Daviess County, Indiana

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 18027 · population 33,361 · 430 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 461 records for Daviess County, Indiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 317 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (155 records). The most damaging was the June 5, 2008 flood ($68.5 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1968, 16 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
461on 317 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
039 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$119Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
27strongest F4
FEMA declarations
18latest 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 Daviess County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 155 since 1957. 43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in May and June. 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.

Daviess County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 155 115 1957-2026 0 2 $1.6M 63 of 91
Floods 131 111 1996-2026 0 0 $86M 11 of 91
Hail 60 41 1967-2026 0 0 $461K 72 of 91
Winter storms 49 30 1996-2026 0 0 $294 86 of 91
Tornadoes 27 24 1956-2025 0 37 $31M 27 of 91
Drought 17 10 2010-2024 0 0 – 31 of 91
High wind and dust storms 9 5 1997-2024 0 0 $14 83 of 91
Heat 5 4 1997-2026 0 0 – 25 of 91
Extreme cold 4 3 1996-2024 0 0 – 85 of 91
Fog, smoke and funnel clouds 4 3 1996-2010 0 0 – 17 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 Daviess County had?

NOAA records 27 tornadoes in Daviess County from 1956 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 37 injuries recorded in the county. That is 27th of 91 Indiana 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 26 tornadoes whose track touched Daviess County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 27: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person, 0 of them in Daviess County.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Daviess County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
1990-06-02 17:20, as SPC files itShoalsCrossed IL, INF4106 mi1
2005-11-15 14:40, as SPC files itWashingtonF312 mi0
1990-06-02 17:19, as SPC files itMontgomery to LoogooteeF37 mi0

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Indiana.

Every tornado record filed for Daviess County (27)
Every tornado recorded in Daviess County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2025-03-15 Hudsonville, Daviess County EF1 24.43 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $800K
2023-06-25 Odon, Daviess County EF1 2.96 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $291K
2017-04-05 Cannelburg, Daviess County EF1 1.2 mi x 90 yd 0 0 $78K
2017-03-01 Cannelburg, Daviess County EF1 0.04 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $42K
2017-03-01 Black Oak, Daviess County EF2 1.52 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $78K
2017-03-01 South Washington, Daviess County EF2 0.15 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $48K
2013-11-17 Maysville, Daviess County EF2 2.8 mi x 125 yd 0 0 $127K
2008-05-27 Graham, Daviess County EF0 0.1 mi x 10 yd 0 0 –
2005-11-15 Washington, Daviess County F3 10 mi x 440 yd 0 31 $18M
2003-08-31 Odon, Daviess County F0 0.1 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
2003-07-21 Cannelburg, Daviess County F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $16K
2002-09-20 Washington, Daviess County F2 1.1 mi x 150 yd 0 0 $57K
1998-06-29 Plainville, Daviess County F0 0.5 mi x 75 yd 0 0 $9K
1992-07-02 Daviess County F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd 0 0 –
1990-06-02 Daviess County F4 13.5 mi x 200 yd 0 6 $2.5M step
1990-06-02 Daviess County F3 6.5 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $250K step
1986-05-15 Daviess County F2 0.2 mi x 10 yd 0 0 $25K step
1976-01-13 Daviess County F1 2 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $25K step
1973-06-20 Daviess County F1 0.1 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $25K step
1971-05-06 Daviess County F2 29.7 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $250K step
1970-04-23 Daviess County F1 0.2 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $250K step
1969-08-09 Daviess County F2 0 0 $25K step
1967-12-11 Daviess County F1 0 0 $25K step
1967-10-24 Daviess County F1 0 0 $25K step
1959-09-01 Daviess County F0 0.1 mi x 17 yd 0 0 $3K step
1959-04-01 Daviess County F1 0 0 $25K step
1956-02-25 Daviess County F2 13.8 mi x 900 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 Daviess County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 21, 2026 flash flood ($200,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

The 12 most recent records kept for Daviess County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-29 Excessive HeatDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess 0 0 –
2026-06-21 Flash FloodFarlen, Daviess County 0 0 $200K
2026-06-21 Thunderstorm WindPlainville, Daviess County 50 kt wind 0 0 $1K
2026-06-18 Thunderstorm WindWashington, Daviess County 50 kt wind 0 0 $20K
2026-04-27 Thunderstorm WindFarlen, Daviess County 52 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-04-27 HailElnora, Daviess County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-04-27 HailWashington, Daviess County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-03-22 HailBlack Oak, Daviess County 1.75 in hail 0 0 –
2026-03-22 HailPlainville, Daviess County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-03-04 HailElnora, Daviess County 1.00 in hail 0 0 –
2026-01-24 Heavy SnowDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess 0 0 –
2025-12-11 Heavy SnowDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess 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

Records with deaths or injuries in Daviess County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2005-11-15 TornadoWashington, Daviess County An F3 tornado touched down near Washington, Indiana on the afternoon of 15 November 2005, and proceeded northeast for 12 miles, lifting at Crane Naval Base in Martin County. The tornado was up to 1/4 mile wide at times. The worst damage occurred 4 miles northeast of Montgomery. K&K Industries sits at that site. Abe ... F3 10 mi x 440 yd 0 31 $18M
1990-06-02 TornadoDaviess County F4 13.5 mi x 200 yd 0 6 $2.5M step
2006-04-02 Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Daviess County Widespread straight line wind damage occurred throughout Daviess County. One of the damaged strcutures was a home that was still being rebuilt from the 15 November 2005 tornado in the area. Near West Boggs Lake, three campers were rolled by the high winds. One person inside one of the campers was rushed to the ... 60 kt wind 0 1 $439K
1998-04-16 Thunderstorm WindWashington, Daviess County Thunderstorms brought down trees and power lines in Glendale Wildlife Area. Tree fell on camper causing slight injury. 0 1 $9K

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.

The costliest records in Daviess County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2008-06-05 FloodPlainville, Daviess County 0 0 $69M
2005-11-15 TornadoWashington, Daviess County F3 10 mi x 440 yd 0 31 $18M
2003-07-10 FloodDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess 0 0 $8.0M
1999-01-21 FloodDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess 0 0 $3.5M
1999-01-27 FloodDaviess County and Martin County · forecast zone Martin 0 0 $2.2M
2005-01-04 FloodDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess 0 0 $907K
2025-03-15 TornadoHudsonville, Daviess County EF1 24.43 mi x 400 yd 0 0 $800K
2008-06-09 Flash FloodElnora, Daviess County 0 0 $548K

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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 2, 1990 (tornado, Daviess 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 Daviess 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).

Daviess County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind1351131404321
Floods––––2977187
Hail011110191513
Winter storms––––1413148
Tornadoes33414552
Drought––––00152

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 1957 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 43 · Feb 31 · Mar 39 · Apr 58 · May 75 · Jun 73 · Jul 46 · Aug 21 · Sep 22 · Oct 13 · Nov 11 · Dec 29 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Daviess County

FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Daviess County: 14 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (9) and flood (4).

Declarations including Daviess County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2026-01-24EM-3641Winter StormSevere Winter Storm
2020-04-03DR-4515BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3456BiologicalCovid-19
2011-06-23DR-1997Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and
2009-04-22DR-1832Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2008-09-23DR-1795Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
2008-06-08DR-1766Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes
2005-09-10EM-3238HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2005-01-21DR-1573Severe StormSevere Winter Storms and Flooding
2005-01-11EM-3197SnowstormSnow
2004-09-01DR-1542Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding
2002-09-25DR-1433Severe StormSevere Storms and Tornadoes
1996-07-03DR-1125Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
1996-04-02DR-1109FloodBlizzard of 96
1991-01-05DR-891FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1990-06-04DR-869Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding
1979-07-31DR-596FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1968-07-30DR-247FloodFlooding

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 Daviess County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 131 flood or flash flood records for Daviess County from 1996 to 2026, on 111 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Daviess County ranks 2321st of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $213,000 on 11 claims filed in Daviess County; the most in one year was 4 in 2008. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1978: 1 · 1990: 2 · 1991: 1 · 2005: 1 · 2008: 4 · 2022: 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 Daviess County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Daviess County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $15.1 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.

National Risk Index ratings for Daviess County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
Winter WeatherRelatively Moderate$129K7.2 a year (modeled)
DroughtRelatively Moderate$519K3.2 modeled event-days a year
TornadoRelatively Moderate$2.0Monce in about 4 years (modeled)
Strong WindRelatively Moderate$642K4.3 a year (modeled)
Ice StormRelatively Moderate$101Konce in about 3 years (modeled)
EarthquakeRelatively Low$3.2Monce in about 232 years (modeled)
LandslideRelatively Low$5Konce in about 5 years (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Low$573K6.1 modeled event-days a year

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Daviess County

  1. Pike County 772
  2. Knox County 698
  3. Dubois County 553
  4. Daviess County 461
  5. Greene County 400
  6. Martin County 244

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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