Remembering Indiana’s Most Powerful Tornado that Killed 695

As you know, this time of year in Indiana is prime tornado season. We have already seen a couple so far in 2023, but what is the most powerful tornado in Indiana's history?

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Recently, Meteorologists have discovered that "Tornado Alley" is shifting east. This new area of "Tornado Alley" now includes portions of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. This makes some sense, as it seems like we are hearing more and more about tornadoes in Indiana over the past few years. We have seen some pretty devastating tornadoes make their way through the state that has left people without homes and tragically, taken the lives of several Hoosiers. However, none of these has caused the destruction that the most powerful tornado in Indiana history has.

What is the Most Powerful Tornado in Indiana History?

On average, Indiana gets hit by about 22 tornadoes per year, according to Weather.gov. There's a good chance that you have heard some stories in the past about devastating tornadoes in Indiana. The most powerful tornado in Indiana history was dubbed the "Tri-State Tornado," and it occurred on March 18, 1925. According to Animals A-Z, here's a little backstory of the most powerful tornado in the state's history:

The most powerful tornado to ever hit Indiana was the 1925 Tri-State tornado, a powerful tornado believed to be an EF5 at the time it struck. The Tri-State tornado struck Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, killing about 695 people while the overall outbreak killed about 751 people.

The tornado struck on March 18, 1925, and it ripped through the southern parts of all three states for over 200 miles before dissipating in Pike County, Indiana.

The tornado had estimated wind speeds of about 300 mph or more, and it reached a maximum width of about 1.5 miles.

Of the 695 people killed in the "Tri-State Tornado," 71 of them were in Indiana. Since then, no single tornado has killed so many people at once in Illinois or Indiana.

Let's hope and pray that we don't have any tornadoes like this in our lifetime. I'd imagine that the destruction would be much worse in 2023 than it was in 1925, due to more homes and business, as well as people, in the area than there was back then.