353
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
8
Direct injuries
$4.6M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Lake County, Indiana: 353 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 96. That places the county #298 nationally and #5 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Lake County, Indiana: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Lake County is the 2020s, when 132 of the county's 353 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 Lake County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 53.6% of all recorded severe weather across 10 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #298 for this hazard and #5 within Indiana, putting it in the 90.6 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Lake County with 90 recorded events, while Jan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 16, 2024 | CEDAR LAKE | 70 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 5, 1989 | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 | |
| Aug 24, 1998 | COUNTYWIDE | 50 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 2, 1992 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Aug 10, 2020 | LAKE STATION | 70 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Aug 10, 2020 | HAMMOND | 65 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 18, 2007 | LAKE STATION | 60 | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| Jul 20, 2006 | MERRILLVILLE | 55 | 0 | 1 | $400K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2026 | KREITZBURG | 56 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | LOWELL | 61 | $0 |
| Aug 17, 2025 | KREITZBURG | 58 | $0 |
| Jul 24, 2025 | (GYY) GARY AIRPORT | 55 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2025 | HOBART | 56 | $0 |
| Jul 16, 2025 | SCHERERVILLE | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 27, 2025 | WINFIELD | 52 | $0 |
| May 16, 2025 | CROWN POINT | 50 | $0 |
| May 16, 2025 | HOBART | 60 | $0 |
| May 16, 2025 | HOBART | 60 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Lake County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous large tree limbs were blown down just west of Cedar Lake including a few that fell onto houses. One large tree limb, approximately 20 inches in diameter and 70 feet tall fell onto a one story house on 141st Court. The tree caused significant structural damage to the house and pinned a 44 year old woman in a bed. She died a short time later. Two other people in the house at the time were not injured.
Widespread wind damage occurred in a three to five mile wide path from East Chicago and Gary in northeast Lake County through much of central Lake County to near Winfield and the Lake Porter County line. Numerous large trees uprooted and blown over, some falling onto buildings and cars, causing damage to roofs, siding and windows. Numerous power lines blown down. Trees were blown down on the Indiana Toll Road near milemarker 5 and on Interstate 94 near Broadway. A semi-trailer was blown over at US 30 and Indiana 51. Another semi-trailer was blown over at US 30 and Interstate 65. A large indoor horse riding arena was completed destroyed, but no horses were injured. A Merrillville police car was heavily damaged by hail. A homeless shelter in Gary suffered significant roof damage. The most intense damage was consistent with winds in excess of 100 mph.
Several buildings were damaged along Broadway Street. A roof was lifted off part of one building. Two steel garage doors were pushed in on another building. An awning and two signs were blown down. Other buildings suffered minor damage. A guard shack was blown over. An 18 year old woman in the shack suffered knee and shoulder injuries.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Lake County, Indiana?
353 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Lake County between 1957 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Lake County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Lake County measured 96.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Lake 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 Lake County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/lake-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.