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Bluffton, IN Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes

 
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The chance of earthquake damage in Bluffton is about the same as Indiana average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Bluffton is lower than Indiana average and is much higher than the national average.

Topics:Earthquake IndexVolcano IndexTornado IndexOther Weather Extremes EventsVolcanos NearbyHistorical Earthquake EventsHistorical Tornado Events

Earthquake Index, #284

Bluffton, IN
0.04
Indiana
0.12
U.S.
1.81

The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.

Volcano Index, #1

Bluffton, IN
0.0000
Indiana
0.0000
U.S.
0.0023

The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.

Tornado Index, #540

Bluffton, IN
234.78
Indiana
265.56
U.S.
136.45

The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.

Other Weather Extremes Events

A total of 3,656 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Bluffton, IN were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:

TypeCountTypeCountTypeCountTypeCountTypeCount
Avalanche:0Blizzard:5Cold:6Dense Fog:3Drought:3
Dust Storm:0Flood:286Hail:1,082Heat:5Heavy Snow:32
High Surf:0Hurricane:0Ice Storm:15Landslide:0Strong Wind:50
Thunderstorm Winds:2,004Tropical Storm:0Wildfire:0Winter Storm:55Winter Weather:9
Other:101 

Volcanos Nearby

No volcano is found in or near Bluffton, IN.

Historical Earthquake Events

No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Bluffton, IN.

No historical earthquake events found in or near Bluffton, IN.

Historical Tornado Events

A total of 81 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Bluffton, IN.

Distance (miles)DateMagnitudeStart Lat/LogEnd Lat/LogLengthWidthFatalitiesInjuriesProperty DamageCrop DamageAffected County
0.81967-12-21240°44'N / 85°10'W0225K0Wells
3.71974-04-03240°44'N / 85°15'W40°50'N / 85°00'W14.40 Miles177 Yards002.5M0Wells
7.91956-06-24240°50'N / 85°07'W40°52'N / 85°07'W2.30 Miles33 Yards003K0Wells
10.01965-04-11440°34'N / 85°20'W40°38'N / 85°03'W15.30 Miles33 Yards13825.0M0Wells
10.91992-07-02240°50'N / 85°00'W1.50 Miles50 Yards00250K0Adams
12.91974-04-03240°40'N / 85°30'W40°47'N / 85°20'W11.50 Miles350 Yards000K0Huntington
14.01965-04-11440°38'N / 85°03'W40°42'N / 84°48'W13.70 Miles33 Yards13725.0M0Adams
15.31986-08-26240°54'N / 85°01'W40°55'N / 84°56'W5.00 Miles3 Yards022.5M0Adams
15.42002-11-10340°40'N / 84°55'W40°44'N / 84°51'W5.00 Miles200 Yards00125K0Adams
 Brief Description: This tornado touched down 2 miles northeast of Berne and moved just northeast of Salem before lifting. An NWS ground survey found F3 damage at times 200 yards wide northeast of Berne. Much of the damage was to extremely well built Amish barns and homes. A mobile home was also destroyed near Salem.
16.11965-04-11440°33'N / 85°23'W40°34'N / 85°20'W1.90 Miles33 Yards02225.0M0Blackford
17.91967-12-21340°33'N / 85°24'W0025K0Blackford
18.81968-05-16340°49'N / 85°39'W40°58'N / 85°18'W20.80 Miles33 Yards033K0Huntington
18.91967-07-01240°53'N / 85°29'W0.50 Mile300 Yards0225K0Huntington
19.31963-04-17240°58'N / 85°25'W41°02'N / 85°13'W11.10 Miles33 Yards00250K0Huntington
20.01968-05-16340°58'N / 85°18'W41°06'N / 85°00'W17.90 Miles33 Yards000K0Allen
20.71985-06-15240°50'N / 85°33'W0.30 Mile33 Yards0025K0Huntington
20.91992-07-12240°41'N / 84°45'W40°44'N / 84°48'W3.00 Miles73 Yards00250K0Mercer
20.91953-03-18241°02'N / 85°08'W41°03'N / 85°04'W1.90 Miles33 Yards0025K0Allen
22.21965-04-11440°42'N / 84°48'W40°44'N / 84°42'W5.10 Miles33 Yards2242.5M0Mercer
22.41992-10-08241°04'N / 85°08'W2.00 Miles20 Yards09250K0Allen
22.42001-05-26241°04'N / 85°08'W41°04'N / 85°08'W3.00 Miles300 Yards036.5M0Allen
 Brief Description: Tornado touched down as as F1 at the Northcrest shopping mall on the northwest side of Fort Wayne. Damaged to mall and surrounding businesses. Cars flipped over in parking lot with one person injured. Tornado then briefly lifted and touched down one half mile to the northeast as an F2. Extensive damage to the Papermill subdivision with F2 damage to two homes, an office complex, a retirement home, and a steeple torn off a church. One injury at the retirement home and one in the subdivision. Tornado proceeded northeast with F0-F1 damage to the Concordia Seminary and adjacent structures before the tornado lifted on the northeast side of the Seminary grounds. Synoptic and mesoscale conditions and event summary for Saturday May 26th, 2001 A low topped supercell thunderstorm developed in Cass county Indiana, and moved northeast through the Fort Wayne metropolitan area and into northwest Ohio. This thunderstorm produced several tornadoes and numerous funnel clouds. The wind field was favorable for rotating storms on with strong veering in the KIWX Wind Profile. This was on the south side of a unseasonably cold closed upper low in the mid and upper levels. Surface temperatures in the lower 50s, and scattered showers were against strong thunderstorm development. However sunshine over central Indiana allowed enough heating for a thunderstorm to develop and quickly began rotating.
23.41950-07-19241°04'N / 85°05'W41°05'N / 85°05'W1.10 Miles100 Yards000K0Allen
24.21956-03-06440°34'N / 85°34'W40°36'N / 85°36'W1.90 Miles47 Yards1312.5M0Grant
26.11957-04-05240°22'N / 85°08'W003K0Jay
26.91966-06-15240°25'N / 85°27'W0025K0Grant
27.21961-07-28240°21'N / 85°09'W0225K0Jay
28.31980-04-08240°19'N / 85°14'W40°21'N / 85°05'W7.90 Miles87 Yards00250K0Jay
28.71967-12-21340°29'N / 85°36'W01250K0Grant
29.51965-07-16241°09'N / 85°25'W41°06'N / 85°26'W2.70 Miles33 Yards0025K0Whitley
29.51965-04-23240°33'N / 85°51'W40°33'N / 85°30'W18.20 Miles33 Yards0025K0Grant
29.92006-03-31240°45'N / 84°37'W40°46'N / 84°35'W2.00 Miles300 Yards001.0M0Van Wert
 Brief Description: The tornado was likely produced as the result of a line of thunderstorms overtaking an isolated supercell thunderstorm ahead of the line. The circulation which produced the tornado intensified shortly after the merger of the line and isolated supercell. The tornado developed near the intersection of Burris Road and Walnut Grove Church Road about 1 mile south of Ohio City. The tornado tracked to the east-northeast for roughly 2 miles before dissipating near Greenville Rd about 2 miles east of Ohio City. Damage along the first half of the tornado track was consistent with F2 intensity, with winds estimated at 140-150 mph and an initial path width of about 300 yards. In this area, 3 barns were completely destroyed, with another 5 sustaining damage. A garage was destroyed, and several houses received damage including roof, siding, and windows. Several grain bins were also damaged, along with other miscellaneous vehicle and property damage, including several tractors, a combine and other farm implements. Damage along the second half of the tornado track was consistent with F1 intensity, with the path width narrowing to about 25 yards. Several buildings sustained roof, siding, and window damage, with several instances of trailer and vehicle damage.
30.21950-07-19240°48'N / 84°37'W40°49'N / 84°35'W000K0Van Wert
30.31968-04-14240°22'N / 85°28'W003K0Delaware
30.31968-05-16340°44'N / 85°51'W40°49'N / 85°39'W11.60 Miles33 Yards112250K0Wabash
30.61965-04-11440°30'N / 85°52'W40°31'N / 85°28'W20.90 Miles880 Yards8275250.0M0Grant
30.81974-04-03440°18'N / 85°03'W40°19'N / 85°02'W000K0Jay
31.42002-11-10440°47'N / 84°46'W40°59'N / 84°26'W21.60 Miles880 Yards21730.0M0Van Wert
 Brief Description: This tornado touched down in the southwest corner of Van Wert County about 4 miles northeast of Willshire and moved northeast across the western portion of the city of Van Wert, and then crossed U.S. 30 and continued northeast before exiting the county about 7 miles east of Scott. NWS ground and aerial surveys showed the tornado quickly intensified to F4 about 5 miles southwest of the city of Van Wert near Zook road, where a 75 year old male was killed in his home. The tornado continued moving northeast as an F4 into the city of Van Wert, were it hit the Twin Cinemas and the Vision Industrial Park. At this point the tornado was about one half mile wide. 60 persons watching a movie in the cinemas, mostly children, took shelter before the tornado hit, with only minor injuries. Vehicles from the parking lot were thrown into the seats where the children had been sitting. An 18 year old male driving past the cinemas was thrown from his vehicle and killed. The tornado then destroyed five industries in the Vision Industrial Park, before moving north of U.S. 30, producing F4 damage to additional businesses and homes. The tornado weakened to F3 as it moved northeast and crossed into Paulding county. 164 homes were damaged in Van Wert county, and 43 were totally destroyed. 27 businesses sustained damage, with 5 totally destroyed in Vision Park. Three county engineer buildings were destroyed, with one house used by a township. Total damage in Van Wert county was near 30 million dollars. M18VE, M75PH On Sunday, November 10th, 2002 a cold front trailed from a deep surface low over northern Lake Michigan into central Missouri. Ahead of the cold front the KILN (Wilmington, OH) 1200 UTC sounding showed an unstable airmass with CAPE (Convectively Available Potential Energy) of 1148 J/kg and a Storm Relative Helicity (SRH) of 408 m/s2. Another sounding at 1800 UTC showed CAPE had increased on a modified sounding to 1313 J/kg, with SRH increasing to 587 m/s2. A broken squall line developed from Indianapolis to Fort Wayne Indiana and Defiance Ohio with the cold front. A small low topped supercell developed ahead of the line over Blackford county Indiana and was moving northeast at 50 MPH. This parent supercell produced 3 seperate tornadoes in Indiana (see StormData, Indiana, Northeast for more information) before crossing into Ohio. There the supercell intensified and a tornado touched down in Van Wert County Ohio, reaching F4 in strength as it reached the city of Van Wert. The tornado then moved northeast with a total path length of 53 miles, producing F3 damage in Paulding and Putnam counties, and F0 damage in Defiance and Henry counties.
31.51955-03-11240°18'N / 85°02'W0025K0Randolph
31.71992-02-18440°44'N / 84°34'W2.80 Miles40 Yards062.5M0Van Wert
33.01965-04-11440°44'N / 84°42'W40°46'N / 84°23'W16.50 Miles33 Yards04250K0Van Wert
33.22002-09-20240°17'N / 85°32'W40°22'N / 85°26'W11.00 Miles100 Yards003.0M15KDelaware
 Brief Description: One of Indiana's longest tracking tornados formed along a squall line on the morning of September 20. The tornado touched down near Ellettsville in Monroe county and then remained on the ground for 112 miles before lifting in Blackford county. The tornado produced F3 damage at its strongest points. Nearly 100 single family homes were destroyed, along with several mobile homes. Some apartments were also destroyed. Many businesses and hundreds of homes received damage. Several counties were declared disaster areas.
33.71963-04-17240°59'N / 85°46'W41°07'N / 85°35'W13.00 Miles33 Yards00250K0Wabash
35.01974-04-03240°29'N / 85°52'W40°34'N / 85°41'W10.90 Miles350 Yards0120K0Grant
36.51953-04-09340°17'N / 85°52'W40°19'N / 85°14'W33.30 Miles33 Yards002.5M0Madison
37.22000-06-14241°02'N / 85°47'W41°03'N / 85°45'W1.00 Mile100 Yards00200K10KKosciusko
 Brief Description: The last farm was hit when the tornado was located just west of 1300 S and 400 E in Kosciusko County. Two barns, a garage, and several outbuildings were completely destroyed with some of the foundations swept clean. The house and two cars were severely damaged from large pieces of flying debris. A 17 foot boat was thrown about 20 yards and severely damaged. Most of the trees on this farm were destroyed. Debris from this farm was carried up to one half mile away as the tornado crossed 400 E and then lifted back into the clouds. Synoptic and mesoscale conditions for June 14th... A significant mid-level shortwave trough was located over Iowa on the morning of June 14th with an outflow dominated squall line across western Illinois. Rapid destabilization ensued later in the morning across eastern Illinois and northern Indiana with CAPES to 3500 j/kg by early afternoon. VAD wind profiles showed 850 millibar winds in excess of 50 knots in advance of the upper trough by afternoon and as storms developed along the left over outflow boundary across Illinois... they quickly became severe and organized into a large bow echo and moved quickly eastward into northern Indiana causing extensive wind damage. By late afternoon... a short segmented squall line developed just ahead of this bow echo squall line and extended from a St. Joseph to Fulton county line. Along the southern end of this line... an embedded tornadic supercell developed and interacted with a left over storm-scale outflow boundary to produce the Wabash/Kosciusko and DeKalb county tornadoes. The lack of significant low level shear likely prevented a much larger and more widespread tornado event especially across Whitley and Allen counties where several funnel clouds were captured on film but failed to touch down.
37.32000-06-14241°17'N / 85°09'W41°17'N / 85°07'W3.00 Miles400 Yards00200K0De Kalb
 Brief Description: The tornado touched down on CR 64, one half mile west of Indian Springs Camp Ground. Trees and power lines were knocked down and many were snapped and uprooted. Extensive roof damage occurred to houses in the area. A barn was damaged with much of its roof torn off and outbuildings were either damaged or destroyed. The tornado then lifted back into its parent cloud. Synoptic and mesoscale conditions for June 14th... A significant mid-level shortwave trough was located over Iowa on the morning of June 14th with an outflow dominated squall line across western Illinois. Rapid destabilization ensued later in the morning across eastern Illinois and northern Indiana with CAPES to 3500 j/kg by early afternoon. VAD wind profiles showed 850 millibar winds in excess of 50 knots in advance of the upper trough by afternoon and as storms developed along the left over outflow boundary across Illinois... they quickly became severe and organized into a large bow echo and moved quickly eastward into northern Indiana causing extensive wind damage. By late afternoon... a short segmented squall line developed just ahead of this bow echo squall line and extended from a St. Joseph to Fulton county line. Along the southern end of this line... an embedded tornadic supercell developed and interacted with a left over storm-scale outflow boundary to produce the Wabash/Kosciusko and DeKalb county tornadoes. The lack of significant low level shear likely prevented a much larger and more widespread tornado event especially across Whitley and Allen counties where several funnel clouds were captured on film but failed to touch down.
37.61974-04-03440°06'N / 85°14'W40°18'N / 85°03'W16.70 Miles1400 Yards1120K0Randolph
37.72000-06-14241°01'N / 85°48'W41°03'N / 85°46'W4.00 Miles200 Yards03700K30KWabash
 Brief Description: The tornado touched down again, hitting a farm at 1300 N and 100 W. A man suffered a broken leg here. Two hog sheds and a large grain bin were destroyed. A 200-yard swath of trees were uprooted to the northeast along the railroad tracks. Another man suffered back and chest injuries as the tornado continued to the intersection of 1300 N and Meridian Road and demolished the barn in which he stood. A 5th wheel camper was rolled 50 yards from its original position destroying it. The tornado continued to the next farm just south of 1400 N and 100 E. The barn was destroyed and the house suffered moderate damage, primarily from flying tree debris. The tornado snapped a utility pole, which fell on an 18-year-old boy, breaking his leg. Many trees and power lines were downed along the way. From here, the tornado continued until the Wabash/Kosciusko county line. Synoptic and mesoscale conditions for June 14th... A significant mid-level shortwave trough was located over Iowa on the morning of June 14th with an outflow dominated squall line across western Illinois. Rapid destabilization ensued later in the morning across eastern Illinois and northern Indiana with CAPES to 3500 j/kg by early afternoon. VAD wind profiles showed 850 millibar winds in excess of 50 knots in advance of the upper trough by afternoon and as storms developed along the left over outflow boundary across Illinois... they quickly became severe and organized into a large bow echo and moved quickly eastward into northern Indiana causing extensive wind damage. By late afternoon... a short segmented squall line developed just ahead of this bow echo squall line and extended from a St. Joseph to Fulton county line. Along the southern end of this line... an embedded tornadic supercell developed and interacted with a left over storm-scale outflow boundary to produce the Wabash/Kosciusko and DeKalb county tornadoes. The lack of significant low level shear likely prevented a much larger and more widespread tornado event especially across Whitley and Allen counties where several funnel clouds were captured on film but failed to touch down.
39.01961-09-24340°11'N / 85°13'W40°12'N / 84°49'W20.90 Miles33 Yards00250K0Randolph
39.71956-03-06240°35'N / 85°54'W003K0Miami
40.01954-06-17240°11'N / 85°22'W000K0Delaware
40.21957-04-05240°11'N / 85°23'W0025K0Delaware
40.71961-09-24340°08'N / 85°19'W40°11'N / 85°13'W5.70 Miles33 Yards00250K0Shelby
41.51955-05-28240°32'N / 85°59'W40°35'N / 85°52'W6.80 Miles100 Yards032.5M0Howard
42.21957-06-14241°13'N / 85°41'W0025K0Kosciusko
42.41990-06-02241°17'N / 85°31'W41°20'N / 85°28'W3.50 Miles220 Yards09250K0Noble
42.61961-07-28340°11'N / 84°49'W40°12'N / 84°48'W003K0Randolph
43.01971-08-10241°18'N / 84°48'W0.50 Mile100 Yards0025K0Defiance
44.51974-04-03240°23'N / 85°58'W40°29'N / 85°52'W8.30 Miles350 Yards002.5M0Howard
44.71956-04-03340°59'N / 85°58'W1.50 Miles70 Yards0025K0Kosciusko
44.91961-09-24340°07'N / 85°33'W40°08'N / 85°19'W12.00 Miles33 Yards01250K0Delaware
45.21974-04-03440°05'N / 85°15'W40°06'N / 85°14'W000K0Delaware
45.41998-06-11340°24'N / 86°04'W40°34'N / 85°52'W12.50 Miles800 Yards085.0M0Howard
 Brief Description: This strong tornado originated from a supercell which initially produced several funnel clouds beginning northeast of Crawfordsville, passing over Frankfort to Kokomo's south side. This supercell finally produced its tornado just south of Kokomo near Oakford and Center. The tornado damaged a school near Center and caused its most extensive damage in Greentown where over two dozen buildings were destroyed and nearly 200 buildings were damaged. The tornado continued tracking ENE along the N & W train tracks and into WC Grant County west of Swayzee.
45.42002-11-10340°59'N / 84°27'W41°05'N / 84°20'W9.00 Miles440 Yards0000Paulding
 Brief Description: This tornado originated in Van Wert county and crossed into Paulding county 3 miles southwest of Roselms and exited Paulding county about 2.5 miles southeast of Oakwood. NWS ground and aerial survey found F3 damage along the entire path in Paulding county, with only one structure remaining standing in the town of Roselms, in which the town residents had taken cover in the basement. On Sunday, November 10th, 2002 a cold front trailed from a deep surface low over northern Lake Michigan into central Missouri. Ahead of the cold front the KILN (Wilmington, OH) 1200 UTC sounding showed an unstable airmass with CAPE (Convectively Available Potential Energy) of 1148 J/kg and a Storm Relative Helicity (SRH) of 408 m/s2. Another sounding at 1800 UTC showed CAPE had increased on a modified sounding to 1313 J/kg, with SRH increasing to 587 m/s2. A broken squall line developed from Indianapolis to Fort Wayne Indiana and Defiance Ohio with the cold front. A small low topped supercell developed ahead of the line over Blackford county Indiana and was moving northeast at 50 MPH. This parent supercell produced 3 seperate tornadoes in Indiana (see StormData, Indiana, Northeast for more information) before crossing into Ohio. There the supercell intensified and a tornado touched down in Van Wert County Ohio, reaching F4 in strength as it reached the city of Van Wert. The tornado then moved northeast with a total path length of 53 miles, producing F3 damage in Paulding and Putnam counties, and F0 damage in Defiance and Henry counties.
45.81965-11-26340°06'N / 85°23'W0.50 Mile33 Yards00250K0Delaware
45.81954-05-31240°52'N / 86°02'W003K0Miami
45.81961-03-06340°28'N / 85°58'W0025K0Howard
46.51955-03-11240°12'N / 84°48'W40°12'N / 84°30'W15.60 Miles500 Yards02250K0Randolph
46.91961-07-28340°12'N / 84°48'W40°14'N / 84°25'W20.20 Miles200 Yards02250K0Darke
47.01974-04-03440°03'N / 85°16'W40°05'N / 85°15'W1.30 Miles100 Yards0025.0M0Henry
47.11974-04-03341°03'N / 84°27'W41°10'N / 84°22'W8.70 Miles177 Yards01250K0Paulding
47.71964-04-28240°17'N / 85°51'W000K0Madison
47.91967-02-15240°03'N / 85°08'W0.50 Mile10 Yards003K0Randolph
48.01956-08-12341°10'N / 86°03'W41°05'N / 85°50'W12.30 Miles800 Yards00250K0Kosciusko
48.41980-06-07240°22'N / 85°57'W150K0Tipton
48.51986-03-10340°02'N / 84°59'W40°06'N / 84°52'W7.60 Miles440 Yards0025.0M0Randolph
48.71961-07-23341°20'N / 85°41'W0325K0Kosciusko
48.81992-07-14241°27'N / 85°09'W41°27'N / 85°09'W4.00 Miles150 Yards0025.0M0De Kalb
48.81992-07-14241°27'N / 85°17'W41°27'N / 85°09'W4.00 Miles150 Yards02825.0M0Noble
49.11956-03-06240°22'N / 85°58'W0025K0Tipton
49.81974-04-03241°02'N / 84°24'W41°07'N / 84°15'W9.20 Miles350 Yards00250K0Paulding


* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.


 
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