New Castle, IN Tornado History — 115 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has New Castle, IN had?
New Castle has had 115 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 16 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near New Castle?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of New Castle was an Unrated on May 14, 2025.
When is tornado season in New Castle?
June is historically the peak month for tornadoes near New Castle, with 25 on record. April through June account for 65 of the 115 tornadoes on record near New Castle.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near New Castle
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 29 total, averaging 1.4 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near New Castle since December 29, 2025
This is a preliminary report, not confirmed tornadoes. It has not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and is not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
EF0 tornado with max winds 70 mph tracked 0.32 miles to ESE creating a clear circulation pattern within corn field. Minor damage to an vehicle and awning and propane ta (IND)
Within 25 miles of New Castle. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
What storm spotters reported near New Castle
2 local storm reports have been filed within 25 miles of New Castle and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on April 2, 2025 and the most recent on May 13, 2025. They are already counted in the New Castle totals above; quoted below is the narrative each reporting office filed at the time.
[Landspout] A brief landspout tornado touched down and tracked through open fields for a short time. EF-U strength. (IND)
An EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 100 mph and a path length of 5.81 miles was a secondary tornado that tracked south of the main tornado. Sporadic damage suggests circ (IND)
Source: National Weather Service and trained-spotter local storm reports, relayed by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near New Castle
6 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of New Castle since 1950, across 5 events. 294 injuries have been reported across all events. 1980 was the deadliest year on record near New Castle.
The deadliest single event was an F4 on July 9, 1980, which caused 2 fatalities along a 11.0-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near New Castle
What the record shows near New Castle
The 1960s were the busiest decade near New Castle, with 21 of the 115 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 12 so far. The New Castle record runs from the 1950s to today.
Of the tornadoes rated near New Castle, 70 reached EF0 or EF1 and 44 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near New Castle is rated EF4, of which 6 are logged. A further 1 near New Castle is unrated — events NOAA logged before a damage survey assigned a scale.
Across the last 20 years New Castle has averaged 1.4 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 29 in total. 2019 was the busiest of them with 5, and 7 of those years passed with none at all.