Live
Active alerts for this county
Heat Advisory
Carroll; Warren; Tippecanoe; Clinton; Howard; Fountain; Montgomery; Boone; Tipton; Hamilton; Madison; Delaware; Randolph; Vermillion; Parke; Putnam; Hendricks; Marion; Hancock; Henry; Vigo; Clay; Owen; Morgan; Johnson; Shelby; Rush; Sullivan; Greene; Monroe; Brown; Bartholomew; Decatur; Knox; Daviess; Martin; Lawrence; Jackson; Jennings
Marion County, Indiana severe weather history spans 1,061 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 48.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #122 nationally and #1 in Indiana.
1,061
Recorded events
10
Direct deaths
272
Direct injuries
$121.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Marion County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Marion County, Indiana severe weather history averages 14.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 351 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 205 events fall before 1990 and 856 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Marion County, Indiana record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 7 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $104.4M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Marion County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 515 | 7 | $8.6M | 87 | 1955–2026 |
| Hail | 368 | 0 | $35K | 3 | 1955–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 58 | 0 | $6.0M | 0 | 1998–2026 |
| Tornado | 47 | 0 | $104.4M | F4 | 1952–2019 |
| Flood | 44 | 0 | $197K | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Lightning | 22 | 3 | $2.4M | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2007–2014 |
Decade by decade
Marion County, Indiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
45 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 39 touched down inside it and 6 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-05-14 | EF4 | 0 | 20 | 30.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2002-09-20 | EF3 | 0 | 127 | 112.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1992-11-22 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1978-06-25 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-08-09 | EF3 | 0 | 6 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-04-22 | EF3 | 0 | 20 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-02 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 13.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2008-05-30 | EF2 | 0 | 18 | 7.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-03-31 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 17.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2004-05-30 | EF2 | 0 | 26 | 20.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Marion County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 14, 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | SHOOTERS HILL | 7 | 43 | $975K |
| Jun 11, 2009 | Lightning | INDIANAPOLIS | 1 | 2 | $0 |
| Jul 18, 2006 | Lightning | LAWRENCE | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Jul 8, 2001 | Lightning | SPEEDWAY | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 20, 2002 | Tornado | SOUTHPORT | 0 | 97 | $40.0M |
| May 31, 2004 | Tornado | SUNSHINE GARDENS | 0 | 26 | $19.0M |
| Apr 23, 1963 | Tornado | 0 | 20 | $2.5M | |
| May 31, 2008 | Tornado | LAWRENCE | 0 | 18 | $29.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A stage collapse occurred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in between live performances by Sara Bareilles and Sugarland, as winds estimated at 60 to 70 mph hit the above-stage fly system. These damaging winds appeared to occur with the gust front that was out ahead of the area of precipitation. Seven fatalities and 43 injuries occurred as a result of this tragic stage collapse. The Indianapolis Business Journal estimates the damages at around 975 thousand dollars.
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 Indianapolis Star reported that strong thunderstorm wind gusts led to widespread damage to the Kittle's Superstore in Castleton. Damage to the roof and ruptured water pipes at the furniture store caused the sprinkler system to activate, dumping numerous gallons of water on the inventory. Kittle's Chairman Jim Kittle Jr. estimated the damage at several million dollars.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk rating
975,809
Population (ACS)
$224K
Median home value
18
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Apr 22, 2014 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Jun 8, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Mar 12, 2007 | Snowstorm | SNOW | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Indianapolis 194
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Marion County, Indiana?
1,061 events are on record between 1952 and 2026, causing 10 direct deaths and $121.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Marion County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 515 recorded events — 48.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Marion County?
45 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 39 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Marion County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Marion County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Marion County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Marion County as relatively high risk, placing it in the 97 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Marion County, Indiana severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Madison County 530
- Marshall County 313
- Lawrence County 332
- Martin County 174
- LaPorte County 423
- Miami County 342
Cite this page
“Marion County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/marion-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.