Tipton County, Indiana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 18159 · population 15,348 · 261 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 234 records for Tipton County, Indiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 191 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (89 records). The deadliest single record is the April 9, 1953 tornado: 1 death and 6 injuries. FEMA has issued 17 declarations naming the county since 1977, 15 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
- 234on 191 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 214 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $41Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 14strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 17latest 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 Tipton County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 89 since 1955. 47% 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 | 89 | 67 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 1 | $810K | 67 of 91 |
| Winter storms | 40 | 40 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $19K | 40 of 91 |
| Hail | 36 | 28 | 1966-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 60 of 91 |
| Floods | 22 | 20 | 1997-2020 | 0 | 0 | $8.2M | 62 of 91 |
| Drought | 14 | 14 | 2012-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 of 91 |
| Tornadoes | 14 | 14 | 1953-2013 | 2 | 12 | $31M | 33 of 91 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 8 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | 12 of 91 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 6 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $75K | 60 of 91 |
| Heat | 3 | 3 | 1997-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 of 91 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 1996-1996 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 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 Tipton County had?
NOAA records 14 tornadoes in Tipton County from 1953 to 2013, the strongest rated F3, with 2 deaths and 12 injuries recorded in the county. That is 33rd 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 13 tornadoes whose track touched Tipton County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 14: 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, 2 of them in Tipton County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-06-07 16:30, as SPC files it | Windfall | F2 | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Indiana.
Every tornado record filed for Tipton County (14)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-11-17 | New Lancaster, Tipton County | EF1 0.68 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2007-04-11 | New Lancaster, Tipton County | EF1 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $46K |
| 1995-05-14 | Tipton County | F0 0.1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 1987-04-14 | Tipton County | F1 3 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1987-04-11 | Tipton County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-06-07 | Tipton County | F2 | 1 | 5 | – |
| 1980-06-01 | Tipton County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1979-07-25 | Tipton County | F0 2.7 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1975-04-18 | Tipton County | F0 0.2 mi x 23 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1968-04-14 | Tipton County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1965-06-06 | Tipton County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1958-06-08 | Tipton County | F2 | 0 | 1 | $3K step |
| 1956-03-06 | Tipton County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1953-04-09 | Tipton County | F3 19.9 mi x 33 yd | 1 | 6 | $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 Tipton County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 27, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($15,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindEast Union, Tipton County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | Thunderstorm WindGoldsmith, Tipton County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-03-26 | Thunderstorm WindTipton County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-03-26 | Thunderstorm WindGoldsmith, Tipton County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $150K |
| 2026-03-22 | HailJacksons, Tipton County | 1.25 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-13 | High WindTipton County · forecast zone Tipton | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtTipton County · forecast zone Tipton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-01 | DroughtTipton County · forecast zone Tipton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillTipton County · forecast zone Tipton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Heavy SnowTipton County · forecast zone Tipton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-19 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillTipton County · forecast zone Tipton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-01 | DroughtTipton County · forecast zone Tipton | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-04-09 | TornadoTipton County | F3 19.9 mi x 33 yd | 1 | 6 | $2.5M step |
| 1980-06-07 | TornadoTipton County | F2 | 1 | 5 | – |
| 2012-06-29 | Thunderstorm WindSharpsville, Tipton County A tree fell on a truck near the intersection of County Roads 300 West and 700 North due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Report came in via e-spotter. There is an unknown number of injuries, but the report implies at least one. | 61 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $13K |
| 2004-12-22 | Heavy SnowTipton County · forecast zone Tipton A plow driver for the Indiana Department of Transportation was struck by a vehicle as he went to check on the driver of another vehicle that had struck his plow moments before. The accident left the plow driver in critical condition. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1958-06-08 | TornadoTipton County | F2 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-07-05 | Flash FloodWindfall, Tipton County | 0 | 0 | $8.2M | |
| 2020-05-09 | Frost/FreezeTipton County · forecast zone Tipton | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | |
| 2026-03-26 | Thunderstorm WindGoldsmith, Tipton County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $150K |
| 2008-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindTipton County | 75 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $117K |
| 2026-03-13 | High WindTipton County · forecast zone Tipton | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2007-04-11 | TornadoNew Lancaster, Tipton County | EF1 0.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $46K |
| 2016-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindSharpsville, Tipton County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 2012-08-04 | Thunderstorm WindGoldsmith, Tipton County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $26K |
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: April 9, 1953 (tornado, Tipton County, 1 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 Tipton 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 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 19 | 32 | 17 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 9 | 13 | 10 | 8 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 6 | 6 | 9 | 1 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
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 1955 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 25 · Feb 19 · Mar 20 · Apr 23 · May 26 · Jun 45 · Jul 24 · Aug 13 · Sep 8 · Oct 4 · Nov 11 · Dec 16 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Tipton County
FEMA's register lists 17 declarations that include Tipton County: 10 major disasters, 7 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 |
| 2014-04-22 | DR-4173 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 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 |
| 2003-07-11 | 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 |
| 1996-04-02 | DR-1109 | Flood | Blizzard of 96 |
| 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 Tipton County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 22 flood or flash flood records for Tipton County from 1997 to 2020, on 20 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Tipton County ranks 1236th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.8 million on 115 claims filed in Tipton County; the most in one year was 45 in 2013. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1989: 4 · 1990: 1 · 1991: 2 · 1992: 3 · 1996: 2 · 1997: 4 · 1998: 5 · 1999: 2 · 2003: 19 · 2005: 6 · 2010: 1 · 2012: 1 · 2013: 45 · 2015: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2026: 18; 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 Tipton County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Tipton County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.9 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 Low | $218K | 1.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.5M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $511K | 3.6 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $363K | 5.1 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $327K | once in about 572 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Very Low | $216K | 4.4 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $192K | 4.3 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $35K | 9.7 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 Tipton 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 Tipton CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Tipton County's FEMA declarations (CSV)17 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis