Vanderburgh County, Indiana
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 18163 · population 180,120 · 233 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,012 records for Vanderburgh County, Indiana from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 816 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (233 records). The deadliest single record is the November 6, 2005 tornado: 20 deaths, 200 injuries and $22.7 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 20 declarations naming the county since 1991, 18 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 24, 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
- 1,012on 816 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 28247 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $138Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 32strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 20latest 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 Vanderburgh County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 233 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 | 233 | 191 | 1957-2025 | 0 | 3 | $52M | 1 of 91 |
| Floods | 145 | 132 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 2 | $9.3M | 1 of 91 |
| Winter storms | 126 | 126 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 14 | $22M | 1 of 91 |
| Hail | 94 | 78 | 1962-2025 | 0 | 0 | $148K | 2 of 91 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 90 | 88 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 91 |
| High wind and dust storms | 84 | 84 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 1 | $17M | 1 of 91 |
| Extreme cold | 71 | 70 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 0 | $305K | 1 of 91 |
| Heat | 71 | 71 | 1997-2025 | 3 | 16 | – | 1 of 91 |
| Heavy rain | 38 | 36 | 2004-2015 | 0 | 0 | $22K | 1 of 91 |
| Tornadoes | 32 | 26 | 1955-2024 | 20 | 210 | $33M | 1 of 91 |
| Drought | 22 | 22 | 1999-2024 | 0 | 0 | $4.3M | 1 of 91 |
| Lightning | 6 | 6 | 1997-2023 | 1 | 1 | $172K | 8 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 Vanderburgh County had?
NOAA records 32 tornadoes in Vanderburgh County from 1955 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 20 deaths and 210 injuries recorded in the county. That is 1st of 91 Indiana counties and 22nd of 3,080 U.S. 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 36 tornadoes whose track touched Vanderburgh 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 25 people, 20 of them in Vanderburgh County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-11-06 01:39, as SPC files it | EvansvilleCrossed IN, KY | F3 | 41.3 mi | 24 |
| 1979-04-11 20:00, as SPC files it | Chandler to Boonville | F2 | 10 mi | 1 |
| 1955-11-15 19:20, as SPC files it | Evansville | F3 | 2 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Indiana.
Every tornado record filed for Vanderburgh County (32)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-30 | Erskin, Vanderburgh County | EF1 3.69 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $36K |
| 2024-04-02 | Martin, Vanderburgh County | EF2 11.88 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $470K |
| 2024-04-02 | Stacer, Vanderburgh County | EF1 6.26 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $212K |
| 2024-04-02 | Elliott, Vanderburgh County | EF1 2.05 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $56K |
| 2024-04-02 | St Wendells, Vanderburgh County | EF2 12.51 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $259K |
| 2023-03-03 | Inglefield, Vanderburgh County | EF0 2.14 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2023-03-03 | Kasson, Vanderburgh County | EF1 2.76 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $145K |
| 2022-03-30 | St Wendells, Vanderburgh County | EF1 1.01 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2020-07-15 | Belknap, Vanderburgh County | EF1 1.95 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $17K |
| 2016-04-26 | Kasson, Vanderburgh County | EF1 7.47 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $307K |
| 2015-04-07 | Darmstadt, Vanderburgh County | EF1 6.45 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $498K |
| 2012-03-02 | Darmstadt, Vanderburgh County | EF0 2.05 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-05-25 | Nisbet, Vanderburgh County | EF2 2.33 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $131K |
| 2006-05-10 | Darmstadt, Vanderburgh County | F0 5.2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-11-06 | Evansville, Vanderburgh County | F3 5 mi x 400 yd | 20 | 200 | $23M |
| 2005-11-06 | Cypress, Vanderburgh County | F3 4.2 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $227K |
| 2004-05-30 | Darmstadt, Vanderburgh County | F1 6 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
| 1998-08-07 | Daylight, Vanderburgh County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1997-08-18 | Evansville, Vanderburgh County | F0 0.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-06-17 | Evansville, Vanderburgh County | F1 2 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $919K |
| 1990-06-06 | Vanderburgh County | F0 1.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1989-05-19 | Vanderburgh County | F1 3.5 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1986-05-15 | Vanderburgh County | F2 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1986-05-15 | Vanderburgh County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-05-26 | Vanderburgh County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1980-06-28 | Vanderburgh County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1979-04-11 | Vanderburgh County | F2 5.9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1977-06-30 | Vanderburgh County | F1 15.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1975-01-10 | Vanderburgh County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-12-11 | Vanderburgh County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1962-05-26 | Vanderburgh County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 1955-11-15 | Vanderburgh County | F3 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 9 | $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 Vanderburgh County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 2, 2026 strong wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-25 | Dense FogVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-02 | Strong WindVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh | 41 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-02-19 | Dense FogVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-16 | Dense FogVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Cold/Wind ChillVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Heavy SnowVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh | 0 | 0 | $300K | |
| 2026-01-23 | Cold/Wind ChillVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-14 | Strong WindVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh | 36 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-11-26 | Strong WindVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-11-22 | Dense FogVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-18 | FloodSmythe, Vanderburgh County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-11-06 | TornadoEvansville, Vanderburgh County The tornado crossed into Vanderburgh County from Henderson County, KY a second time near Ellis Park, a horse-racing facility off U.S. Highway 41. The tornado moved rapidly east-northeast at close to 60 MPH, staying a mile or less south of Interstate 164 and the southern city limit of Evansville. Twenty people perished ... | F3 5 mi x 400 yd | 20 | 200 | $23M |
| 2012-07-01 | Excessive HeatVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh The historic heat wave that began in late June continued into July. This heat was comparable to the intense heat experienced in the 1930's. The high temperature exceeded 100 degrees on 10 out of 11 days going back to June 28 and ending on July 8. At Evansville, the high of 107 degrees on the 5th was one degree shy of ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-03-10 | FloodSmythe, Vanderburgh County Minor flooding occurred on the Ohio River. At the Evansville river gage, the river crested at 45.21 feet on the 18th. Flood stage is 42 feet. About 20 secondary roads were flooded in bottomland areas near the river. They were mostly farm roads flooded near the river, outside the Evansville city limits. Most of the ... | 1 | 1 | $62K | |
| 2024-01-14 | Cold/Wind ChillVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh The Vanderburgh County Coroner's Office reported that a homeless man (67m) was found dead on Third Street in downtown Evansville on the 15th. The autopsy identified the cause of death as hypothermia due to environmental exposure. Conditions were frigid on the 15th, with an early morning low of 4 and wind chills ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2022-12-22 | Winter WeatherVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh A powerful cold front swept through the region, with wind chills dropping to 20 to 30 below zero. These were the coldest wind chills observed in over 25 years across the region. Evansville plummeted to -30, which was the coldest since December 22, 1989. This was also only the 8th time dating back to 1950 that ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-07-08 | LightningEvansville, Vanderburgh County A construction worker on the roof of a building was struck by lightning. The individual was a 34-year-old male who was on top of a tall building in downtown Evansville. The lightning hit the roof, causing damage about the size of a softball. The individual was near the damage site when he was struck. He received a ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-02-19 | Cold/Wind ChillVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh Record-breaking cold and brisk winds combined to produce dangerously low wind chills. Bitterly cold wind chills around 15 below zero were observed across southwest Indiana. Southwest Indiana had not seen a cold stretch of this magnitude this late in the season since 1960. The actual low temperature was 6 below zero at ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-12-12 | Winter WeatherVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh The first blast of winter weather followed a strong cold front that swept rapidly east across the Mississippi and Lower Ohio Valleys. Behind the front, widespread snow showers and very windy conditions produced difficult travel conditions. Northwest winds ranged from 20 to 30 mph with higher gusts. Peak wind gusts ... | 0 | 11 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-05-09 | Thunderstorm WindHowell, Vanderburgh County | 104 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $44M |
| 2005-11-06 | TornadoEvansville, Vanderburgh County | F3 5 mi x 400 yd | 20 | 200 | $23M |
| 2009-01-26 | Winter StormVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh | 0 | 0 | $21M | |
| 2008-09-14 | High WindVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh | 56 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $16M |
| 2006-09-12 | Flash FloodEvansville, Vanderburgh County | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 2004-05-30 | TornadoDarmstadt, Vanderburgh County | F1 6 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
| 2011-05-01 | FloodSmythe, Vanderburgh County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2004-07-17 | FloodVanderburgh County · forecast zone Vanderburgh | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: November 15, 1955 (tornado, Vanderburgh County); June 30, 1977 (tornado, Vanderburgh County); May 15, 1986 (tornado, Vanderburgh 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 Vanderburgh 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 | 12 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 49 | 53 | 39 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 19 | 41 | 44 | 41 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 12 | 44 | 45 | 25 |
| Hail | 0 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 29 | 27 | 8 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 6 | 20 | 44 | 20 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 19 | 32 | 30 |
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 Vanderburgh County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 108 · Feb 87 · Mar 97 · Apr 106 · May 108 · Jun 94 · Jul 127 · Aug 63 · Sep 39 · Oct 43 · Nov 60 · Dec 80 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Vanderburgh County
FEMA's register lists 20 declarations that include Vanderburgh County: 16 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and flood (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2014-04-22 | DR-4173 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm |
| 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 |
| 2006-10-06 | DR-1662 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-11-08 | DR-1612 | Tornado | Tornado and Severe Storms |
| 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 |
| 2003-07-11 | DR-1476 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2002-09-25 | DR-1433 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 1997-03-06 | DR-1165 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1996-07-03 | DR-1125 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1991-01-05 | DR-891 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
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 Vanderburgh County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 145 flood or flash flood records for Vanderburgh County from 1996 to 2025, on 132 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Vanderburgh County ranks 374th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $7.5 million on 821 claims filed in Vanderburgh County; the most in one year was 110 in 1980. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 17 · 1979: 29 · 1980: 110 · 1981: 22 · 1982: 8 · 1983: 40 · 1984: 13 · 1985: 3 · 1986: 17 · 1987: 1 · 1988: 2 · 1989: 31 · 1990: 10 · 1991: 19 · 1992: 2 · 1993: 1 · 1994: 1 · 1995: 7 · 1996: 58 · 1997: 67 · 1998: 6 · 1999: 1 · 2000: 5 · 2001: 6 · 2002: 4 · 2003: 8 · 2004: 13 · 2005: 24 · 2006: 60 · 2008: 29 · 2009: 5 · 2010: 4 · 2011: 94 · 2013: 9 · 2014: 16 · 2015: 6 · 2016: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 28 · 2019: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 32 · 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 Vanderburgh County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Vanderburgh County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $96.4 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 High | $13M | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $3.1M | 4.2 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $740K | 8.2 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $1.1M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $32M | once in about 158 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $4.3M | 8.4 modeled event-days a year |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $36M | 4.3 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $5.0M | 1.1 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 Vanderburgh 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 Vanderburgh CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Vanderburgh County's FEMA declarations (CSV)20 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis