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Starke County, Indiana severe weather history spans 217 recorded events between 1958 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 58.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,338 nationally and #75 in Indiana.
217
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
32
Direct injuries
$28.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Starke County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Starke County, Indiana severe weather history averages 3.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 66 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 34 events fall before 1990 and 183 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Starke County, Indiana record is tornado, responsible for 4 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $25.4M 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 Starke County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 127 | 1 | $277K | 78 | 1959–2026 |
| Hail | 68 | 0 | $22K | 3 | 1973–2025 |
| Tornado | 18 | 4 | $25.4M | F3 | 1958–2026 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $2.2M | 0 | 2009–2018 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $75K | 0 | 2019–2019 |
| Flash Flood | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1996–1996 |
Decade by decade
Starke 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: 16 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-11 | EF3 | 10 | 82 | 35.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-12 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 12.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1968-06-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-09-14 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1958-07-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-03-30 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 3.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-06-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-06-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-06-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-07-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Starke County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 1965 | Tornado | 4 | 27 | $25.0M | |
| Jun 20, 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | SAN PIERRE | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Mar 12, 1976 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A mobile home was overturned and destroyed as a result of a microburst. A 79 year old male lost his life and his wife (age unknown) was injured while inside the mobile home. An RV was also flipped nearby. Power poles and trees in the area showed no signs of damage. Winds were estimated between 70 and 80 mph.
Extensive flooding occurred across the county as rivers, creeks, streams and ditches could not keep up with the flood waters. Water was reported to be so high and fast that many ditches were breaking, allowing the water to spill onto roads and other areas. A levee on the Yellow River west of State Route 39 and south of State Route 8 was breached, causing extensive damage to the levee and increased flooding downstream. Portions of State Routes 8, 39, 10 and 23 as well as countless county roads were closed due to high water. Damage is estimated in excess of 1.2 million dollars.
Numerous roads were flooded with standing water ranging from six inches to a few feet in depth. The hardest hit areas were generally south of US 30 with at least 10 roads reported closed due to high water. The Kankakee River rose to a record level of 13.72 feet near Davis. Several lakes in the area, including Bass Lake, rose to well above levels and caused areas of flooding to adjacent properties. Damage is estimated at one million dollars.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
23,365
Population (ACS)
$158K
Median home value
16
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 |
| May 4, 2018 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jun 23, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND | DR |
| Jan 30, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Starke County, Indiana?
217 events are on record between 1958 and 2026, causing 5 direct deaths and $28.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Starke County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 127 recorded events — 58.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Starke County?
16 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 16 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Starke County?
16 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Starke County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Starke County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Starke County as very low risk, placing it in the 25 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Starke 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
- Spencer County 334
- Steuben County 280
- Shelby County 357
- Sullivan County 242
- Scott County 153
- Switzerland County 182
Cite this page
“Starke County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/starke-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.