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Steuben County, Indiana severe weather history spans 280 recorded events between 1960 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 58.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,898 nationally and #53 in Indiana.
280
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
30
Direct injuries
$40.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Steuben County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Steuben County, Indiana severe weather history averages 4.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 87 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 20 events fall before 1990 and 260 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Steuben County, Indiana record is tornado, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $37.8M 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 Steuben County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 165 | 0 | $790K | 85 | 1960–2025 |
| Hail | 83 | 0 | $182K | 3 | 1985–2024 |
| Tornado | 21 | 3 | $37.8M | F4 | 1961–2025 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $415K | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $759K | 0 | 2001–2009 |
| Flash Flood | 3 | 0 | $30K | 0 | 1996–1997 |
Decade by decade
Steuben County, Indiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
18 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-11 | EF4 | 23 | 294 | 90.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF3 | 5 | 53 | 36.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1991-03-27 | EF3 | 1 | 24 | 21.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-05-06 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 33.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2001-10-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 12.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1969-09-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-03-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 10.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-06-21 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2018-06-09 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Steuben County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 2 | 15 | $0 | |
| Mar 28, 1991 | Tornado | 1 | 6 | $25.0M | |
| Jul 22, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | ANGOLA | 0 | 4 | $250K |
| May 15, 1988 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 4 | $0 | |
| Jul 2, 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | LAKE JAMES | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous roads were flooded with standing water ranging from six inches to a few feet in depth. At least 3 roads suffered some degree of wash out. These were County Road 950 East north of U.S. 20, County Road 20 North near County Road 100 East and a portion of West Fox Lake Road. Several lakes in the northern part of the county experienced high water levels, with some damage reported as well as sporadic evacuations. A NWS Cooperative observer in Angola reported 4.3 inches of rain over a 4 day period.
LIGHTNING INDUCED FIRES DESTROYED A BARN AND KENNEL AT 3580 S CR RD 800 E. ANOTHER LIGHTNING INDUCED FIRE DESTROYED ANOTHER BARN AND FARM TRACTORS AT 3285 N CR RD 650 E WHICH TOOK FIRE FIGHTERS 40 MINUTES TO GET UNDER CONTROL.
Spotters and emergency management officials reported several areas in and around the Lake Pleasant area seeing flooding as the lake went out of its banks in many areas. This was the result of around four inches of rain falling across the area. Exact damage estimates were not available, but are estimated at $250,000.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
34,726
Population (ACS)
$216K
Median home value
12
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 12, 2007 | Snowstorm | SNOW | EM |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Jan 24, 2001 | Snowstorm | SNOW | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Steuben County, Indiana?
280 events are on record between 1960 and 2025, causing 3 direct deaths and $40.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Steuben County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 165 recorded events — 58.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Steuben County?
18 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 15 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Steuben County?
12 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Steuben County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Steuben County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Steuben County as very low risk, placing it in the 27 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Steuben 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
- Starke County 217
- Sullivan County 242
- Spencer County 334
- Switzerland County 182
- Shelby County 357
- Tippecanoe County 555
Cite this page
“Steuben County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/steuben-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.