Adams County, Indiana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 18001 · population 35,787 · 339 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 357 records for Adams County, Indiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 244 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (109 records). The deadliest single record is the July 10, 2018 thunderstorm wind: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 17 declarations naming the county since 1965, 15 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 24, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 357on 244 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 847 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $258Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 22strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 17latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Adams County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 109 since 1996. 64% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The rank column places the county among Indiana's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 109 | 81 | 1996-2026 | 4 | 1 | $71K | 24 of 91 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 104 | 83 | 1956-2025 | 2 | 0 | $1.1M | 75 of 91 |
| Hail | 78 | 49 | 1970-2025 | 0 | 0 | $118K | 35 of 91 |
| Tornadoes | 22 | 21 | 1953-2025 | 1 | 42 | $247M | 14 of 91 |
| Floods | 17 | 14 | 1998-2023 | 1 | 2 | $8.7M | 79 of 91 |
| High wind and dust storms | 14 | 9 | 2002-2026 | 0 | 1 | $80K | 49 of 91 |
| Lightning | 6 | 6 | 1998-2010 | 0 | 1 | $793K | 14 of 91 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2014-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 38 of 91 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2015-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 42 of 91 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2005-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 of 91 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Adams County had?
NOAA records 22 tornadoes in Adams County from 1953 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 1 death and 42 injuries recorded in the county. That is 14th of 91 Indiana counties and 289th of 3,080 U.S. counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 24 tornadoes whose track touched Adams County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 22: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 4 people, 1 of them in Adams County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-11 19:10, as SPC files it | Montpelier to BerneCrossed IN, OH | F4 | 52.5 mi | 4 |
| 2002-11-10 13:59, as SPC files it | Berne | F3 | 5 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Indiana.
Every tornado record filed for Adams County (22)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-02 | Steele, Adams County | EF1 1.47 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $75K |
| 2025-04-02 | Salem, Adams County | EF1 2.21 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2024-03-14 | Ceylon, Adams County | EF1 0.98 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-08-24 | Linn Grove, Adams County | EF1 7.56 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-05-30 | Rivare, Adams County | EF0 0.03 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $685 |
| 2006-08-28 | Decatur, Adams County | F1 2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $190K |
| 2006-04-07 | Decatur, Adams County | F1 0.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $66K |
| 2002-11-10 | Berne, Adams County | F3 5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $205K |
| 1992-07-12 | Adams County | F1 5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1992-07-02 | Adams County | F2 1.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1989-05-25 | Adams County | F1 1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1986-08-26 | Adams County | F2 5 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M step |
| 1986-07-12 | Adams County | F1 2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1983-06-28 | Adams County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1982-03-16 | Adams County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1980-06-02 | Adams County | F1 | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1976-07-15 | Adams County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1970-05-14 | Adams County | F1 0.8 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1967-12-21 | Adams County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1965-05-26 | Adams County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-04-11 | Adams County | F4 13.7 mi x 33 yd | 1 | 37 | $25M step |
| 1953-03-18 | Adams County | F1 3.3 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Adams County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 18, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-15 | High WindAdams County · forecast zone Adams | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-06 | Winter WeatherAdams County · forecast zone Adams | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormAdams County · forecast zone Adams | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-14 | Winter WeatherAdams County · forecast zone Adams | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-29 | Winter StormAdams County · forecast zone Adams | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindBerne, Adams County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-04-02 | Thunderstorm WindBerne, Adams County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-04-02 | HailDecatur, Adams County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-04-02 | TornadoSteele, Adams County | EF1 1.47 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $75K |
| 2025-04-02 | TornadoSalem, Adams County | EF1 2.21 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2025-02-12 | Winter WeatherAdams County · forecast zone Adams | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-05 | Winter WeatherAdams County · forecast zone Adams | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-07-10 | Thunderstorm WindGeneva, Adams County Local media and law enforcement reported a large rotten tree, roughly 20 years old, was blown over by non severe thunderstorm winds . The tree landed onto a moving truck that was occupied by a man and woman. Both occupants were pronounced deceased at the scene. The base of the tree was rotten in over half way and up 5 ... | 45 kt wind | 2 | 0 | – |
| 1965-04-11 | TornadoAdams County | F4 13.7 mi x 33 yd | 1 | 37 | $25M step |
| 2023-03-06 | FloodLinn Grove, Adams County Indiana DNR officials reported a 55 year old male was driving north on County Road 300 West, north of County Road 850 South and disregarded road closed signs due to high water levels on the Wabash River. The driver's van entered the flood water at approximately 430 am EST and began to submerge. He left the van in an ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2019-01-26 | Winter WeatherAdams County · forecast zone Adams A dusting of snow and cold temperatures from the night before created some slick spots on area roads Saturday morning, January 26th. This likely played a part in a rollover crash on I-69 in Huntington County Saturday morning. This accident occurred around 7:24 am in the morning killing a 29 year old man. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-01-12 | Winter WeatherAdams County and Allen County · forecast zone Adams Snow developed during the afternoon hours of January 12th and continued into the first part of January 13th. Total snow amounts across the county were generally near 2 inches. Sustained winds of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts to 30 mph, led to considerable blowing and drifting snow. There were reports of slide-offs and ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-12-06 | Winter WeatherAdams County and Jay County · forecast zone Jay Light snow developed early on Saturday, December 6th, and continued through the day. Snowfall accumulations were light, generally less than an inch across the region. However, the light snow was enough to create hazardous driving conditions and icy roadways with 1 fatality reported. A man was killed when his car slid ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-11-24 | Winter WeatherAdams County and Jay County · forecast zone Jay A 51 year old man from Dunkirk was killed in a rollover accident as his Dodge Dakota hit an icy patch on a bridge on County Road 200 South, near County Road 800 West. The truck went over a guard rail, off the road, struck a tree, before continuing into a field, where it rolled and came to rest upright. The passenger ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1980-06-02 | TornadoAdams County | F1 | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-07-05 | FloodAdams County and Allen County · forecast zone Adams | 0 | 0 | $8.0M | |
| 1998-08-04 | Flash FloodDecatur, Adams County | 0 | 0 | $453K | |
| 2006-04-14 | LightningGeneva, Adams County | 0 | 0 | $366K | |
| 2008-05-30 | Thunderstorm WindDecatur Hi Way Airport, Adams County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $310K |
| 2002-11-10 | TornadoBerne, Adams County | F3 5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $205K |
| 2006-08-28 | TornadoDecatur, Adams County | F1 2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $190K |
| 2025-04-02 | TornadoSalem, Adams County | EF1 2.21 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2025-04-02 | TornadoSteele, Adams County | EF1 1.47 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $75K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 11, 1965 (tornado, Adams County, 1 killed).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Adams County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 37 | 52 | 15 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 22 | 35 | 25 | 9 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 32 | 24 | 6 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 10 | 2 | 2 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
64% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 41 · Feb 41 · Mar 27 · Apr 19 · May 51 · Jun 49 · Jul 49 · Aug 28 · Sep 6 · Oct 1 · Nov 14 · Dec 31 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Adams County
FEMA's register lists 17 declarations that include Adams County: 10 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (5) and snowstorm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3641 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020-04-03 | DR-4515 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3456 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2008-06-08 | DR-1766 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2007-03-12 | EM-3274 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3238 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-01-21 | DR-1573 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2004-06-03 | DR-1520 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2003-07-11 | DR-1476 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2001-01-24 | EM-3162 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 1999-01-15 | EM-3135 | Snowstorm | In-Winter Storm 12/23/98 |
| 1992-09-18 | DR-962 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1991-01-05 | DR-891 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1978-03-29 | DR-553 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-02-02 | EM-3028 | Snowstorm | Snowstorms |
| 1974-04-04 | DR-423 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
| 1965-04-14 | DR-189 | Tornado | Tornadoes & Severe Storms |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Adams County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 17 flood or flash flood records for Adams County from 1998 to 2023, on 14 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Adams County ranks 1214th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.3 million on 119 claims filed in Adams County; the most in one year was 68 in 2003. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 2 · 1980: 2 · 1981: 2 · 1982: 5 · 1985: 3 · 1986: 2 · 1989: 1 · 1990: 1 · 1991: 1 · 1992: 3 · 1993: 1 · 1996: 1 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 1 · 2003: 68 · 2004: 3 · 2005: 1 · 2008: 2 · 2011: 1 · 2015: 14 · 2016: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2024: 1; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Adams County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Adams County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.9 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $1.1M | 4.4 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.3M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $519K | 5 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $373K | once in about 627 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.6M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $241K | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $575K | 3.7 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $112K | 43 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Adams County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in IndianaEvery Indiana tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Winter storms in IndianaThe state's winter storm records, by county, year and month
- The Indiana recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Adams CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Adams County's FEMA declarations (CSV)17 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis