Gibson County, Indiana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 18051 · population 33,008 · 487 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,073 records for Gibson County, Indiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 857 days; the most frequent are floods and flash floods (317 records). The deadliest single record is the May 30, 2015 thunderstorm wind: 1 death, 1 injury and $2,490 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1968, 20 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
- 1,073on 857 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 332 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $288Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 30strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 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 Gibson County most?
The most frequent records are floods and flash floods: 317 since 1996. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 317 | 253 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $12M | 3 of 91 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 174 | 145 | 1958-2025 | 1 | 5 | $12M | 50 of 91 |
| Winter storms | 123 | 122 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 7 | $162K | 21 of 91 |
| Hail | 98 | 77 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 3 | $7.6M | 28 of 91 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 82 | 79 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 91 |
| High wind and dust storms | 74 | 74 | 1997-2025 | 1 | 0 | $1.7M | 6 of 91 |
| Extreme cold | 72 | 72 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.9M | 6 of 91 |
| Heat | 67 | 67 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 4 | – | 6 of 91 |
| Tornadoes | 30 | 24 | 1961-2025 | 0 | 13 | $133M | 42 of 91 |
| Drought | 20 | 20 | 1999-2016 | 0 | 0 | $119M | 9 of 91 |
| Heavy rain | 14 | 13 | 2007-2015 | 0 | 0 | $13K | 5 of 91 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | $10K | 57 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 Gibson County had?
NOAA records 30 tornadoes in Gibson County from 1961 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 13 injuries recorded in the county. That is 42nd 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 32 tornadoes whose track touched Gibson 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 10 people, 0 of them in Gibson County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-06-02 18:17, as SPC files it | Petersburg | F4 | 13 mi | 6 |
| 2008-01-29 17:07, as SPC files it | Griffin to Cynthiana | EF2 | 7.01 mi | 2 |
| 1990-06-02 17:20, as SPC files it | ShoalsCrossed IL, IN | F4 | 106 mi | 1 |
| 2017-02-28 21:55, as SPC files it | Fort Branch to OaklandCrossed IL, IN | EF3 | 44.13 mi | 1 |
| 1989-04-03 15:50, as SPC files it | Fort Branch | F3 | 3.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Indiana.
Every tornado record filed for Gibson County (30)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-15 | Haubstadt, Gibson County | EF2 16.32 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
| 2024-07-09 | Mounts, Gibson County | EF2 6.7 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $334K |
| 2024-07-09 | Patoka, Gibson County | EF1 1.04 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2024-07-09 | Buckskin, Gibson County | EF1 0.42 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 2024-05-26 | Crawleyville, Gibson County | EF1 31.82 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $334K |
| 2024-05-26 | Crawleyville, Gibson County | EF0 0.57 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $941 |
| 2022-05-19 | East Mt Carmel, Gibson County | EF1 0.85 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2021-06-08 | Patoka, Gibson County | EF0 1.27 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 1 | $30K |
| 2019-02-07 | Oakland City, Gibson County | EF1 2.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $173K |
| 2017-02-28 | Crawleyville, Gibson County | EF3 26.37 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 1 | $3.9M |
| 2016-05-11 | Johnson, Gibson County | EF1 1.48 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2011-05-25 | St James, Gibson County | EF2 8.67 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $131K |
| 2011-04-19 | Buckskin, Gibson County | EF1 1.82 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $66K |
| 2011-02-28 | Princeton, Gibson County | EF2 11.8 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $459K |
| 2011-02-28 | Owensville, Gibson County | EF1 23.32 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $197K |
| 2009-05-14 | Haubstadt, Gibson County | EF2 10.35 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $413K |
| 2008-01-29 | Crawleyville, Gibson County | EF2 2.85 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 2006-05-10 | Owensville, Gibson County | F0 2.7 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-05-03 | Princeton, Gibson County | F0 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1992-06-23 | Gibson County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990-06-02 | Gibson County | F4 2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M step |
| 1990-06-02 | Gibson County | F4 7.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.5M step |
| 1989-05-19 | Gibson County | F1 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1989-04-03 | Gibson County | F3 3.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 8 | $25M step |
| 1989-04-03 | Gibson County | F1 0.6 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1982-05-29 | Gibson County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1977-06-30 | Gibson County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1971-05-06 | Gibson County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1964-07-07 | Gibson County | F1 2.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1961-06-12 | Gibson County | F1 | 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 Gibson County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the October 19, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A large tree was blown down into power lines in Oakland City.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1298186)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-29 | FloodHazleton, Gibson County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-27 | HailOakland City, Gibson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailPrinceton, Gibson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-19 | Dense FogGibson County · forecast zone Gibson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | Dense FogGibson County · forecast zone Gibson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillGibson County · forecast zone Gibson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Cold/Wind ChillGibson County · forecast zone Gibson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillGibson County · forecast zone Gibson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Heavy SnowGibson County · forecast zone Gibson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Cold/Wind ChillGibson County · forecast zone Gibson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-10 | Winter WeatherGibson County · forecast zone Gibson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-19 | Thunderstorm WindOakland City, Gibson County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-05-30 | Thunderstorm WindBuckskin, Gibson County A small child was killed when a tree limb landed on her. The incident occurred at an outdoor family reunion. The tree limb fell about 50 feet, striking a father and his daughter. The father was hospitalized with a broken neck and other injuries. The young girl died in the hospital a couple of days later. There were a ... | 50 kt wind | 1 | 1 | $2K |
| 2024-09-27 | Strong WindGibson County · forecast zone Gibson A man (81m, direct) died as a result of a tree falling onto him while he was sitting in his house located off of County Rd 1675 W northeast of Griffin, IN. A combination of heavy rain and 40-45 mph wind gusts from the remnants of Hurricane Helene helped to knock down the tree. | 39 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $28K |
| 1996-06-06 | Flash FloodOakland City, Gibson County Slow moving thunderstorms produced very heavy rainfall on already saturated ground. A 9-year-old boy was killed after being swept into a storm sewer in Oakland City. The boy was playing in the drainage ditch in his front yard and got swept into a flow tube, where he became trapped. The storms caused flooding of ... | 1 | 0 | $9K | |
| 1989-04-03 | TornadoGibson County | F3 3.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 8 | $25M step |
| 2023-01-30 | Winter WeatherGibson County · forecast zone Gibson A winter storm consisting primarily of sleet impacted southwest Indiana during the night of January 30th. The precipitation moved out shortly before sunrise on the 31st. The precipitation fell quite heavily as soon as it started, and temperatures were well below freezing, so roads quickly became covered with sleet. ... | 0 | 4 | – | |
| 2005-07-21 | HeatGibson County · forecast zone Gibson Several days of excessive heat and humidity caused a significant increase in heat-related illnesses. A local hospital in Gibson County reported treating four people, all of whom were involved in outdoor activities. Statistics from Evansville hospitals were unavailable. The heat index peaked from 100 to 110 degrees ... | 0 | 4 | – | |
| 2018-11-14 | Winter WeatherGibson County · forecast zone Gibson An early season bout of winter precipitation caused hazardous conditions. This measurable snow and ice was one of the ten earliest winter events on record for Evansville. The precipitation was mostly snow and sleet west of Evansville, and mostly freezing rain from Evansville eastward. The heaviest precipitation ... | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 2012-07-31 | HailOakland City, Gibson County Baseball to grapefruit-size hail fell during a parade. Three people were injured by the hail and required treatment at a local hospital. There was major hail damage to many homes, primarily in Oakland City. | 4.00 in hail | 0 | 3 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-09-01 | DroughtGibson County · forecast zone Gibson | 0 | 0 | $115M | |
| 2012-07-31 | Thunderstorm WindOakland City, Gibson County | 96 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $7.7M |
| 2012-03-02 | HailHaubstadt, Gibson County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $3.9M |
| 2017-02-28 | TornadoCrawleyville, Gibson County | EF3 26.37 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 1 | $3.9M |
| 1996-05-03 | HailPrinceton, Gibson County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $3.8M |
| 2007-04-08 | Frost/FreezeGibson County · forecast zone Gibson | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 1996-05-01 | FloodGibson County · forecast zone Gibson | 0 | 0 | $2.3M | |
| 2025-03-15 | TornadoHaubstadt, Gibson County | EF2 16.32 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.0M |
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 3, 1989 (tornado, Gibson County); June 2, 1990 (tornado, Gibson 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 Gibson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 25 | 90 | 150 | 52 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 2 | 7 | 19 | 25 | 44 | 46 | 30 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 13 | 39 | 46 | 25 |
| Hail | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 32 | 33 | 15 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 4 | 16 | 44 | 18 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 18 | 30 | 24 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Gibson County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 114 · Feb 106 · Mar 109 · Apr 131 · May 132 · Jun 117 · Jul 116 · Aug 40 · Sep 34 · Oct 38 · Nov 43 · Dec 93 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Gibson County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Gibson County: 18 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (12) and flood (5).
| 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 |
| 2018-05-04 | DR-4363 | Flood | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2008-06-08 | DR-1766 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 2002-09-25 | DR-1433 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 2002-06-13 | DR-1418 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1998-07-22 | DR-1234 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1996-07-03 | DR-1125 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1996-04-02 | DR-1109 | Flood | Blizzard of 96 |
| 1991-01-05 | DR-891 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1990-06-04 | DR-869 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1979-07-31 | DR-596 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1968-07-30 | DR-247 | Flood | Flooding |
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 Gibson County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 317 flood or flash flood records for Gibson County from 1996 to 2026, on 253 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Gibson County ranks 1669th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $506,000 on 49 claims filed in Gibson County; the most in one year was 14 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 6 · 1981: 3 · 1982: 1 · 1989: 2 · 1999: 1 · 2001: 3 · 2005: 3 · 2006: 3 · 2008: 8 · 2011: 14 · 2013: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2025: 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 Gibson County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Gibson County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $17.8 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 High | $3.4M | 5 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | 4.2 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $4.9M | once in about 143 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $10K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.0M | 8.4 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $104K | 8 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $421K | 2.9 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $91K | 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 Gibson 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
- Floods in IndianaThe state's floods and flash floods, 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 Gibson CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Gibson County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis