Hail & Wind Storms in Columbus, IN — Latest Dates and Sizes
Hail and wind activity within ~25 miles of Columbus, Indiana or recorded for its county: the last 12 months from NWS warnings, storm reports, and station measurements, plus official NOAA records back to 2010.
Latest hail and wind near Columbus
- Last reported hail (0.75 in.+, screening): none reported within 25 miles in the last 12 months.
- Last wind gust 45 mph+ (screening): July 27, 2026 — 70 mph reported 24.9 mi E of Columbus (1 S Greensburg), NWS Local Storm Report.
- 2026 so far: no hail days and 5 wind days within 25 miles (days with a storm report or station gust at the screening thresholds; warnings alone never count).
| Date | Largest reported hail | Strongest gust |
|---|---|---|
| July 27, 2026 | — | 70 mph reported |
| April 28, 2026 | — | 63 mph reported |
| March 22, 2026 | — | 64 mph reported |
| March 15, 2026 | — | 54 mph measured |
| February 19, 2026 | — | 64 mph reported |
Was your address hit on July 27, 2026? Check any address free with the Free Report Snapshot — a YES/NO estimate at the screening thresholds.
Columbus storm facts
- StormAuditor's analysis of NOAA and National Weather Service records found 64 wind and hail events, NWS warning products included, within 25 miles of Columbus, Indiana or recorded for Bartholomew County in the 12 months ending October 7, 2026 (41 wind, 23 hail).
- The strongest gust within 25 miles of Columbus in the last 12 months was 70 mph, reported 24.9 mi E of Columbus (1 S Greensburg) on July 27, 2026 (NWS Local Storm Report; storm reports and station gusts only, warnings excluded).
- The busiest days by event count near Columbus were August 16, 2026 and April 27, 2026, with 8 events each.
- Bartholomew County alone recorded 44 of those wind and hail events (27 wind, 17 hail); the Indiana page ranks counties by events of every type, floods and Special Weather Statements included.
Columbus, Indiana storm history at a glance (last 12 months)
This free weather history for Columbus — home to about 52,000 residents — draws on StormAuditor's consolidated public record: 64 wind and hail events within 25 miles of Columbus or recorded for Bartholomew County in the trailing 12 months — 41 wind and 23 hail.
Events combine NWS warning products, observed Local Storm Reports, station measurements and official NCEI records in one event table. Because they include warnings, and wind covers thunderstorm and non-thunderstorm wind alike, they measure something different from the NCEI entry counts in the history section below; the two are not comparable year to year.
Busiest days near Columbus by event count
Ranked by the number of 12-month events, NWS warnings included, so a day with many warnings can outrank a day with larger hail.
- August 16, 2026 — 8 events incl. warnings · 4 wind · 4 hail
- April 27, 2026 — 8 events incl. warnings · 6 wind · 2 hail
- February 19, 2026 — 7 events incl. warnings · 4 wind · 3 hail
- June 17, 2026 — 5 events incl. warnings · 4 wind · 1 hail
- March 15, 2026 — 5 events incl. warnings · 4 wind · 1 hail
How these numbers are counted
The storm numbers on this page are counted in four different ways, plus the free address check. Each answers a different question with its own size cutoffs, area and time span, so compare numbers within one group, not across groups.
- Storm days (latest hail and wind): A day in the last 12 months when at least one report within 25 miles of Columbus showed hail 0.75 in. or larger or wind of 45 mph or more (StormAuditor screening thresholds). Reports are NWS storm reports from spotters, the public and officials, plus weather-station gusts, which count from 50 mph. A warning on its own never makes a storm day. The latest and largest hail, the latest and strongest gust, and the storm-day table all use this record.
- Storm-date pages (NWS severe): A storm-date page is published only when at least one report or station gust within 25 miles of a city met the National Weather Service severe criteria (hail 1.00 in. or larger, or wind 58 mph or more), at least two separate observations were logged, and the day ranks among the most significant. A storm report that relays an airport weather station's reading (the same station, the same gust and the same time) counts once, as the station reading. Not every storm day gets a page; when one does, the page and the storm-day table show the same largest hail and strongest gust.
- Events (12-month counts): Events count NWS warnings, storm reports (wind 50 mph+, hail 0.75 in.+), station gusts (50 mph+) and NCEI entries within 25 miles of Columbus or recorded for Bartholomew County, tornado entries counted as wind. One event is one place on one day, counted separately for hail and for wind. A weather station or storm-report point counts once a day, at that day's highest reading, however many readings it filed; a place with hail and wind on the same day is two events. NWS warnings count once per county per day, and each NCEI entry once per place per day. A storm report that relays an airport weather station's reading (the same station, the same gust and the same time) counts once, as the station reading. The same report arriving through another feed (SPC or NCEI) is one record. Events measure how busy the area was, not whether a storm hit: one storm can bring warnings and reports from many places, so the busiest days by event count can differ from the storm days.
- NOAA history (since 2010): The official NOAA storm record (NCEI Storm Events) within 25 miles of Columbus or in Bartholomew County from January 1, 2010 to the day before the 12-month window starts: hail 0.50 in.+, thunderstorm wind 40 mph+ and tornadoes. It is a separate, older record with its own "storm days" (days with any entry), so its counts are not compared with the 12-month numbers.
- Free Report Snapshot: A free YES/NO estimate for one address, from radar and wind analysis at the property rather than area reports, at the same screening thresholds: hail 0.75 in. or wind 45 mph.
Full method: Methodology and Data Sources.
Columbus hail and wind history in NOAA NCEI records, 2010–Oct. 2025
This section covers January 1, 2010 through October 6, 2025. Storms from October 7, 2025 on are in the 12-month summary above, so no date is counted in both.
Thunderstorm wind outnumbers hail about 2.1 to 1 here: 289 wind reports against 137 hail reports. In all: 449 NCEI Storm Events entries within 25 miles of Columbus or in Bartholomew County, spread over 162 storm days.
On May 25, 2011, 2.75 in. (baseball size) hail was reported in Decatur County — the largest in these records for this area. Hail of 2 inches or more appears in 4 different years of this record, the latest being 2023.
The strongest measured thunderstorm gust was 69 mph, reached in 2014 and 2015 — most recently on December 23, 2015 in Jackson County. NCEI also lists 23 tornado entries for the area — one entry per county a tornado crossed.
Hail peaks in April (26% of all hail reports), while thunderstorm wind reports cluster in May. December through February accounts for 11 storm days.
The most storm days came in 2012, with 20; the fewest in a full year was 6, in 2018. Across 2022–2024, the area averaged 9.7 storm days a year, below the 15-year average of 10.
- Average: 10 storm days a year (2010–2024)
- April and July: 50% of all hail reports
- Most hail reports in one year: 25 in 2012
- Hail of 1 in. or larger reported in every full year, 2010–2024
| Year | Hail reports | Thunderstorm wind reports | Tornado entries | Storm days | Largest hail | Strongest measured gust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 12 | 22 | 1 | 11 | 1.75 in. | 68 mph |
| 2011 | 14 | 28 | 4 | 13 | 2.75 in. | 63 mph |
| 2012 | 25 | 22 | 0 | 20 | 2.00 in. | 67 mph |
| 2013 | 13 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 2.00 in. | — |
| 2014 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 9 | 1.25 in. | 69 mph |
| 2015 | 7 | 18 | 1 | 10 | 1.00 in. | 69 mph |
| 2016 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 1.00 in. | — |
| 2017 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1.75 in. | — |
| 2018 | 5 | 22 | 0 | 6 | 1.75 in. | 64 mph |
| 2019 | 4 | 20 | 3 | 11 | 1.00 in. | 60 mph |
| 2020 | 3 | 26 | 0 | 11 | 1.75 in. | 64 mph |
| 2021 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 1.25 in. | 60 mph |
| 2022 | 4 | 26 | 6 | 10 | 1.75 in. | — |
| 2023 | 10 | 18 | 2 | 12 | 2.00 in. | 60 mph |
| 2024 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 1.00 in. | — |
| 2025 through Oct. 6 | 10 | 30 | 2 | 10 | 1.25 in. | 68 mph |
Download this history: CSV · JSON at https://www.stormauditor.com/downloads/storm-history/in/columbus.json (free, open license, cite StormAuditor).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (thunderstorm wind, hail, and tornado entries; hail 0.50 in. or larger, wind 40 mph or more; wind converted from knots).
Columbus storm history questions, 2010–Oct. 2025
How big did hail get in Columbus, 2010–Oct. 2025?
2.75 in., baseball size, reported on May 25, 2011 in Decatur County, per NCEI. Other years with hail of 2 inches or more: 2012, 2013 and 2023.
Which year had the most storm days near Columbus, 2010–Oct. 2025?
2012, with 20 storm days (25 hail reports, 22 thunderstorm wind reports). The 15-year average is 10 storm days.
How many hail reports does Columbus see in a typical year?
About 8.5 hail reports a year (2010–2024 average), with 1-inch or larger hail reported every year. Thunderstorm wind averages 17 reports a year.
What month has the most hail near Columbus?
April has the most hail reports (36, 2010–Oct. 2025), followed by July (32) and May (26).
What is the strongest measured thunderstorm gust near Columbus, 2010–Oct. 2025?
69 mph, reached in 2014 and 2015; most recently measured on December 23, 2015 in Jackson County. Only gusts NCEI lists as measured count here; gusts measured on a date and county with a tornado entry, and entries of 120 knots or more (known entry errors), are left out.
Columbus hail map and wind map
Researching hail or wind in Columbus? The Hail Explorer and Wind Explorer map radar-derived hail swaths and peak-gust wind swaths across Indiana, including the Columbus metro: pick any storm date and see how estimated hail size and gust bands tracked through Bartholomew County. Both explorers are included with Pro+ and Organization plans.
County-level activity is on the Impact Heatmap (free with an account), and day-by-day history is on the Storm Calendar (Pro plans and higher).
Free Columbus weather report by address
Area maps show where storms tracked; an insurance claim or roof inspection turns on what happened at the property. Three ways to check one Columbus address:
- The Free Report Snapshot answers YES/NO instantly on estimated wind of 45 mph or more and hail of 0.75 in. or larger (screening thresholds) at the address.
- The free Address Lookup lists NWS warnings, storm reports and NOAA observations near the address — free Columbus wind history and free Columbus hail history.
- A complete Weather Report for $2.99 covers every qualifying storm date at one address over the last 2 years.
All values are estimates from public NOAA data under our published methodology (see Limitations).
For roofers, adjusters, and claim attorneys: the professional tools add statewide hail and wind swath maps, the Zone Canvas Tool, and Audit Reports with the evidence and arithmetic — see how roofing contractors and insurance claim attorneys use them.
Sources: NWS alerts (api.weather.gov) · NWS Local Storm Reports via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet · ASOS/AWOS station gusts via the Iowa Environmental Mesonet · NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database · every StormAuditor data source.
Free Columbus storm data download
The Columbus storm records for the last 12 months download free, free to reuse under the data license: download CSV · JSON at https://www.stormauditor.com/downloads/storm-data/in/columbus.json.
- Coverage: every wind and hail record within about 25 miles of Columbus or recorded for Bartholomew County, with dates, counties, event types, measured gusts and hail sizes.
- Rows: each source record before consolidation, including every NWS warning product and smaller storm reports, so the row count differs from the event counts above.
- Statewide files are on the Indiana storm data page.
Nearby city storm pages:
- Seymour hail & wind history
- Greenwood hail & wind history
- Bloomington hail & wind history
- Indianapolis hail & wind history
- Louisville, KY hail & wind history
- Cincinnati, OH hail & wind history
- Indiana statewide storm data
Guides for reading this data
Cite or link to this data — free
Free to quote, summarize, reuse, and link — for bloggers, journalists, researchers, contractors, and AI writing tools. No permission or credit required. A ready-made citation and link are below if they help. Terms: StormAuditor data & content license.
Citation: StormAuditor. "Columbus, IN Hail & Wind Storm History." Updated August 26, 2026. https://www.stormauditor.com/storm-data/in/columbus
HTML link: <a href="https://www.stormauditor.com/storm-data/in/columbus">Columbus, IN Hail & Wind Storm History — StormAuditor</a>
About this page: built by Storm Auditor LLC from public NOAA/NWS records — deduplicated warnings, storm reports, station measurements, and official records on a rolling 12-month window, under the published methodology. See the StormAuditor Editorial Team for how content is produced.
Data last refreshed October 7, 2026. Event counts cover wind and hail (warning products, and storm reports from 50 mph or 0.75 in.); flood activity and Special Weather Statements are not counted here.