Madison County, Indiana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 18095 · population 130,062 · 452 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 646 records for Madison County, Indiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 404 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (294 records). The deadliest single record is the June 4, 2011 thunderstorm wind: 1 death, 3 injuries and $16,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 23 declarations naming the county since 1977, 21 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
- 646on 404 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 129 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $129Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 32strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 23latest 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 Madison County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 294 since 1955. 46% 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 | 294 | 191 | 1955-2026 | 1 | 8 | $3.0M | 16 of 91 |
| Hail | 148 | 77 | 1975-2026 | 0 | 0 | $26M | 18 of 91 |
| Floods | 68 | 49 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $17M | 46 of 91 |
| Winter storms | 51 | 51 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 14 | $225K | 55 of 91 |
| Tornadoes | 32 | 27 | 1953-2025 | 0 | 7 | $83M | 21 of 91 |
| High wind and dust storms | 17 | 17 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $366K | 22 of 91 |
| Drought | 15 | 15 | 2010-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 of 91 |
| Lightning | 9 | 7 | 1999-2009 | 0 | 0 | $303K | 16 of 91 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 6 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 54 of 91 |
| Heat | 3 | 3 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 of 91 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2009-2009 | 0 | 0 | – | 55 of 91 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | – | 69 of 91 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2026-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 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 Madison County had?
NOAA records 32 tornadoes in Madison County from 1953 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 7 injuries recorded in the county. That is 21st 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 30 tornadoes whose track touched Madison County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 32: 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.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972-05-14 12:05, as SPC files it | Lawrence | F4 | 30 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Indiana.
Every tornado record filed for Madison County (32)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-02 | Anderson Jessup Airport, Madison County | EF0 4.92 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $300K |
| 2025-04-02 | Moonsville, Madison County | EF2 15.15 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.2M |
| 2025-04-02 | Fishersburg, Madison County | EF1 11.57 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $400K |
| 2025-04-02 | Lapel, Madison County | EF2 2.15 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $200K |
| 2024-07-29 | Perkinsville, Madison County | EF2 2.56 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $708K |
| 2022-06-08 | Summitville, Madison County | EF0 0.58 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $116K |
| 2019-05-27 | Pendleton, Madison County | EF2 5.89 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $173K |
| 2018-07-20 | Moonsville, Madison County | EF1 0.6 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $36K |
| 2011-02-28 | Ingalls, Madison County | EF1 0.63 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $138K |
| 2008-05-11 | Markleville, Madison County | EF0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $21K |
| 2004-05-30 | Frankton, Madison County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $117K |
| 2004-04-20 | Elwood, Madison County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $273K |
| 2002-09-20 | Pendleton, Madison County | F2 26 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 2 | $13M |
| 1998-06-11 | Elwood, Madison County | F1 13 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 1998-06-11 | Markleville, Madison County | F2 3 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1997-07-02 | Anderson, Madison County | F2 5 mi x 110 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 1992-11-22 | Madison County | F2 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1992-11-22 | Madison County | F1 0.2 mi x 67 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1991-03-27 | Madison County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1988-09-12 | Madison County | F1 10 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1980-08-17 | Madison County | F2 3.3 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1980-06-07 | Madison County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1977-04-04 | Madison County | F1 0.5 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-03-20 | Madison County | F1 5.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-06-12 | Madison County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-05-14 | Madison County | F4 5.4 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1964-04-28 | Madison County | F2 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1960-04-16 | Madison County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1958-06-13 | Madison County | F2 | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1958-06-09 | Madison County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1954-03-28 | Madison County | F2 1.5 mi x 53 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M step |
| 1953-04-09 | Madison County | F3 33.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $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 Madison County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 11, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($50,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | Excessive HeatMadison County · forecast zone Madison | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindLapel, Madison County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2026-04-21 | WildfireMadison County · forecast zone Madison | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-22 | HailAnderson Ace Airport, Madison County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-22 | HailSummitville, Madison County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | High WindMadison County · forecast zone Madison | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindAlexandria, Madison County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindLapel, Madison County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-03-13 | High WindMadison County · forecast zone Madison | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $75K |
| 2026-03-11 | Thunderstorm WindProsperity, Madison County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-11 | Thunderstorm WindAnderson Ace Airport, Madison County | 54 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-03-11 | Thunderstorm WindPendleton, Madison County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $120K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-06-04 | Thunderstorm WindAnderson Municipal Airport, Madison County A tree was downed on a vehicle in Mounds State Park, on the east side of Anderson, due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Four people were in the vehicle with one fatality and three injuries. The deceased was 20-year-old Tiffany Marie Stewart who was killed when the tree fell onto a van she was riding in. | 56 kt wind | 1 | 3 | $16K |
| 2021-01-30 | Heavy SnowMadison County · forecast zone Madison Snowfall across the county ranged from 1 inch of snow in the SE corner of the county and 7′ in the north. Blowing snow on the 31st led to in 3 foot drifts. County Highway had trouble Saturday night and Sunday keeping the roads open in the north 1/3 of the county. Local agencies responded to 23 reports of property ... | 0 | 5 | $109K | |
| 2021-02-15 | Heavy SnowMadison County · forecast zone Madison Snowfall amounts ranged from 6.0 to 9.5 inches with the heaviest amounts north of Anderson. A travel warning was issued for the county which is the highest level of local travel advisory due to the extreme impacts of the snow on road conditions. From 3 PM Monday to 8 AM Tuesday the sheriff's department responded to ... | 0 | 3 | $109K | |
| 2017-05-19 | Thunderstorm WindPendleton, Madison County This damaging thunderstorm wind gust was estimated at 65 mph. Two 53-foot trailers were on their side. The driver and passenger of one semi truck with an attached 53-foot trailer on the side sustained minor injuries. Two port-o-lets were blown over. One fiberglass light pole was blown over as well.This occurred near ... | 56 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $30K |
| 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 | – | |
| 2002-09-20 | TornadoPendleton, Madison County One of Indiana's longest tracking tornados formed along a squall line on the morning of September 20. The tornado touched down near Ellettsville in Monroe county and then remained on the ground for 112 miles before lifting in Blackford county. The tornado produced F3 damage at its strongest points. Nearly 100 single ... | F2 26 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 2 | $13M |
| 1954-03-28 | TornadoMadison County | F2 1.5 mi x 53 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-05-18 | HailAnderson, Madison County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $26M |
| 2002-09-20 | TornadoPendleton, Madison County | F2 26 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 2 | $13M |
| 2003-09-01 | Flash FloodCountywide, Madison County | 0 | 0 | $4.0M | |
| 2025-04-02 | TornadoMoonsville, Madison County | EF2 15.15 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $3.2M |
| 1998-06-11 | TornadoElwood, Madison County | F1 13 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.8M |
| 2003-07-08 | Flash FloodAlexandria, Madison County | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | |
| 1997-07-02 | TornadoAnderson, Madison County | F2 5 mi x 110 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2024-07-29 | TornadoPerkinsville, Madison County | EF2 2.56 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $708K |
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: March 28, 1954 (tornado, Madison County); April 9, 1953 (tornado, Madison 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 Madison 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 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 34 | 46 | 78 | 68 | 47 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 24 | 49 | 41 | 16 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 10 | 38 | 17 | 3 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 8 | 17 | 17 | 9 |
| Tornadoes | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 6 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 5 | 3 | 7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
46% 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 42 · Feb 28 · Mar 59 · Apr 57 · May 92 · Jun 148 · Jul 82 · Aug 54 · Sep 23 · Oct 17 · Nov 19 · Dec 25 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Madison County
FEMA's register lists 23 declarations that include Madison County: 15 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (9) and flood (5).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2014-04-22 | DR-4173 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 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 |
| 2005-01-11 | EM-3197 | Snowstorm | Snow |
| 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 |
| 1999-01-15 | EM-3135 | Snowstorm | In-Winter Storm 12/23/98 |
| 1998-07-22 | DR-1234 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1996-04-02 | DR-1109 | Flood | Blizzard of 96 |
| 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 |
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 Madison County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 68 flood or flash flood records for Madison County from 1996 to 2025, on 49 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Madison County ranks 738th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3.7 million on 305 claims filed in Madison County; the most in one year was 50 in 2003. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 2 · 1980: 6 · 1981: 1 · 1983: 1 · 1985: 3 · 1986: 1 · 1989: 13 · 1990: 28 · 1991: 1 · 1992: 44 · 1993: 7 · 1994: 1 · 1998: 2 · 1999: 3 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 2 · 2002: 7 · 2003: 50 · 2005: 21 · 2007: 3 · 2008: 5 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 9 · 2012: 2 · 2013: 23 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 6 · 2017: 6 · 2019: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2026: 48; 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 Madison County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Madison County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $34.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $1.6M | 4.9 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $4.9M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.1M | 4.4 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $20M | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $3.0M | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $168K | 10 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.9M | once in about 562 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.0M | 4.2 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 Madison 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 Madison CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Madison County's FEMA declarations (CSV)23 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis