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Adams County, Indiana severe weather history spans 224 recorded events between 1953 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 46.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,291 nationally and #73 in Indiana.
224
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
43
Direct injuries
$30.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Adams County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Adams County, Indiana severe weather history averages 3.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 82 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 31 events fall before 1990 and 193 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Adams County, Indiana record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $29.3M 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 Adams County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 104 | 2 | $689K | 75 | 1956–2025 |
| Hail | 78 | 0 | $14K | 2.5 | 1970–2025 |
| Tornado | 22 | 1 | $29.3M | F4 | 1953–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 8 | 0 | $250K | 0 | 1998–2017 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $540K | 0 | 1998–2010 |
| Flood | 5 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2015–2015 |
Decade by decade
Adams County, Indiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
24 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 20 touched down inside it and 4 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 | 4 | 125 | 52.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2002-11-10 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-07-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-08-26 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 14.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-04-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-03-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 9.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-08-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-04-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Adams County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10, 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | GENEVA | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 12, 1965 | Tornado | 1 | 37 | $25.0M | |
| Mar 6, 2023 | Flood | LINN GROVE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jun 3, 1980 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Aug 26, 1986 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $2.5M | |
| Jul 26, 2005 | Lightning | DECATUR | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Local media and law enforcement reported a large rotten tree, roughly 20 years old, was blown over by non severe thunderstorm winds . The tree landed onto a moving truck that was occupied by a man and woman. Both occupants were pronounced deceased at the scene. The base of the tree was rotten in over half way and up 5 feet with the portion of the tree breaking off being the rotten portion. No other damage to structures, trees or any object were noted.
Indiana DNR officials reported a 55 year old male was driving north on County Road 300 West, north of County Road 850 South and disregarded road closed signs due to high water levels on the Wabash River. The driver's van entered the flood water at approximately 430 am EST and began to submerge. He left the van in an effort to exit the flood waters, but was subsequently found deceased roughly 50 yards southwest of the submerged van by first responders.
Lightning struck a barn north of Geneva shortly after 3 am EDT. The barn was a total loss from the resultant fire. In addition, four horses, two or three calves and several grown pigs were killed as well as several pieces of farm equipment being destroyed. Damage is estimated at around $250,000.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
36,227
Population (ACS)
$178K
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 |
| 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 Adams County, Indiana?
224 events are on record between 1953 and 2025, causing 4 direct deaths and $30.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Adams County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 104 recorded events — 46.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Adams County?
24 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 20 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Adams County?
17 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Adams County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Adams County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Adams County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 52 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Adams 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
- Allen County 770
- Bartholomew County 316
- Benton County 217
- Blackford County 124
- Boone County 406
- Brown County 189
Cite this page
“Adams County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/adams-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.