Is Northwest Indiana in Tornado Alley?
Not the classic one, but tornadoes do hit La Porte County. Here's the local record, the trend, and what to do when a warning goes out.
Is Northwest Indiana in Tornado Alley?
Not the classic one, which is centered on the Great Plains, but Northwest Indiana does get tornadoes, and the trend is moving its way. A 2018 study of U.S. tornado reports and storm environments since 1979 found activity trending down in parts of the central and southern Great Plains, the classic Tornado Alley, and up in parts of the Midwest and Southeast.
Tornadoes near La Porte
NOAA Storm Prediction Center records, as tallied by VortexIntel, list 84 tornadoes within 25 miles of La Porte since 1950, 7 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger. The deadliest was an F3 on April 11, 1965, the Palm Sunday outbreak, which killed 10 people along a 35.6-mile path. June is the peak month, with 19 of the 84, and April through June account for 40.
The most recent big one came close: on June 11, 2026, an EF-3 tornado tracked more than 20 miles across Lake and Porter counties and weakened to EF-1 as it crossed into La Porte County south of Wanatah, with damaging winds up to about 90 mph there, ABC57 reported from the Weather Service's survey.
Watch or warning?
A tornado watch means tornadoes are possible: review your plan and know where you'd shelter. A tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by radar: act now.
Where to shelter
- Go to a basement, a safe room, or an interior room on the lowest floor, away from windows.
- A mobile home or tent isn't safe. Get to a sturdy building before the storm arrives.
- If you're outside, get into a sturdy building right away. In a car with no building nearby, the Weather Service says to get down and cover your head, or leave the car for a low spot such as a ditch.
How the warning reaches you
Use more than one way. Keep Wireless Emergency Alerts on (tornado warnings go to phones in the warned area, no sign-up), program a NOAA Weather Radio for La Porte County (code 018091), and sign up for La Porte County's free RAVE alerts. Outdoor sirens are meant for people outside; don't count on hearing them indoors or asleep.
Questions
Is Northwest Indiana in Tornado Alley?
Not the classic Tornado Alley on the Great Plains, but tornadoes do hit Northwest Indiana. A 2018 study found tornado activity trending up in parts of the Midwest since 1979.
How many tornadoes have hit near La Porte?
NOAA Storm Prediction Center records list 84 tornadoes within 25 miles of La Porte since 1950, 7 of them F3/EF3 or stronger.
When is tornado season in La Porte County?
June is the peak month near La Porte, and April through June account for nearly half of the tornadoes on record, but they can happen in any month.
What's the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?
A watch means tornadoes are possible, so get ready. A warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by radar, so take shelter now.
Where should I go during a tornado warning?
A basement, safe room, or an interior room on the lowest floor, away from windows. Mobile homes and tents aren't safe.
Sources: Gensini & Brooks, npj Climate and Atmospheric Science (2018) · VortexIntel: La Porte tornado history (NOAA Storm Prediction Center records) · ABC57: La Porte County tornado damage results (June 2026) · NWS: watch vs. warning · NWS: what to do during a tornado · NWS: Wireless Emergency Alerts