Grant County, Indiana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 18053 · population 66,634 · 414 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 510 records for Grant County, Indiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 314 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (200 records). The deadliest single record is the April 11, 1965 tornado: 8 deaths and 275 injuries. FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1965, 20 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding” on August 25, 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
- 510on 314 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 12327 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $2.4Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 28strongest 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 Grant County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 200 since 1956. 47% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1956 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 | 200 | 121 | 1956-2026 | 0 | 2 | $1.8M | 53 of 91 |
| Hail | 112 | 58 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 0 | $9K | 37 of 91 |
| Winter storms | 96 | 79 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 6 | $36K | 34 of 91 |
| Floods | 37 | 29 | 1997-2015 | 3 | 0 | $15M | 64 of 91 |
| Tornadoes | 28 | 23 | 1956-2023 | 9 | 319 | $2.4B | 29 of 91 |
| High wind and dust storms | 21 | 17 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $21K | 20 of 91 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 6 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 of 91 |
| Drought | 5 | 5 | 2010-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 47 of 91 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 2005-2025 | 0 | 0 | $37K | 39 of 91 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 1997-1997 | 0 | 0 | – | 63 of 91 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | – | 64 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 Grant County had?
NOAA records 28 tornadoes in Grant County from 1956 to 2023, the strongest rated F4, with 9 deaths and 319 injuries recorded in the county. That is 29th 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 28 tornadoes whose track touched Grant County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 28, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 26 people, 9 of them in Grant County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-11 18:20, as SPC files it | Kokomo | F4 | 48 mi | 25 |
| 1956-03-06 21:50, as SPC files it | Van Buren to Marion | F4 | 1.9 mi | 1 |
| 2023-03-31 21:42, as SPC files it | Gas | EF3 | 6.35 mi | 0 |
| 1998-06-11 18:03, as SPC files it | Hemlock to Jerome | F3 | 18.5 mi | 0 |
| 1967-12-21 14:15, as SPC files it | Gas | F3 | 0.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Indiana.
Every tornado record filed for Grant County (28)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-31 | Gas City, Grant County | EF3 6.35 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-03-31 | Swayzee, Grant County | EF2 3.09 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-27 | Mier, Grant County | EF2 4.09 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2019-05-23 | Hanfield, Grant County | EF1 0.09 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-11-17 | Mier, Grant County | EF2 11.62 mi x 700 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-11-17 | Roseburg, Grant County | EF0 0.04 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-19 | Fowlerton, Grant County | EF1 2.9 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-19 | Hackleman, Grant County | EF1 2.53 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $131K |
| 2010-10-26 | Upland, Grant County | EF1 1.13 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-11-15 | Van Buren, Grant County | F1 3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $23K |
| 2004-04-20 | Pt Isabel, Grant County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-04-20 | Fairmount, Grant County | F0 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-07-10 | Swayzee, Grant County | F0 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-11 | Swayzee, Grant County | F1 6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $905K |
| 1998-06-11 | Fairmount, Grant County | F1 4 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 1992-10-08 | Grant County | F1 1.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Grant County | F2 10.9 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 12 | – |
| 1973-06-12 | Grant County | F1 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1971-03-19 | Grant County | F1 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1970-05-15 | Grant County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1969-04-17 | Grant County | F0 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1967-12-21 | Grant County | F3 | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1966-06-15 | Grant County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-04-23 | Grant County | F2 18.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-04-11 | Grant County | F4 20.9 mi x 880 yd | 8 | 275 | $250M step |
| 1958-04-05 | Grant County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1957-04-05 | Grant County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1956-03-06 | Grant County | F4 1.9 mi x 47 yd | 1 | 31 | $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 Grant County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 11, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindUpland, Grant County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindShady Hills, Grant County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindMarion Airport, Grant County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindMarion Airport, Grant County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindShady Hills, Grant County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindGas City, Grant County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindJonesboro, Grant County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | Strong WindGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-04-27 | Thunderstorm WindGas City, Grant County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-27 | Thunderstorm WindDavis, Grant County | 62 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | Thunderstorm WindShady Hills, Grant County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-04-27 | Thunderstorm WindArcana, Grant County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-11 | TornadoGrant County | F4 20.9 mi x 880 yd | 8 | 275 | $250M step |
| 1999-01-22 | FloodGrant County · forecast zone Grant During the evening of the 22nd an automobile containing a mother and her 9 year-old son was swept into Grassy Fork Creek in southwestern Grant County. They were not able to escape from the car and drowned. On the 22nd ice on the Tippecanoe River took skirting from mobile homes in low-lying areas. On the 23rd a man ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1956-03-06 | TornadoGrant County | F4 1.9 mi x 47 yd | 1 | 31 | $2.5M step |
| 2013-01-13 | FloodFowlerton, Grant County Local media reported that a 19 year old male lost control of his vehicle on State road 26, east of Fairmount, Indiana after encountering high water from a nearby stream that had flowed over the road. The vehicle flipped and the passenger compartment became submerged. A passing motorist contacted 911 and when ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoGrant County | F2 10.9 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 12 | – |
| 2009-02-03 | Winter WeatherGrant County and Madison County · forecast zone Madison A 50-car pile-up at mile marker 19 occurred at approximately 1030 EST near Pendleton, IN. The number of overall injuries is unclear due to sketchy information and multiple crashes occurring on the same road in two different counties. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2004-12-22 | Heavy SnowGrant County and Madison County · forecast zone Madison 10 inches of snow reported. Two people were seriously injured when their truck slid into the path of an oncoming train north of Summitville. | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2011-01-11 | Winter WeatherGrant County and Madison County · forecast zone Madison The Anderson Herald Bulletin reported that separate crashes involving tractor-trailers closed parts of Interstate 69 as snowfall made local roads treacherous. One of those accidents occurred when a Chevrolet Suburban slammed into the rear of a tractor-trailer. The passenger was injured and was transported to Saint ... | 0 | 1 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-08-04 | Flash FloodMarion, Grant County | 0 | 0 | $2.7M | |
| 2011-03-01 | FloodStonecrest, Grant County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 1998-06-11 | TornadoSwayzee, Grant County | F1 6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $905K |
| 2005-11-06 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Grant County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $302K |
| 1998-08-24 | Thunderstorm WindMarion, Grant County | 0 | 0 | $272K | |
| 2001-04-09 | Thunderstorm WindArcana, Grant County | 0 | 0 | $250K | |
| 2011-04-19 | TornadoHackleman, Grant County | EF1 2.53 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $131K |
| 2025-03-15 | LightningFairmount, Grant County | 0 | 0 | $35K |
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 11, 1965 (tornado, Grant County, 8 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 Grant 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 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 27 | 49 | 59 | 37 |
| Hail | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 19 | 36 | 33 | 14 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 34 | 37 | 14 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 9 | 22 | 6 | 0 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 11 | 5 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
47% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1956 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 49 · Feb 35 · Mar 44 · Apr 46 · May 74 · Jun 80 · Jul 53 · Aug 37 · Sep 19 · Oct 18 · Nov 27 · Dec 28 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Grant County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Grant County: 14 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (8) and snowstorm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-25 | DR-4933 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2026-08-15 | EM-3651 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3641 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2023-04-15 | DR-4704 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 2003-09-05 | DR-1487 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2003-07-11 | DR-1476 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2002-09-25 | DR-1433 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 1991-03-29 | DR-899 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Ice Storm |
| 1991-01-05 | DR-891 | 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 Grant County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 37 flood or flash flood records for Grant County from 1997 to 2015, on 29 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Grant County ranks 1137th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.7 million on 139 claims filed in Grant County; the most in one year was 37 in 1998. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1980: 1 · 1982: 1 · 1985: 5 · 1989: 2 · 1990: 14 · 1992: 10 · 1993: 2 · 1996: 2 · 1997: 3 · 1998: 37 · 1999: 6 · 2002: 2 · 2003: 10 · 2005: 8 · 2007: 1 · 2008: 1 · 2011: 3 · 2013: 19 · 2014: 5 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2026: 4; 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 Grant County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Grant County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $23.1 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.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $5.4M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $917K | 4.5 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $12M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $97K | 9.7 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $707K | 5.2 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.1M | once in about 642 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.0M | 5.3 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $270K | 1.7 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 Grant 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 Grant CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Grant County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis