INDIANA — A historic onslaught of severe weather has left communities across Indiana cleaning up significant debris after a massive line of thunderstorms produced dozens of tornadoes last week.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has officially confirmed that 21 tornadoes touched down across the state during the outbreak on Thursday, June 11, 2026. The violent system pushed across central and northern Indiana, triggering dozens of simultaneous Tornado Warnings and Severe Thunderstorm Warnings that sent thousands of residents rushing to shelter.
With 21 confirmed touchdowns from a single event, the NWS reported that last Thursday’s severe weather blitz has tied the historic April 3, 1974 outbreak for the eighth-largest single-day tornado event in Indiana history since 1950.
Meteorologists and NWS survey teams tracking the damage paths detailed various intensities across different regions:
- Cass County: An EF-1 tornado struck the area, packing peak estimated winds of 90 mph. The twister touched down just south of County Road 325 N., cutting a path between County Roads 400 E. and 450 E. The storm heavily damaged a local barn, scoured regional farm crops, and moved northeast to completely level a 40-foot pole barn while systematically tearing roofs off surrounding structures.
- Carroll County: Survey crews confirmed two separate, short-lived EF-0 tornadoes touched down within the county line.
- Johnson & Shelby Counties: An EF-1 tornado was observed cutting a path through portion lines in both counties, damaging agricultural buildings and personal properties.
- Randolph County: An EF-0 tornado was tracked near Farmland, flattening crops in local cornfields.
- Northern & Northwest Indiana: An additional 11 tornadoes were confirmed across northern Indiana counties, including severe damage corridors spanning Wabash, Huntington, and Jay counties. In the northwest corner of the state, communities like Kouts and Merrillville sustained severe impacts, with Kouts enduring a powerful EF-3 tornado and Merrillville dealing with an EF-2 twister that partially ripped the roof off Andrean High School.
The back-to-back lines of severe thunderstorms severely crippled local infrastructure, knocking down hundreds of power poles and leaving over 170,000 Indiana utility customers completely without power going into the weekend. Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) reported extensive blackouts concentrated in Gary, Dyer, and Chesterton.
The June 11 outbreak has significantly amplified what was already a busy severe weather season. With the addition of last week’s storms, Indiana has now recorded 40 confirmed tornadoes so far in 2026.
NWS survey crews from the Indianapolis, Northern Indiana, and Chicago offices remain active in the field, mapping additional storm tracks. Officials noted that portions of the state are still being investigated for suspected tornadic wind damage, meaning the current preliminary count of 21 could increase as finalized data is logged over the coming days.
