Fulton County, Indiana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 18049 · population 20,480 · 368 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 388 records for Fulton County, Indiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 263 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (141 records). The deadliest single record is the April 3, 1974 tornado: 6 deaths and 138 injuries. FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1974, 16 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on August 15, 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
- 388on 263 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 10162 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $37Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 13strongest 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 Fulton County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 141 since 1958. 55% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1958 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 | 141 | 92 | 1958-2026 | 2 | 2 | $704K | 69 of 91 |
| Winter storms | 113 | 92 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $107K | 22 of 91 |
| Hail | 69 | 39 | 1974-2026 | 0 | 0 | $269K | 62 of 91 |
| Floods | 17 | 16 | 1997-2018 | 2 | 2 | $1.0M | 75 of 91 |
| High wind and dust storms | 17 | 12 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 of 91 |
| Tornadoes | 13 | 13 | 1951-2025 | 6 | 156 | $35M | 76 of 91 |
| Extreme cold | 7 | 6 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 29 of 91 |
| Lightning | 4 | 4 | 2001-2011 | 0 | 2 | $30K | 25 of 91 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 3 | 1996-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 91 |
| Heat | 3 | 1 | 1997-1997 | 0 | 0 | – | 58 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 Fulton County had?
NOAA records 13 tornadoes in Fulton County from 1951 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 6 deaths and 156 injuries recorded in the county. 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 14 tornadoes whose track touched Fulton County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 13: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people, 6 of them in Fulton County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-27 17:51, as SPC files it | Macy to Silver Lake | EF3 | 13.72 mi | 0 |
| 1957-06-14 19:15, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 0.1 mi | 0 |
| 1951-06-21 19:50, as SPC files it | Leiters Ford | F3 | 5.4 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Indiana.
Every tornado record filed for Fulton County (13)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-19 | Wagoner, Fulton County | EF0 1.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2019-05-27 | Akron, Fulton County | EF3 9.5 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-08-13 | Fulton County | F1 0.8 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $38K |
| 1995-06-07 | Rochester, Fulton County | F1 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 10 | $194K |
| 1989-09-01 | Fulton County | F2 1.5 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1989-06-03 | Fulton County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 3 | $25K step |
| 1975-06-17 | Fulton County | F0 0.1 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1975-06-14 | Fulton County | F0 0.2 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1974-04-03 | Fulton County | F4 24.1 mi x 1,760 yd | 6 | 138 | – |
| 1957-06-14 | Fulton County | F3 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-04-26 | Fulton County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1956-04-03 | Fulton County | F2 4.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1951-06-21 | Fulton County | F3 2.7 mi x 1,760 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M 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 Fulton County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 10, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-10 | Thunderstorm WindRochester, Fulton County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindRochester, Fulton County | 62 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindRochester, Fulton County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2026-04-22 | HailTalma, Fulton County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-17 | Thunderstorm WindRochester Airport, Fulton County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-15 | Thunderstorm WindRochester Airport, Fulton County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $8K |
| 2026-03-13 | High WindFulton County · forecast zone Fulton | 57 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormFulton County · forecast zone Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-14 | Lake-Effect SnowFulton County · forecast zone Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-29 | Winter StormFulton County · forecast zone Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-26 | Thunderstorm WindRochester, Fulton County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindPershing, Fulton County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoFulton County | F4 24.1 mi x 1,760 yd | 6 | 138 | – |
| 2008-01-08 | FloodRochester, Fulton County Numerous roads across Fulton county were at least partially, if not fully impassable with flood waters from low areas, creeks, streams and rivers. County officials closed all roads to general travel from the evening of January 8th to the morning hours of the 9th. Reports of a Chevy Tahoe in deep water with children ... | 2 | 1 | $171K | |
| 2017-08-04 | Thunderstorm WindBruce Lake, Fulton County A 45 year old male, riding a moped, struck a downed tree on State Route 17, near County Road 200 North. The driver was ejected and pronounced dead at a local hospital. The time noted for this entry was when the accident happened. Thunderstorms were not occurring at the time, but had occurred on the 3rd. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2003-07-04 | Thunderstorm WindRochester, Fulton County Emergency management reported a large tree fell on a mobile home crushing a 27 year old man. The man died of head injuries. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $24K |
| 1995-06-07 | TornadoRochester, Fulton County A tornado flipped over four mobile office homes south of Rochester. Two men were injured when a tree fell on their car and another man was injured when a limb flew through the window of his home. Trees were blown down at Akron. Some trees were down on cars. | F1 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 10 | $194K |
| 1989-09-01 | TornadoFulton County | F2 1.5 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1989-06-03 | TornadoFulton County | F0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 3 | $25K step |
| 1951-06-21 | TornadoFulton County | F3 2.7 mi x 1,760 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-02-20 | FloodGrass Creek, Fulton County | 0 | 0 | $294K | |
| 2009-03-10 | FloodTalma, Fulton County | 0 | 0 | $275K | |
| 1998-07-22 | Flash FloodGrass Creek, Fulton County | 0 | 1 | $272K | |
| 2007-05-15 | Thunderstorm WindLeiters Ford, Fulton County | 69 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $213K |
| 2008-01-08 | FloodRochester, Fulton County | 2 | 1 | $171K | |
| 2006-04-16 | HailRochester, Fulton County | 4.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | $110K |
| 2005-08-13 | TornadoFulton County | F1 0.8 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $38K |
| 2003-07-04 | Thunderstorm WindRochester, Fulton County | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $24K |
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: September 1, 1989 (tornado, Fulton County); June 21, 1951 (tornado, Fulton 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 Fulton 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 | 6 | 7 | 16 | 37 | 38 | 36 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 34 | 54 | 15 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 32 | 13 | 4 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 11 | 2 | 1 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
55% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1958 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 52 · Feb 46 · Mar 24 · Apr 22 · May 34 · Jun 71 · Jul 53 · Aug 32 · Sep 8 · Oct 6 · Nov 12 · Dec 28 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Fulton County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Fulton County: 10 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (6) and snowstorm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-15 | EM-3651 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2018-05-04 | DR-4363 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2014-04-22 | DR-4173 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 2009-04-22 | DR-1832 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2008-01-30 | DR-1740 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1991-01-05 | DR-891 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-02-02 | EM-3028 | Snowstorm | Snowstorms |
| 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 Fulton County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 17 flood or flash flood records for Fulton County from 1997 to 2018, on 16 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Fulton County ranks 1027th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.2 million on 173 claims filed in Fulton County; the most in one year was 33 in 2008. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1981: 12 · 1982: 20 · 1985: 18 · 1990: 31 · 1991: 1 · 1993: 5 · 1998: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 1 · 2005: 3 · 2008: 33 · 2009: 29 · 2011: 3 · 2013: 6 · 2018: 7 · 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 Fulton County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Fulton County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.0 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $504K | 1.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $746K | 5.3 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.3M | 4.1 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $279K | 3.7 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.2M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $104K | 43 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $24K | 10 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $185K | once in about 751 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Fulton 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 Fulton CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Fulton County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis