Pulaski County, Indiana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 18131 · population 12,514 · 434 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 267 records for Pulaski County, Indiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 198 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (91 records). The most damaging was the April 26, 1994 tornado ($995,000 in 2025 dollars). 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 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
- 267on 198 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 014 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $35Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 17strongest 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 Pulaski County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 91 since 1997. 69% of its winter storm records since 1997 fell in January and February. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 91 | 72 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 1 | $71K | 39 of 91 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 81 | 64 | 1973-2025 | 0 | 0 | $245K | 91 of 91 |
| Hail | 50 | 36 | 1980-2023 | 0 | 0 | $22K | 84 of 91 |
| Tornadoes | 17 | 16 | 1951-2013 | 0 | 13 | $35M | 73 of 91 |
| High wind and dust storms | 15 | 9 | 1996-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 67 of 91 |
| Extreme cold | 6 | 5 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 68 of 91 |
| Floods | 5 | 5 | 1999-2018 | 0 | 0 | $48K | 89 of 91 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 1 | 2005-2005 | 0 | 0 | – | 65 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 Pulaski County had?
NOAA records 17 tornadoes in Pulaski County from 1951 to 2013, the strongest rated F4, with 0 deaths and 13 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 16 tornadoes whose track touched Pulaski County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 17: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person, 0 of them in Pulaski County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-04-17 15:55, as SPC files it | MedaryvilleCrossed IL, IN | F4 | 57.3 mi | 1 |
| 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 Pulaski County (17)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-11-17 | Medaryville, Pulaski County | EF1 13.18 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-25 | Francesville, Pulaski County | EF0 0.78 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-07-10 | Francesville, Pulaski County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-06-11 | Ripley, Pulaski County | F2 9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.0M |
| 1994-04-26 | Francesville, Pulaski County | F2 20 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $995K |
| 1994-04-26 | Pulaski County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1991-08-19 | Pulaski County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1984-06-13 | Pulaski County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1975-04-19 | Pulaski County | F0 0.1 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Pulaski County | F4 1.9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 7 | – |
| 1973-06-16 | Pulaski County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1971-09-06 | Pulaski County | F1 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 1 | $3K step |
| 1970-06-26 | Pulaski County | F1 11.9 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1963-04-17 | Pulaski County | F4 | 0 | 2 | – |
| 1960-04-16 | Pulaski County | 0 | 0 | $3K step | |
| 1954-06-01 | Pulaski County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1951-06-21 | Pulaski 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 Pulaski County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 30, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($20,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | Winter WeatherPulaski County · forecast zone Pulaski | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-29 | Winter StormPulaski County · forecast zone Pulaski | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-30 | Thunderstorm WindStar City, Pulaski County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2025-02-05 | Winter WeatherPulaski County · forecast zone Pulaski | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindMedaryville, Pulaski County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2014-06-30 | Thunderstorm WindWinamac, Pulaski County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-11-17 | TornadoMedaryville, Pulaski County | EF1 13.18 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-06-12 | HailLawton, Pulaski County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-25 | TornadoFrancesville, Pulaski County | EF0 0.78 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-06-04 | HailFrancesville, Pulaski County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-01-31 | Ice StormPulaski County · forecast zone Pulaski | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2001-07-10 | TornadoFrancesville, Pulaski County | F0 1 mi x 30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoPulaski County | F4 1.9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 7 | – |
| 1963-04-17 | TornadoPulaski County | F4 | 0 | 2 | – |
| 1951-06-21 | TornadoPulaski County | F3 2.7 mi x 1,760 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.5M step |
| 2002-01-31 | Ice StormPulaski County · forecast zone Pulaski A county employee working near a power line was injured. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1998-06-11 | TornadoRipley, Pulaski County 4 TRAILER HOMES DESTROYED, SEVERAL OTHERS SUFFERED MINOR TO MAJOR DAMAGE, ONE HOME AND BARN DESTROYED, SEVERAL OTHER HOMES SUFFERED MODERATE DAMAGE. TORNADO STARTED IN RIPLEY AND TRACKED EAST NORTHEAST TO MONTEREY BEFORE IT LIFTED. EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE OCCURRED ALONG THE TORNADOES PATH. | F2 9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.0M |
| 1971-09-06 | TornadoPulaski County | F1 0.1 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 1 | $3K 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-04-26 | TornadoFrancesville, Pulaski County | F2 20 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $995K |
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: June 21, 1951 (tornado, Pulaski 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 Pulaski 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 25 | 48 | 12 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 32 | 18 | 7 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 21 | 13 | 1 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 10 | 2 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
69% of its winter storm records since 1997 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 41 · Feb 36 · Mar 17 · Apr 14 · May 18 · Jun 49 · Jul 29 · Aug 13 · Sep 4 · Oct 6 · Nov 14 · Dec 26 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Pulaski County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Pulaski County: 10 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (5) and flood (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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1998-05-08 | DR-1217 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 Pulaski County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 5 flood or flash flood records for Pulaski County from 1999 to 2018, on 5 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Pulaski County ranks 1027th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.6 million on 173 claims filed in Pulaski County; the most in one year was 53 in 2009. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1981: 2 · 1982: 3 · 1985: 9 · 1990: 12 · 1993: 3 · 1996: 3 · 1998: 1 · 1999: 2 · 2005: 3 · 2007: 2 · 2008: 48 · 2009: 53 · 2011: 3 · 2013: 6 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2018: 19 · 2026: 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 Pulaski County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Pulaski County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $5.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.2M | 4.1 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $215K | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $53K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $668K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $333K | 5.1 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $183K | once in about 718 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $451 | once in about 14 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $15K | once in about 43 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Pulaski 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
- Winter storms in IndianaThe state's winter storm records, 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 Pulaski CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Pulaski County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis