tippecanoe County, Indiana: 55 recorded events between 1953 and 2025. The strongest on record measured F4. That places the county #308 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Tippecanoe County, Indiana: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Tippecanoe County is the 2010s, when 14 of the county's 55 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 Tippecanoe County archive, tornado makes up 9.9% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #308 for this hazard and #1 within Indiana, putting it in the 89.4 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for tornado in Tippecanoe County with 15 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.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | EF4 | 108.7 mi | 1,760 yd | Crossed in |
| 1994-04-26 | EF4 | 14.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-20 | EF4 | 16.7 mi | 300 yd | Touched down here |
| 1965-04-11 | EF4 | 21.8 mi | 500 yd | Touched down here |
| 1953-04-09 | EF3 | 156.7 mi | 750 yd | Crossed in |
| 2013-11-17 | EF3 | 37.9 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
| 1978-06-25 | EF3 | 27.4 mi | 10 yd | Touched down here |
| 2013-11-17 | EF2 | 3.1 mi | 75 yd | Touched down here |
| 2013-11-17 | EF2 | 12.7 mi | 75 yd | Crossed in |
| 2004-05-30 | EF2 | 1.8 mi | 75 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 1994 | Lafayette | F4 | 3 | 70 | $5.0M |
| Apr 12, 1965 | F4 | 0 | 10 | $0 | |
| Mar 20, 1976 | F4 | 0 | 6 | $2.5M | |
| Sep 28, 1999 | BATTLE GROUND | F1 | 0 | 1 | $300K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18, 2025 | KLONDYKE | EF0 | $25K |
| Jun 18, 2025 | WEST PT | EF0 | $20K |
| Jun 26, 2021 | PETTIT | EF1 | $18K |
| Apr 3, 2018 | LAFAYETTE ARETZ ARPT | EF0 | $25K |
| Nov 18, 2017 | DAYTON | EF0 | $8K |
| Aug 15, 2016 | CAIRO | EF0 | $4K |
| Mar 31, 2016 | MEADOWBROOK | EF1 | $50K |
| Jul 17, 2015 | MONROE | EF1 | $30K |
| Jul 17, 2015 | STOCKWELL | EF1 | $35K |
| Nov 17, 2013 | CONCORD | EF1 | $10K |
Other hazards here
More from Tippecanoe County
- Thunderstorm Wind 296
- Hail 129
- Flood 46
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A tornado touched down near Dayton. The tornado caused significant tree damage and blew parts of roofs off two buildings in Dayton. The tornado continued moving northeast with sporadic damage until reaching large homes approximately 1.5 miles northeast of Dayton. Two homes were nearly destroyed on Halifax Lane. Wind speeds were estimated around 150 mph.
At 1454EST, this EF-3 tornado touched down 5 miles south-southeast of Lafayette. This EF-3 tornado impacted the Subaru and Voest Alpine plants southeast of Lafayette. Both sustained significant damage consistent with a low end EF-3 rating. Property and tree damage then continued northeast to the north of Dayton. The tornado crossed through the far northwest corner of Clinton County causing mainly tree damage. Then, the tornado moved into southwest Carroll county. A hog farm sustained damage to several outbuildings in extreme southwest Carroll County. Additional damage was found in Cutler. Much of the damage across Carroll County ranged between EF-0 and EF-1. This tornado crossed into Cass County near State Route 18 at 1517EST, continuing for nearly an additional 10 miles. The total path length including Cass County is 39 miles. The tornado lifted 4 miles southwest of Grissom Air Reserve Base at 1527EST.
At 1452EST, this EF-2 tornado touched down 3 miles northwest of Romney. The Southwestern Elementary and Middle School to the northwest of Romney both sustained significant damage to their structures. The gymnasium at the middle school had a wall blown out, with roof damage to both schools. Some other homes sustained roof and structural damage as well. Trees were downed too. This tornado lifted 7 miles south of Lafayette at 1455EST.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Tippecanoe County, Indiana?
55 tornado events are recorded in Tippecanoe County between 1953 and 2025, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Tippecanoe County?
The strongest tornado on record in Tippecanoe County measured F4.
Where does the tornado data for Tippecanoe 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 Tippecanoe County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/tippecanoe-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.