Hamilton County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Hamilton County: 6.
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.

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

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.

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.

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 county boundary (or inside the county).
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. Jul 6, 2003Flood, Hamilton$31.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous thunderstorm complexes marched across central Indiana from the evening of the 4th and not ending until the 11th. This caused near major flooding along the White River in Hamilton and northern Marion counties. The White River at Noblesville reached its highest level since March 1913. However, measured peak flow at Noblesville was about 30% less than the April 1964 flood. Major agricultural damage resulted along the entire length of the White River. Location: FS: Crest: Crest Date:Muncie 9.0 10.94 7/10Anderson 10.0 15.79 7/9Noblesville 14.0 21.85 7/10Nora 11.0 17.78 7/11Broad Ripple 6.0 8.98 7/11Ravenswood 6.0 11.30 7/11Morris St. 16.0 17.19 7/11Centerton 12.0 16.89…

2. May 18, 2000Hail$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A series of supercell storms dumped hail from golfball to softball size across a large portion of the northern half of the IND CWA. The storms moved across a warm front that stretched across central Indiana. Numerous cars, car lots and homes had extensive damage estimated around 75 million dollars. Frankfort, Anderson and Muncie were hardest hit. In addition, three homes in New Whiteland were burned to the ground by a lightning strike. Later in the evening, a squall line moved across the same area producing only isolated hail reports.

3. Sep 1, 2003Flash Flood$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Record rainfall event occurred across central Indiana starting in the evening of August 31 and continuing through the morning of September 2. The heaviest rain occurred along an axis from Vigo to Clay to Putnam to Hendricks to Marion to Hamilton to Madison, Delaware and Randolph counties. Many spots near the axis received 8 to 10 inches over the 30 hour period. This resulted in widespread flash flooding and flooding along small creeks. There were numerous evacuations from homes and rescues from vehicles. Many schools were closed. Many neighborhoods that never saw flooding before were flooded. There were also hundreds of flooded basements. The National Guard was activated to help…

4. Jun 22, 2010Lightning$3.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Newspaper and broadcast media reported a lightning strike was the suspected cause of a fire of a shopping strip in western Carmel, Indiana. Firefighters think lightning struck the El Rodeo restaurant, located in the 12-unit Weston Shoppes, and quickly spread across the shopping center. The strip mall owner said continuing lightning strikes prevented firefighters from hosing the flames from their ladder trucks, hampering their efforts to save the building. Damage estimates, not including each store's inventory, could be between 3 and 4 million dollars. Firefighters were still on the scene 8 1/2 hours later.

5. Sep 1, 2003Flood, Hamilton$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   8 to 10 inches of rain fell across central Indiana during the Labor Day weekend causing major flooding along parts of the White River. In fact, Indianapolis received the most rain ever for a calendar day (7.2 inches) breaking the old record set in 1895 (6.8 inches). According to a local newspaper account, nearly 3,000 residents across central Indiana applied for flood assistance and flood damage was estimated in excess of 20 million dollars. SEMA reports indicated more than 300 homes and nearly 60 businesses were flooded. Nearly 200 people were forced to evacuate their residences. The cities of Muncie and Anderson had near major flooding as the river crested at its highest level…

6. Jan 22, 1999Flood, Hamilton$1.7 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain of up to 5 inches on the 21st and 22nd combined with rapid snow melt upstream causing widespread flooding along the White River from Muncie to East Mount Carmel. Crests ranged from around a foot above flood stage along extreme eastern sections of the White to around 10 feet above flood stage across extreme western sections. Flooding along the river in Hamilton and northern Marion counties were the highest seen since December 1990 and January 1991. Many homes and streets were flooded, and a few rescues took place. The following are various crests along the river: Muncie - 9.62 feet (flood stage is 9 feet); Anderson - 12.8 feet (flood stage is 10 feet); Noblesville -…

7. Jun 29, 2023Thunderstorm Wind$600,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was estimated at this location with a 6 inch tree limb downed nearby. Over 13000 power outages across the county caused by the storm.

8. Apr 2, 2025Tornado$600,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This fifth tornado to impact central Indiana tracked to the east-northeast through mainly southeastern portions of the Carmel area, from near 116th Street and Pennsylvania Street to 146th Street and Community Drive. Trees to the south of an office building were uprooted and downed in a convergent manner toward the building. Damage to the office building was confined to the southwest corner and the entry way on the east side of the structure. Metal framing around windows on the southwest corner were pulled outward as was the large entry way frame and windows. The tornado continued to the northeast with numerous homes and apartment buildings sustaining roof and siding damage. Many…

9. May 21, 1996Lightning$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Lightning struck a home causing fire.

10. May 24, 1998Lightning$400,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Lightning struck 5 Carmel area homes igniting fires.

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

105°F2 times, most recently Jul 7, 2012

All-time low

−27°FJan 19, 1994

Warmest night

81°FJul 7, 2012

Coldest day

−11°FJan 20, 1985

Wettest day

7.20 inSep 1, 2003

Snowiest day

11.4 inJan 5, 2014

Hottest year

2012mean 56.9°F

Coldest year

2014mean 50.1°F

Wettest year

199656.81 in

Driest year

195427.93 in

Snowiest season

58.2 in1981-82

Station Indianapolis (USW00093819), 887 ft elevation, 23.5 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 26, 2026; 100.0% 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.

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.

Neighbouring counties

• 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 USW00093819.
• 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.