Clark County, Indiana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 18019 · population 120,950 · 372 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 535 records for Clark County, Indiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 323 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (221 records). The deadliest single record is the September 14, 2008 high wind, filed for the forecast zone Clark, which covers the county: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 20 declarations naming the county since 1974, 18 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
- 535on 323 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 848 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.6Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 30strongest F5
- FEMA declarations
- 20latest 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 Clark County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 221 since 1955. 43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 221 | 147 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 8 | $1.1M | 19 of 91 |
| Hail | 121 | 76 | 1968-2025 | 0 | 0 | $78K | 8 of 91 |
| Floods | 100 | 70 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 0 | $37M | 26 of 91 |
| Winter storms | 39 | 37 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 3 | $27K | 62 of 91 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 25 | 1959-2026 | 3 | 37 | $1.6B | 9 of 91 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 7 | 2009-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 91 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 8 | 1996-2024 | 2 | 0 | $61K | 64 of 91 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2016-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 of 91 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 59 of 91 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2020-2020 | 0 | 0 | $34K | 67 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 Clark County had?
NOAA records 30 tornadoes in Clark County from 1959 to 2026, the strongest rated F5, with 3 deaths and 37 injuries recorded in the county. That is 9th of 91 Indiana counties and 221st 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 27 tornadoes whose track touched Clark County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 30: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 23 people, 3 of them in Clark County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-03-02 13:50, as SPC files it | New PekinCrossed IN, KY | EF4 | 46.6 mi | 11 |
| 1974-04-03 14:19, as SPC files it | Henryville | F4 | 35.6 mi | 11 |
| 2008-01-29 18:58, as SPC files it | Henryville | EF1 | 0.18 mi | 1 |
| 2007-10-18 20:03, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF3 | 4.8 mi | 0 |
| 1990-06-02 21:40, as SPC files it | New WashingtonCrossed IN, KY | F3 | 17 mi | 0 |
| 1990-06-02 20:57, as SPC files it | Sellersburg | F3 | 12 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Indiana.
Every tornado record filed for Clark County (30)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-26 | Memphis, Clark County | EF0 0.32 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | Memphis, Clark County | EF1 3.05 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-09-24 | Cementville, Clark County | EF0 3.88 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-07 | Bennettsville, Clark County | EF0 1.19 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-04-02 | Watson, Clark County | EF1 4.16 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 10 | – |
| 2024-02-10 | Underwood, Clark County | EF1 1.03 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2017-03-01 | Borden, Clark County | EF1 0.33 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $241K |
| 2012-03-02 | Blue Lick, Clark County | EF4 16.71 mi x 700 yd | 1 | 0 | $71M |
| 2012-03-02 | Blue Lick, Clark County | EF1 6.57 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $386K |
| 2012-01-17 | Jeffersonville Airport, Clark County | EF0 1.85 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $26K |
| 2011-04-19 | Jeffersonville Airport, Clark County | EF0 0.17 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-19 | Jeffersonville Airport, Clark County | EF1 1.18 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-02-28 | Watson, Clark County | EF0 2.12 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2009-09-20 | Borden, Clark County | EF1 1.14 mi x 35 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2008-01-29 | Henryville, Clark County | EF1 0.18 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 0 | $69K |
| 2007-10-18 | Vesta, Clark County | EF3 4.8 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.4M |
| 2004-05-30 | Clarksville, Clark County | F1 2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $781K |
| 2004-05-27 | Borden, Clark County | F2 17.9 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 1990-06-02 | Clark County | F3 3.7 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1990-06-02 | Clark County | F3 7.2 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 4 | $250K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Clark County | F4 5.4 mi x 1,200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250M step |
| 1974-04-03 | Clark County | F5 17 mi x 33 yd | 1 | 23 | – |
| 1973-06-27 | Clark County | F1 15.2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1973-06-16 | Clark County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-04-13 | Clark County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1970-09-03 | Clark County | F1 5.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-07-23 | Clark County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1961-07-23 | Clark County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1961-03-06 | Clark County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1959-02-10 | Clark County | F2 | 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 Clark County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 15, 2025 thunderstorm wind (4 injuries).
Multiple temporary buildings were knocked over at a construction site on River Ridge Road.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1246404)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-26 | TornadoMemphis, Clark County | EF0 0.32 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-26 | Flash FloodHenryville, Clark County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-21 | Thunderstorm WindOtisco, Clark County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | TornadoMemphis, Clark County | EF1 3.05 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | Flash FloodMemphis, Clark County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindJeffersonville Airport, Clark County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindUnderwood, Clark County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindCharlestown, Clark County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | Thunderstorm WindCementville, Clark County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | Thunderstorm WindWatson, Clark County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | Thunderstorm WindUtica, Clark County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | Thunderstorm WindBonnenburger, Clark County | 53 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09-14 | High WindClark County · forecast zone Clark Two deaths occurred in the county. One fatality occurred when a tree limb hit a man in his home in Charlestown. Another fatality occurred in Memphis when a falling tree struck a woman. Numerous trees and power lines were downed across the county. Roofing shingles and gutters were also observed blowing around. ... | 56 kt wind | 2 | 0 | – |
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoClark County | F5 17 mi x 33 yd | 1 | 23 | – |
| 2010-12-20 | Winter WeatherClark County · forecast zone Clark Slick roads from light sleet and freezing rain earlier in the day lead to a traffic fatality on Indiana State Highway 62 near Jeffersonville, Indiana. The driver lost control of her vehicle, which crossed the median and collided with another vehicle. Two people in the other vehicle received injuries. | 1 | 3 | $27K | |
| 2015-07-14 | FloodCharlestown, Clark County The Clark County emergency manager along with several media outlets reported the drowning of a 67 year old male after he reportedly drove through a flooded roadway. Several inches of rain had fallen during the previous night, flooding a portion of Tunnel Mill Road. His vehicle was found several hours later and a ... | 1 | 0 | $25K | |
| 2012-03-02 | TornadoBlue Lick, Clark County This is a continuation of the violent long tracked tornado that began just south of Fredricksburg moved into Clark county as an EF-4 with a path width of one-third of a mile. On Dan Gray Road, many well-constructed homes were leveled. The tornado narrowed to a path width of one-quarter of a mile and decreased in ... | EF4 16.71 mi x 700 yd | 1 | 0 | $71M |
| 2008-01-29 | TornadoHenryville, Clark County A small EF1 tornado touched down briefly just northeast of Henryville. The tornado's 90mph winds felled trees in varying directions, one of which crashed onto a mobile home killing the occupant. | EF1 0.18 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 0 | $69K |
| 1997-03-01 | Flash FloodCountywide, Clark County Over 2 inches of rain fell on top of 4 to 8 inch totals in 24 hours causing widespread flash flooding with many roads water covered and closed. A 16 month old boy drowned as the car he was in filled with water as it stalled under a viaduct. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-04-02 | TornadoWatson, Clark County The National Weather Service in Louisville surveyed storm damage in southeast Clark County IN, through far northeast Jefferson KY, and into western Oldham County. Specifically the tornado traveled just southeast of the Clark County Indiana Airport, east through Utica, crossing the Ohio River into Prospect, and lifting ... | EF1 4.16 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 10 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-03-02 | TornadoBlue Lick, Clark County | EF4 16.71 mi x 700 yd | 1 | 0 | $71M |
| 2004-05-27 | TornadoBorden, Clark County | F2 17.9 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.6M |
| 2007-10-18 | TornadoVesta, Clark County | EF3 4.8 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.4M |
| 2004-05-30 | TornadoClarksville, Clark County | F1 2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $781K |
| 2012-03-02 | TornadoBlue Lick, Clark County | EF1 6.57 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $386K |
| 2017-03-01 | TornadoBorden, Clark County | EF1 0.33 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $241K |
| 2017-03-01 | Thunderstorm WindBorden, Clark County | 69 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $181K |
| 2008-02-06 | Thunderstorm WindNew Washington, Clark County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $137K |
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 $250M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 3, 1974 (tornado, Clark County).
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 Clark 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 27 | 59 | 57 | 64 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 34 | 46 | 19 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 8 | 38 | 38 | 16 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 6 | 23 z | 7 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
Winter storms in the 2010s: 23 records against 6 in the decade before, 23 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Clark County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 30 · Feb 36 · Mar 58 · Apr 67 · May 70 · Jun 78 · Jul 84 · Aug 40 · Sep 29 · Oct 13 · Nov 12 · Dec 18 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Clark County
FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Clark County: 16 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (9) and flood (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3641 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-07-22 | DR-4882 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2020-04-03 | DR-4515 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3456 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-05-04 | DR-4363 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2012-03-09 | DR-4058 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2011-06-23 | DR-1997 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and |
| 2009-03-05 | DR-1828 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2008-09-23 | DR-1795 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3238 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2005-01-21 | DR-1573 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-01-11 | EM-3197 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 2004-09-01 | DR-1542 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 2004-06-03 | DR-1520 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1997-03-06 | DR-1165 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1996-04-02 | DR-1109 | Flood | Blizzard of 96 |
| 1992-08-17 | DR-953 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flash Flooding |
| 1991-01-05 | DR-891 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1990-06-04 | DR-869 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1974-04-04 | DR-423 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
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 Clark County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 100 flood or flash flood records for Clark County from 1996 to 2026, on 70 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Clark County ranks 359th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $17.5 million on 860 claims filed in Clark County; the most in one year was 213 in 1997. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 56 · 1979: 18 · 1980: 5 · 1981: 2 · 1982: 4 · 1983: 14 · 1984: 2 · 1985: 1 · 1988: 2 · 1989: 10 · 1990: 9 · 1991: 15 · 1992: 9 · 1993: 1 · 1994: 3 · 1995: 7 · 1996: 34 · 1997: 213 · 1998: 1 · 2000: 10 · 2001: 11 · 2002: 3 · 2004: 6 · 2005: 14 · 2006: 19 · 2008: 4 · 2009: 36 · 2010: 2 · 2011: 73 · 2012: 3 · 2013: 2 · 2014: 4 · 2015: 59 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 4 · 2018: 104 · 2019: 5 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2025: 86; 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 Clark County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clark County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $54.4 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 | $5.0M | 5.8 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively High | $15M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $25M | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $4.0M | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $819K | 51 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $359K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $3.1M | once in about 403 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $29K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Clark 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
- Severe thunderstorm wind in IndianaThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, 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 Clark CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Clark County's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis