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Jay County, Indiana severe weather history spans 176 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 58.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,578 nationally and #84 in Indiana.
176
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$4.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Jay County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Jay County, Indiana severe weather history averages 2.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 41 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 39 events fall before 1990 and 137 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $1.8M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Jay County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 103 | 0 | $649K | 74 | 1958–2025 |
| Hail | 37 | 0 | $4K | 2.5 | 1959–2026 |
| Tornado | 18 | 0 | $1.8M | F4 | 1957–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 9 | 0 | $802K | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Flood | 7 | 0 | $1.5M | 0 | 2008–2015 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 2007–2010 |
Decade by decade
Jay County, Indiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
16 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 13 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | EF4 | 1 | 12 | 18.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-06-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-11-05 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 38.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1980-04-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1961-07-28 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1957-04-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-09-22 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-19 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-06-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-06-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Jay County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 1961 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
County officials and local newspapers reported widespread flooding from a combination of local creeks and rivers overflowing and ponding of water in slow drainage areas. Much of the city of Portland, as well as New Corydon suffered flooding damage. Water depths of several inches to over a foot were reported in businesses and homes. In addition, several roads were closed, including US 27 which passes through Portland. Flooding began to subside by later on the 28th, but rivers continued to respond to the heavy rainfall. No damage amounts were available at the time of entry.
The tornado touched down one tenth of a mile west of County Road 149 on County Road 150. The tornado moved northeast destroying a pole barn. It took the roof off a second barn and damaged the adjacent house. Power lines and trees were also blown down. Carroll County,23,1500EST,,,0,0,0,0,Thunderstorm Winds Trees were downed near Deer Creek.
A tornado developed near the intersection of W 75 S and Joan Dr and quickly gained|intensity as it tracked east-northeast, hitting the Portland High School which sustained considerable roof damage. Several homes nearby sustained roof damage along with considerable tree damage noted along the track of this tornado. As the tornado was dissipating it caused extensive roof damage to the second story portion of the American Legion. Maximum sustained winds were estimated to be around 110 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
20,229
Population (ACS)
$118K
Median home value
15
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Jun 8, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Mar 12, 2007 | Snowstorm | SNOW | EM |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Jay County, Indiana?
176 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $4.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Jay County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 103 recorded events — 58.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Jay County?
16 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 13 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Jay County?
15 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Jay County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Jay County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Jay County as very low risk, placing it in the 23 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Jay County, Indiana severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Jasper County 263
- Jefferson County 249
- Jackson County 330
- Jennings County 176
- Huntington County 437
- Johnson County 423
Cite this page
“Jay County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/jay-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.