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Scott County, Indiana severe weather history spans 153 recorded events between 1961 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 57.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,692 nationally and #87 in Indiana.
153
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
74
Direct injuries
$4.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Scott County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Scott County, Indiana severe weather history averages 2.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 53 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 14 events fall before 1990 and 139 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Scott County, Indiana record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $3.9M in reported property damage. In total, 5 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Scott County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 88 | 0 | $588K | 78 | 1969–2026 |
| Hail | 27 | 0 | $0 | 2.75 | 1985–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 19 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 1999–2026 |
| Tornado | 16 | 2 | $3.9M | F5 | 1961–2025 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2006–2015 |
Decade by decade
Scott County, Indiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
17 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 10 touched down inside it and 7 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 | EF5 | 6 | 86 | 68.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF4 | 11 | 190 | 35.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1990-06-02 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 41.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-04-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 15.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1986-03-10 | EF2 | 0 | 25 | 12.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1985-04-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1968-08-09 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-04-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 14.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1963-01-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-03-06 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Scott County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | Tornado | 1 | 15 | $0 | |
| Mar 2, 2012 | Tornado | NABB | 1 | 0 | $500K |
| Mar 10, 1986 | Tornado | 0 | 25 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 1, 2017 | Tornado | VIENNA | 0 | 10 | $250K |
| Apr 3, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 10 | $0 | |
| Mar 1, 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | VIENNA | 0 | 8 | $200K |
| Mar 1, 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | AUSTIN | 0 | 3 | $200K |
| Mar 6, 1961 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
After exiting Clark County as an EF-4, this one-third mile wide tornado tracked for only six tenths of a mile across extreme southeastern Scott County before entering Jefferson County between the eastern endpoint of County Road 550 South and State Route 362. ||Despite its limited distance in Scott County, however, the tornado proved to be deadly, taking the life of a 72 year old man who was in his frame home residence on State Route 362 east of Kelly Bottom Road, where two other wood frame homes were also severely damaged and 5 mobile homes completely destroyed. This damage proved consistent with 170 mph winds.
A 1-2 mile swath of strong straight-line winds estimated at 60-80 mph moved across southern Scott County, downing trees and power lines and causing mainly minor roof damage. An EF-1 tornado was embedded within this area just east of Interstate 65. ||Between this area and another to the northeast of Austin, the Scott Emergency Manager reported that at least 15 homes were severely damaged, including those damaged by the tornado. Within the county, the winds and tornado resulted in approximately 23 minor injuries. There were numerous trees and power lines down which resulted in the closure of seven roadways across the county.
A 1-2 mile swath of strong straight-line winds moved across northern Scott County and into western Jefferson County, damaging buildings and toppling trees. |Much of the roof of one home northeast of Austin was blown off, and several others sustained significant siding and roof damage. Local media reported a 5 inch diameter branch fell through a roof home. Numerous metal outbuildings were also damaged or destroyed. ||Between this area and another to the south of Scottsburg which included an EF-1 tornado, the Scott Emergency Manager reported that at least 15 homes were severely damaged by severe thunderstorm winds. Within the county, the winds and tornado resulted in approximately 23 minor injuries. There were numerous trees and power lines down which resulted in the closure of seven roadways across the county.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
24,526
Population (ACS)
$158K
Median home value
17
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 |
| Mar 9, 2012 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Jun 23, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND | DR |
| Mar 5, 2009 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Scott County, Indiana?
153 events are on record between 1961 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $4.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Scott County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 88 recorded events — 57.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Scott County?
17 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 10 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Scott County?
17 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Scott County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Scott County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Scott County as very low risk, placing it in the 22 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Scott 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
- St. Joseph County 707
- Shelby County 357
- Rush County 273
- Spencer County 334
- Starke County 217
- Ripley County 488
Cite this page
“Scott County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/scott-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.