April 2 storm spawned 21 tornadoes; 2025 tornado total stands at 43

INDIANAPOLIS – A devastating storm that tore through Indiana last week spawned 21 tornadoes, accounting for nearly half of the state’s tornadoes so far in 2025.

According to the National Weather Service, Indiana has recorded 43 total tornadoes this year. The April 2 date marked the earliest the state has ever recorded 40+ tornadoes since recordkeeping began in the 1950s.

Sponsored

class="wp-block-heading">April 2 outbreak

The April 2 tornado outbreak affected several parts of the state. In central Indiana, areas hit included Carmel (Hamilton County), Brownsburg (Hendricks County), Lapel (Madison County) and Eaton (Delaware County).

In the northern part of the state, NWS confirmed tornadoes in Marshall County, Adams County and Steuben County. To the south, Washington, Floyd and Vanderburgh counties saw tornadoes, while Vigo and Parke counties to the west reported tornado damage.

The most powerful tornadoes to hit Indiana were classified as EF2, packing winds between 111 mph and 135 mph. NWS confirmed a total of five EF2 tornadoes in the following counties: Delaware, Hendricks, Madison, Vanderburgh and Washington.

The storm also spawned 14 EF1 tornadoes with winds between 86 mph and 110 mph. Some counties experiencing EF1 tornadoes included Adams, Floyd, Hamilton, Madison, Parke and Vigo.

NWS reported a pair of EF0 tornadoes with winds between 65 mph and 85 mph. Those hit in Lawrence County and Delaware/Madison counties.

Single-day tornado outbreaks

According to National Weather Service data, the April 2, 2025, event ranked among the state’s worst tornado outbreaks.

A June 2, 1990, outbreak holds the state record. That storm spawned 37 tornadoes, with southern Indiana experiencing some of the worst of it. Tornadoes from the 1990 storm also hit central and west central Indiana.

The outbreak spun off some powerful EF4 tornadoes, which have winds between 166 mph and 200 mph. June 1990 also holds the record for the most tornadoes in a month (44).

Here’s a look at other historic single-day events:

• June 2, 1990: 37
• Nov. 17, 2013: 30
• April 19, 2011: 29
• May 30, 2004: 24
• March 31, 2023: 23
• May 25, 2011: 22
• April 2, 2025: 21
• April 3, 1974: 21

43 tornadoes in 2025

In a typical year, Indiana experiences about 22 tornadoes, according to historical weather data.

That means the state essentially saw a year’s worth of tornadoes on April 2, 2025.

So far this year, NWS has confirmed 43 tornadoes across the Hoosier State. While 21 of those arrived during the April 2 outbreak, several tornadoes spawned just a few days before during a severe weather outbreak on March 30.

The March 30 storms weren’t as prolific as the ones that hammered the state a few days later. However, they spawned EF0 and EF1 tornadoes in Marshall, Monroe, Newton, Noble, Ripley and Steuben counties.

It’s still early in Indiana’s tornado season, which typically peaks in mid-May.