Elkhart

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Flood insurance figures are for Elkhart County, the county that contains Elkhart.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges in Elkhart County, the county that contains Elkhart.

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

The drought index is for Elkhart County, the county that contains Elkhart.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Oct 18, 2007Tornado$11.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado continued northeast out of Kosciusko County into the southeast side of Nappanee where the most extensive damage occurred. The width of the tornado decreased to one quarter mile and intensified just south of US-6 and County Road 7 as wind speeds increased to around 165 mph, in the upper range of the EF3 rating. The tornado went through an area populated by homes, restaurants, convenience stores and 3 RV plants, all of which sustained varying degrees of damage. Local officials reported that 459 buildings were damaged. Of these, 352 were homes with 52 of those being destroyed or uninhabitable. 81 businesses were damaged and 26 destroyed. A few minor injuries were also…

2. Jul 12, 2006Flash Flood$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorms continued to develop and move from west to east for several hours across mainly the southern part of Elkhart County. While many locations saw 2 to 4 inches of rain, which did cause some localized urban issues, a narrow band of much heavier rain set up from Wakarusa east into Millersburg. By the end of the event an off duty NWS employee reported 8.17 inches in his gauge with another employee only a few miles south of him reporting 4.50 inches and spotters reporting 6.65 inches west of Goshen. The heavy rainfall resulted in many roads in this narrow band being closed as water flowed over them for several hours. Some roads had minor washouts with extensive erosion along…

3. Feb 20, 2018Flood$1.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Extensive flooding occurred across the county as all area waterways exceeded their limited, reaching record levels in some spots. Residents had to be evacuated along many of the rivers with numerous homes and businesses suffering varying degrees of damage. In addition, numerous roads were closed due to high water for several days including portions of US 6, State Routes 19 and 106. Damage estimates totaled at least 1.2 million dollars.

4. Oct 24, 2001Tornado$936,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Tornado touched down southeast of Mishawaka and traveled northeast through the west side of Osceola before moving into Elkhart county northeast of Osceola. F2 damage occurred between Mishawaka and Osceola. The tornado then skipped as it went into Elkhart county causing F0 damage in the Cobus Green mobile home park before lifting.

5. Jun 23, 2010Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A survey of damage in Goshen indicated a circulation touched down near the Parkside Elementary School, causing varying degrees of damage to trees at the school and to the east northeast as it moved through the southern parts of town. The circulation passed over the Aggregate Industries storage facilities, ripping the roof and portions of the metal shell away (DI:WHB; DOD:4). Several trucks in the building suffered damage as the roof struck them while being picked up. The tornado quickly dissipated after striking the facility. Debris from the building was found over a half mile away at the Elkhart County Fairgrounds. Damage for the building and contents is estimated at $500,000.

6. Jul 15, 2024Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A survey of damage confirmed a brief tornado, embedded within an area of straight line wind damage. The tornado touched down southeast of Hawthorne Elementary School and proceeded quickly east-southeast. Numerous trees were uprooted, partially due to the wet ground conditions, as well as several snapped tree limbs and trunks. The greatest damage occurred in the area of Mather Ave, between Carlton Ave and Naomi St.

7. Jul 21, 1998Thunderstorm Wind$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN. SIDING RIPPED OFF HOUSES.

8. Jun 23, 2010Tornado$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A survey of damage indicated a circulation touched down northwest of Wakarusa and worked east southeast, passing north of the town. The circulation skipped along its nearly 12 mile track, producing varying degrees of tree damage, including tree topping, uproots and snapping large limbs. The greatest damage occurred at the Ultimaster plant on State Route 19, where a portion of a second story wall and roof was ripped away. Tree and corn damage continued as the circulation approached New Paris, where it finally dissipated. Despite its track, the maximum width was only around 50 yards with maximum estimated winds of around 100 mph. Damage is estimated at $300,000.

9. Aug 25, 1998Tornado$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   THIS TORNADO LIKELY FORMED ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE BOW ECHO WHICH PASSED THROUGH BERRIEN AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTIES EARLIER. IT TOUCHED DOWN ON TOP OF THE FORD DEALERSHIP ALONG HIGHWAY 33 TEARING OFF A LARGE PART OF THE ROOF AND ONE WALL. NEXT IT THREW A FORD AEROSTAR VAN INTO A POWER POLE AND PICKED UP AN RV TOSSING IT OVER 50 YARDS AWAY ACROSS THE HIGHWAY INTO A DITCH. NEXT IT CROSSED A STREET AND HIT A MANUFACTURED HOME DEALERSHIP SHIFTING SEVERAL HOMES OFF THEIR FOUNDATIONS, TEARING A LARGE PART OF THE OFFICE ROOF OFF AND FLIPPING A MOVING VAN OVER. IT THEN PROCEEDED DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 33 FOR APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 200 YARDS TEARING OFF PARTS OF ROOFS AND AIR CONDITIONING…

10. Mar 30, 2025Thunderstorm Wind$300,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    There were 30 homes with trees down on them around the city of Elkhart.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

104°F2 times, most recently Jul 7, 2012

All-time low

−21°FJan 16, 2009

Warmest night

78°FJul 19, 2019

Coldest day

−5°FJan 30, 2019

Wettest day

5.84 inJul 8, 1951

Snowiest day

9.4 inApr 7, 1957

Hottest year

2012mean 53.4°F

Coldest year

1997mean 47.3°F

Wettest year

195450.94 in

Driest year

201024.16 in

Station Goshen Municipal Airport (USW00014829), 824 ft elevation, 14.6 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1953 to October 27, 2026; 98.3% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

Declarations for Elkhart County.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00014829.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.