Perry County, Indiana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 18123 · population 19,166 · 382 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 291 records for Perry County, Indiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 225 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (105 records). The deadliest single record is the May 25, 2006 flash flood: 3 deaths and $15,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 23 declarations naming the county since 1974, 21 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
- 291on 225 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 620 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $1.5Bas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 15strongest F5
- 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 Perry County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 105 since 1957. 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 | 105 | 80 | 1957-2025 | 0 | 0 | $995K | 85 of 91 |
| Floods | 82 | 69 | 1996-2020 | 3 | 0 | $2.8M | 28 of 91 |
| Hail | 47 | 36 | 1972-2023 | 0 | 0 | $137K | 73 of 91 |
| Winter storms | 33 | 33 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $141K | 75 of 91 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 15 | 1952-2023 | 2 | 20 | $1.5B | 71 of 91 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 4 | 2016-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 70 of 91 |
| High wind and dust storms | 4 | 4 | 2008-2023 | 1 | 0 | – | 87 of 91 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 61 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 Perry County had?
NOAA records 15 tornadoes in Perry County from 1952 to 2023, the strongest rated F5, with 2 deaths and 20 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 15 tornadoes whose track touched Perry County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 15, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 7 people, 2 of them in Perry County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 13:20, as SPC files it | Daisy Hill | F5 | 68 mi | 6 |
| 2002-04-28 02:05, as SPC files it | Cloverport to IrvingtonCrossed IN, KY | F2 | 32.3 mi | 1 |
| 1970-11-19 22:47, as SPC files it | Tell | F3 | 2 mi | 0 |
| 1952-12-09 15:00, as SPC files it | OwensboroCrossed IN, KY | F3 | 35 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Indiana.
Every tornado record filed for Perry County (15)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-05 | Leopold, Perry County | EF1 0.75 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-09-08 | Tell City, Perry County | EF0 1.75 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $94K |
| 2015-06-19 | Troy, Perry County | EF0 0.33 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-04-07 | Branchville, Perry County | EF1 2.6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2013-06-26 | Troy, Perry County | EF1 5.26 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $253K |
| 2011-06-26 | Adyeville, Perry County | EF1 2.3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-06-19 | Oriole, Perry County | EF0 0.2 mi x 65 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-10-18 | Cannelton, Perry County | EF1 8.15 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-17 | Rome, Perry County | F0 3.5 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-08 | Gerald, Perry County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $193K |
| 2002-04-28 | Tobinsport, Perry County | F2 2.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 12 | $1.3M |
| 1997-04-30 | Bristow, Perry County | F1 15 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $552K |
| 1974-04-03 | Perry County | F5 16.3 mi x 33 yd | 2 | 6 | $250M step |
| 1970-11-19 | Perry County | F3 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 1952-12-09 | Perry County | F3 1.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K 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 Perry County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the September 8, 2018 tornado ($94,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
The tornado touched down on Main Street in Tell City, midway between Steuben and Winkeireid Streets, doing minor damage to one roof and bending an amateur radio antenna tower. Moving east-northeast, the tornado damaged roofs and snapped several large tree limbs, as well as toppling a large but rotting tree that crushed the roof of a garage. A small shed was lofted out of its yard and became entangled in utility lines 30 yards to the northeast. As it crossed Winkeireid Street between 10th and 11th Streets, it buckled in a large overhead door and caused minor damage to the roof of the Indiana Southern Power building. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 783733)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormPerry County · forecast zone Perry | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-24 | Frost/FreezePerry County · forecast zone Perry | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-10 | Thunderstorm WindTell City, Perry County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-01-10 | Heavy SnowPerry County · forecast zone Perry | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-05 | Winter StormPerry County · forecast zone Perry | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-04-05 | TornadoLeopold, Perry County | EF1 0.75 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-09-08 | TornadoTell City, Perry County | EF0 1.75 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $94K |
| 2015-06-19 | TornadoTroy, Perry County | EF0 0.33 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-04-07 | TornadoBranchville, Perry County | EF1 2.6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2013-06-26 | TornadoTroy, Perry County | EF1 5.26 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $253K |
| 2011-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindTroy, Perry County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2011-06-26 | TornadoAdyeville, Perry County | EF1 2.3 mi x 200 yd | 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
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-05-25 | Flash FloodLeopold, Perry County Three were killed when a pickup truck was washed away by flood waters while attempting to cross a normally dry creek bed. One child was able to swim away from the truck and was uninjured. | 3 | 0 | $15K | |
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoPerry County | F5 16.3 mi x 33 yd | 2 | 6 | $250M step |
| 2008-09-14 | High WindPerry County · forecast zone Perry One fatality occurred in Tell City when a tree fell on a man. Damage to the Post Office and multiple other buildings occurred in Tell City and across the County. | 61 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2002-04-28 | TornadoTobinsport, Perry County Five homes were destroyed. Five mobile homes were destroyed. Four other homes had damage. The roof was torn off a church. Numerous trees were uprooted and many outbuildings were destroyed. | F2 2.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 12 | $1.3M |
| 1970-11-19 | TornadoPerry County | F3 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-03-02 | FloodPerry County · forecast zone Perry | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 2002-04-28 | TornadoTobinsport, Perry County | F2 2.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 12 | $1.3M |
| 1997-04-30 | TornadoBristow, Perry County | F1 15 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $552K |
| 2004-05-30 | Thunderstorm WindTell City, Perry County | 80 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $312K |
| 2008-01-29 | Thunderstorm WindBristow, Perry County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $274K |
| 2013-06-26 | TornadoTroy, Perry County | EF1 5.26 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $253K |
| 2003-05-08 | TornadoGerald, Perry County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $193K |
| 2001-10-24 | Thunderstorm WindTell City, Perry County | 90 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $125K |
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 3, 1974 (tornado, Perry County, 2 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 Perry 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 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 32 | 36 | 16 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 13 | 36 | 28 | 5 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 26 | 7 | 2 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 6 | 18 z | 6 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 1 |
Winter storms in the 2010s: 18 records against 6 in the decade before, 18 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Perry County days with a record above.
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 Perry County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 25 · Feb 26 · Mar 36 · Apr 48 · May 58 · Jun 24 · Jul 28 · Aug 9 · Sep 11 · Oct 7 · Nov 7 · Dec 12 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Perry County
FEMA's register lists 23 declarations that include Perry County: 17 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (10) and flood (6).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2002-06-13 | DR-1418 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1997-03-06 | DR-1165 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms 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 |
| 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 Perry County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 82 flood or flash flood records for Perry County from 1996 to 2020, on 69 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Perry County ranks 1748th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $298,000 on 42 claims filed in Perry County; the most in one year was 8 in 1981. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 1 · 1981: 8 · 1983: 2 · 1989: 1 · 1997: 6 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 1 · 2008: 2 · 2009: 1 · 2011: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2018: 8 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2025: 2; 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 Perry County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Perry County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.5 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 Moderate | $890K | 5.8 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $150K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $616K | once in about 294 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $2.1M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.6M | 2.5 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $341K | 6.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $241K | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $49K | 8.9 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Perry 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 Perry CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Perry County's FEMA declarations (CSV)23 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis