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Wayne County, Indiana severe weather history spans 435 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 60.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,116 nationally and #21 in Indiana.
435
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$8.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Wayne County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Wayne County, Indiana severe weather history averages 6.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 132 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 57 events fall before 1990 and 378 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Wayne County, Indiana record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $6.9M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Wayne County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 264 | 0 | $1.4M | 65 | 1968–2026 |
| Hail | 82 | 0 | $175K | 2.75 | 1970–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 34 | 1 | $137K | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Flood | 29 | 0 | $25K | 0 | 2006–2025 |
| Tornado | 22 | 0 | $6.9M | F4 | 1956–2024 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $26K | 0 | 1998–2018 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $21K | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Wayne County, Indiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
19 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 18 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967-05-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2000-06-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-10-01 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 10.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-08-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-04-19 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 11.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-06-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1957-06-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Wayne County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 15, 1998 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 25, 1961 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 16, 2019 | Tornado | EAST RICHMOND ARPT | 0 | 2 | $225K |
| Oct 1, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado developed near the intersection of Garr and Pleasant View Roads, where trees were broken off and uprooted on either side of Pleasant View Road. From there, the tornado caused mainly tree damage as it traveled northeast across Buttermilk Road, Weiss Road, and Interstate 70. After the tornado crossed Interstate 70, it widened briefly as it crossed Reservoir Road and Smyrna Road, where it caused tree and some structural damage on Smyrna Road. Here, several barns, outbuildings, and residential structures suffered damage and debris was thrown a considerable distance. One barn was very heavily damaged and several other barns lost some or major portions of their roofs, trailers were tipped over, and a porch was damaged on|a home. This represented the highest wind speed along the path, estimated at 80 mph based on numerous damage indicators on Smyrna Road. The tornado continued over open fields and then crossed Turner and Porterfield Roads before dissipating as it approached the Ohio/Indiana State line.
A storm survey was conducted in northeast Wayne County Indiana, in coordination with the Wayne County Emergency Management Agency. Damage began near a property along East Fountain City Pike east of Fountain City, in which several outbuildings were destroyed. Some of the damage followed a southwest to northeast path, although there was evidence of rotation within the debris pattern, which would coincide with a weak tornado. The damage continued in a northeast path and crossed Elliott Road and continued northeast to Bethel. Additional outbuilding damage was surveyed at 2 properties along Elliott Road, in which small outbuildings were destroyed and there was additional damage to larger barns. The path continued northeast to Bethel, where a chimney collapse and roof damage occurred at a church in Bethel.
An expansive thunderstorm produced hail along a long swath across Wayne County, with the majority of reports coming from the more populated areas of Centerville and Richmond. Hail report sizes ranged from 0.75 inch to 1.75 inch along the swath.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
66,397
Population (ACS)
$140K
Median home value
14
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 23, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND | DR |
| Sep 23, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jun 8, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Richmond 125
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Wayne County, Indiana?
435 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $8.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Wayne County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 264 recorded events — 60.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Wayne County?
19 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 18 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Wayne County?
14 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Wayne County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Wayne County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wayne County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 74 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Wayne 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
- Washington County 292
- Wells County 243
- Warrick County 393
- White County 263
- Warren County 196
- Whitley County 338
Cite this page
“Wayne County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/wayne-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.