Recent Major Storm Days in Indiana: Wind and Hail
By StormAuditor Editorial Team · Published 2026-07-20 · Updated 2026-10-07
Based on public NOAA and National Weather Service records, published under StormAuditor's methodology and data-source standards. Radar-derived hail sizes are estimates unless attributed to a ground report.
Damage-threshold ranges in this article are general guidance synthesized from industry and federal research — IBHS building-performance research, NWS severe criteria, and product standards such as UL 2218 (hail impact resistance) and ASTM D3161/D7158 (shingle wind ratings). Actual performance depends on product rating, age, installation quality, exposure, and impact characteristics — thresholds describe when damage becomes possible, not when it occurs.
Indiana's biggest storm day in the 12 months ending October 7, 2026 was August 11: 365 events, 110 mph winds from an NWS storm survey in Portage, 99 mph measured at Gary Airport, and hail to 3.00 in. in Starke County.
Indiana's biggest storm day of the 12 months ending October 7, 2026 was August 11, 2026. It logged 365 events in StormAuditor's public-record tally, an NWS storm survey put winds at 110 mph in Portage, the Gary Airport station measured 99 mph, and hail reached 3.00 inches 2 W Toto in Starke County.
The year in numbers
Indiana logged 7,002 storm events across all 92 counties in the 12 months ending October 7, 2026: 2,825 wind, 2,082 hail, 1,706 flood and 389 tornado (tornado counts include warnings, not only confirmed tornadoes). In 2026 through early October, the state logged 7 hail days and 51 wind days at StormAuditor's screening thresholds (45 mph wind or 0.75-inch hail, from storm reports and station gusts; warnings alone never count).
The leading counties were Lake (161 events), Marion (156), LaPorte (126), Delaware (116), Knox (113), Grant (110), Allen (105) and Porter (103). Three of the top eight, Lake, LaPorte and Porter, sit along Lake Michigan in the northwest corner.
The five busiest days
- August 11, 2026 — 365 events. 110 mph from an NWS storm survey in Portage, 99 mph measured at Gary Airport, 85 mph reported in Munster, and hail to 3.00 inches 2 W Toto, with 2.75-inch reports 3 E English Lake and 1 N North Judson (Gary storm day).
- April 27, 2026 — 352 events. The Lafayette airport station measured 79 mph, and hail reached 1.75 inches at Holland in Dubois County.
- August 12, 2026 — 251 events. Flood warnings made up the largest share of the day's records, and hail reached 1.00 inch 3 NNW Melody Hill in Vanderburgh County.
- June 11, 2026 — 235 events. 85 mph reported 2 WNW Brook in Newton County.
- March 15, 2026 — 229 events. 71 mph reported 2 WNW Homecroft in Marion County.
Two more days stand out for hail. On March 26, 2026, hail reached 2.75 inches 3 N Mount Etna in Huntington County. On August 13, 2026, hail reached 1.75 inches, and the most recent hail of 0.75 inch or larger came on September 15, 2026: 1.00 inch at Bear Lake in Noble County, where an 83 mph gust was also reported (Fort Wayne storm day).
The NOAA record since 2010
From January 2010 through October 6, 2025, NCEI logged 11,017 entries in Indiana over 785 storm days: 7,354 thunderstorm wind reports and 3,035 hail reports.
- Storm days: from 40 in 2020 to 73 in 2011; 2022–2024 averaged 46 a year, below the 15-year average of 50.
- Largest hail: 4.25 inches, reported in 2010 and 2011, most recently on May 25, 2011 in Henry County. Hail of 2 inches or more appears in 15 different years.
- Strongest measured thunderstorm gust: 100 mph, Tippecanoe County, June 22, 2016.
- Seasons: hail peaks in May (24% of hail reports) and thunderstorm wind in June. December through February accounts for 35 storm days.
- Tornadoes: 628 tornado entries, one entry per county a tornado crossed.
Event counts on this page come from StormAuditor's public-record tally: one event is one place on one day for each hazard type, and NWS warnings and Special Weather Statements count, so a busy warning day can outrank a day with bigger hail. The NOAA history figures come from the NCEI Storm Events Database, a separate, reviewed record with its own counting. The storm data page explains both.
Researching a date at an Indiana address
- The Indiana storm data page lists recent storm days, county totals and the NOAA history, with free CSV and JSON downloads.
- Address Lookup, free with an account, lists NWS warnings, storm reports and NOAA station observations near any address.
- The Free Report Snapshot gives a YES or NO on whether estimated wind reached 45 mph or estimated hail reached 0.75 inch at the address.
- The $2.99 Single Weather Report lists every qualifying storm date at one address with the estimated peak gust and estimated maximum hail size, and the Audit Report shows the evidence behind one date.
Limitations
- Warning-based counts favor counties that sit under many warning polygons; they do not show that every address was hit.
- Storm survey and spotter winds are estimates from damage or observation; station gusts are measured at one point.
- Radar hail (MESH) can under-estimate wet hail and over-estimate hail in very high reflectivity cores.
- Public records can change after publication. None of this is a damage determination or a finding of cause. See Limitations.
Frequently asked questions
What was Indiana's biggest storm day in the past year?
August 11, 2026, with 365 events. An NWS storm survey estimated 110 mph winds in Portage, Gary Airport measured 99 mph, and hail reached 3.00 inches 2 W Toto.
When was the last hail storm in Indiana?
The most recent hail of 0.75 inch or larger was 1.00 inch at Bear Lake in Noble County on September 15, 2026.
What is the largest hail on record in Indiana?
4.25 inches in NOAA's NCEI records since 2010, most recently on May 25, 2011 in Henry County.
Which Indiana county has the most storm events?
Lake County, with 161 events in the 12 months ending October 7, 2026, followed by Marion with 156.
What wind speed is severe?
The National Weather Service severe thunderstorm criterion is a gust of 58 mph or more. StormAuditor's 45 mph screening threshold sits below it.