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Hail history in Indiana

We counted the days with NOAA hail reports within 15 miles of the center of 4 Indiana cities since 2010.

Warehouses with white roofs and an apartment block under a dark storm front
Hail days near Indianapolis since 2010, the most in Indiana
86
Largest hail reported, near Indianapolis
3.4 in
Indiana cities tracked
4

Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center

Data through November 1, 2026

Indiana cities by hail days

Source: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center

Data through November 1, 2026

CityHail days since 2010Largest hail
Indianapolis863.4 in
Fort Wayne502.0 in
Evansville482.0 in
South Bend362.5 in

About this data

  • Each city counts reports within 15 miles of its center, not of any one property.
  • Reports come from trained spotters and the public, so they cluster near towns and roads.
  • No report does not mean no hail. Hail can fall where no one is there to report it.
  • This is not a damage or insurance assessment.

Storm risk in Indiana

For commercial and multifamily buildings in Indiana, damaging thunderstorm wind and hail are the most frequent storm risks, followed by tornadoes, flooding and winter snow and ice. Severe weather is reported more often here than in most of the US: the area around the Indianapolis radar ranks 15th of 141 US radar areas for severe reports, and Indiana averages 22 tornadoes a year.2,3

How often storms hit Indiana

Storm hazards for buildings in Indiana1,2,3,4,5,17
HazardHow oftenWhat it means for buildings
HailHail days since 2010 within 15 miles of the city center: Indianapolis 86, Fort Wayne 50, Evansville 48, South Bend 36, with hail up to 3.4 inches near Indianapolis. Within 124 nautical miles of the Indianapolis radar, hail fell on 34 days a year on average (1980 to 2006).Hail cracks roof covers and skylights, dents metal roofs and flattens the condenser fins on rooftop units, and one roof can be hit more than once in a season.
Damaging thunderstorm windDamaging wind reports on 51 days a year on average within 124 nautical miles of the Indianapolis radar (1980 to 2006), more report days than hail or tornadoes.Straight-line gusts lift roof edges and membranes, shift rooftop units, break glass and drop trees on buildings and parking.
Tornadoes22 a year on average. At any one point within 124 nautical miles of the Indianapolis radar, the yearly chance of a tornado is 0.029 percent.Few single buildings are ever struck, but an owner with many buildings across the state carries more exposure, and a strong tornado can level a building.
FloodingMore than half of Indiana's declared disasters involved flooding, and most counties, cities and towns have flood-prone areas mapped on FEMA flood maps.River and flash floods soak ground floors, basements and mechanical rooms. In mapped flood areas, new and substantially improved buildings must meet the state's elevation rule.
Winter storms and iceAverage winter snowfall runs from 15 inches in the south to over 30 inches in the north, and places near Lake Michigan often get more than 60 inches. A crippling blizzard or ice storm is always possible.Snow drifts against parapets, roof steps and rooftop equipment and piles into concentrated loads on flat roofs, and cold snaps freeze pipes and sprinkler lines.

The city counts are days with at least one hail report within 15 miles of each city's center since 2010, so they show how often hail falls near a city, not on any one roof. The Storm Prediction Center figures use a much wider circle, 124 nautical miles around the Indianapolis radar, and reports from 1980 to 2006.1,2

For an owner, the useful split is between storms that come back and storms that come rarely. Wind and hail return most years and wear down roofs and rooftop units a little at a time, while tornadoes, floods and ice storms seldom reach any one address but account for the biggest single losses.

Rules owners in Indiana should know

  • FAIR Plan: the Indiana FAIR Plan (Indiana Basic Property Insurance Underwriting Association) is the market of last resort for owners declined by at least three unrelated insurers. Its commercial policies top out at $1,000,000 combined for building and contents, and it does not insure vacant or unoccupied buildings.6,7
  • State design release: a Class 1 structure, meaning a building used by the public, by employees or by three or more tenants, needs a construction design release before it is built, remodeled or altered (675 IAC 12-6-4). Work limited to replacing roof, wall or floor coverings, reglazing glass, or swapping mechanical equipment for a similar type and rating in the same location is exempt; structural repairs are not on that list, and exempt work may still need local permits.8,9
  • Flood elevation: the DNR Division of Water must approve most construction in a floodway, including non-residential buildings, on top of any local permit. Across the mapped floodplain, local rules can be no less strict than 312 IAC 10, and new buildings and substantial improvements must be elevated, or for non-residential buildings dry floodproofed, to the flood protection grade, 2 feet above the base flood elevation.10,11
  • Public adjuster contracts: since July 1, 2023, public adjusters must have the Department of Insurance approve their contract forms before use. The insured may rescind a public adjuster contract within 3 business days after submitting the claim to the insurer, and the adjuster must return anything paid within 15 business days (IC 27-1-27-20).12,13

Before the next storm

  • Hail-rated roof covers: when a low-slope roof is due for replacement, choose a cover rated FM 4470 Class 1-SH or UL 2218 Class 4, the ratings IBHS calls for in hail-prone areas. Indianapolis alone has had 86 hail days within 15 miles since 2010.14,1
  • Rooftop unit guards: fit hail guards over condenser fins and air intakes, which IBHS recommends because hail striking them can stop a unit working.14
  • Tornado shelter plan: name a shelter area in each building, such as a basement or an interior room or stairway with no outside window or door, and practice it during the statewide tornado drill that IDHS asks every Indiana business to join. Outdoor sirens can't be relied on indoors, so keep a weather radio or alert app.15
  • Freeze protection: keep building heat above 40°F, heat sprinkler control rooms, and hold vacant space at 55°F or more, as IBHS advises, because frozen pipes and sprinkler lines cause costly water damage.16
  • Flood policy timing: IDHS notes that new flood policies take 30 days to take effect, so coverage has to be in place well before flooding is expected, and more than half of Indiana's declared disasters involved flooding.15,4

Sources

Written by the Cloudbreak team. Numbers, dates and rules cite the published sources below.

  1. 1. Cloudbreak: NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center storm reports, as counted on the Cloudbreak hail history page for Indiana
  2. 2. NOAA Storm Prediction Center: IND (Indianapolis) Severe Weather Climatology, 1980 to 2006
  3. 3. NWS Indianapolis: Indiana Tornado Climatology
  4. 4. Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Floodplain Management in Indiana Quick Guide
  5. 5. NWS Indianapolis: Winter Weather Preparedness Week Public Information Statement, November 6, 2023
  6. 6. Indiana FAIR Plan (Indiana Basic Property Insurance Underwriting Association): What is the FAIR Plan
  7. 7. Indiana FAIR Plan (Indiana Basic Property Insurance Underwriting Association): Consumers: Frequently Asked Questions
  8. 8. Indiana Department of Homeland Security: Plan Review Process
  9. 9. Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission (text via Cornell LII): 675 IAC 12-6-4: Exemptions from design release requirement
  10. 10. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water: Community Assistance & Information: Floodplain Management
  11. 11. Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Floodplain Administrator's Guidebook
  12. 12. Indiana General Assembly (text via Justia): Indiana Code 27-1-27-20: Public adjuster contract rescindable
  13. 13. Indiana Department of Insurance: Contracts, Duties and Responsibilities of Independent and Public Adjusters
  14. 14. Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS): Commercial Roofs Best Practices Guide
  15. 15. Indiana Department of Homeland Security: Severe Weather Preparedness
  16. 16. Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS): Commercial Risk Engineering Bulletin: Winter Weather
  17. 17. FEMA: Snow Load Safety Guidance (FEMA P-957)

Storms in Indiana

NWS Indianapolis says tornadoes can strike Indiana in any month but are most likely from April to June.1

Notable storms

  1. June 11, 2026Indiana had 27 tornadoes, mostly in the north. An EF3 tracked across Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties, with EF3 damage in Kouts. Straight-line gusts of 85 to 95 mph hit Kokomo and parts of Clinton, Hendricks and Johnson counties.2,3
  2. March 14, 2024Hail up to 2.85 inches fell across north central Indiana, the largest at Jerome, and hail damage to homes was reported near Greentown. An EF3 tornado with winds to 165 mph severely damaged many homes in Winchester, killing 1 person and injuring 37, and an EF2 damaged homes in Selma.4
  3. March 31, 2023An EF3 tornado with winds to 155 mph killed 3 people in Sullivan County, where tens of homes and structures were severely damaged or destroyed. Another EF3 killed 2 people in McCormick's Creek State Park, and a third, with winds to 140 mph, caused major roof damage to homes in Whiteland.5
  4. July 31, 2012A macroburst with winds up to 110 mph and hail up to grapefruit size hit Oakland City in Gibson County. NWS Paducah counted 78 homes and businesses with major damage, 249 with minor damage and major hail damage to many homes. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $6 million in property damage from the wind.6,7
  5. March 2, 2012An EF4 tornado with winds estimated up to 175 mph tracked 49 miles across Washington, Clark, Scott and Jefferson counties, through Henryville, killing 11 people and destroying homes. A second storm followed nearly the same path and pelted the damaged area with hail up to softball size.8
  6. June 14, 2010Hail up to softball size fell from near Boswell to south of Templeton in Benton County and caused significant roof damage to many houses. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists $500,000 in property damage from the hail.9

Warnings and alerts

NWS offices in Indianapolis, Northern Indiana, Chicago, Louisville, Paducah and Cincinnati cover Indiana's counties.10

Sources

  1. 1. NWS Indianapolis: Severe Weather Preparedness Week 2023 newsletter
  2. 2. NWS Indianapolis: June 2026 Review of Weather Conditions in Central Indiana
  3. 3. NWS Northern Indiana: Event Summary for Severe Weather and Tornadoes, June 11th, 2026
  4. 4. NWS Indianapolis: March 14, 2024 Severe Weather and Tornadoes
  5. 5. NWS Indianapolis: March 31, 2023 Severe Weather and Tornadoes
  6. 6. NWS Paducah: Gibson County, IN Macroburst, July 31, 2012
  7. 7. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Gibson County thunderstorm wind, July 31, 2012
  8. 8. NWS Louisville: March 2, 2012 Tornadoes
  9. 9. NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database: Benton County hail, June 14, 2010
  10. 10. National Weather Service: Indiana County Warning Forecast Areas

Hail history in other states