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Franklin County, Indiana severe weather history spans 244 recorded events between 1960 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 47.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,145 nationally and #66 in Indiana.
244
Recorded events
11
Direct deaths
12
Direct injuries
$3.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Franklin County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Franklin County, Indiana severe weather history averages 3.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 58 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 16 events fall before 1990 and 228 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Franklin County, Indiana record is flash flood, responsible for 8 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $2.0M 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 Franklin County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 116 | 0 | $415K | 60 | 1966–2026 |
| Hail | 49 | 0 | $15K | 3 | 1966–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 37 | 8 | $2.0M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Flood | 28 | 1 | $17K | 0 | 2008–2026 |
| Tornado | 13 | 2 | $773K | F4 | 1960–2025 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2002 |
Decade by decade
Franklin County, Indiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
13 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | EF4 | 4 | 17 | 35.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1969-08-09 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1960-06-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-05-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-05-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-05-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-11-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1992-10-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-04-08 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-02 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Franklin County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 2020 | Flash Flood | LAUREL | 6 | 0 | $100K |
| Apr 3, 1974 | Tornado | 2 | 10 | $0 | |
| Jul 28, 2023 | Flash Flood | OAK FOREST | 2 | 0 | $200K |
| Dec 31, 2018 | Flood | PEPPERTOWN | 1 | 0 | $2K |
| Aug 24, 2002 | Lightning | OLDENBURG | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 8, 1965 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A 63 year old woman attempted to cross a stream in a car on a slab of concrete. The water was extremely high and fast after heavy rainfall in the area. The car was swept off the slab and the women's body was discovered about 1 1/2 miles down stream the next day. F63VE.
Numerous reports of flash flooding were received from southern portions of Franklin County. Multiple road wash outs and erosions occurred along Barber Road, Bessler Road, Cane Mill Road, Cherry Hill Road, County Line Road, Creek Road, Elkhorn Road, Enochsburg Road, Gobles Creek Road, Monroe Road, Mountford Lane, Orchard Road, Pine Road, Pipe Creek Road, Possum Hollow Road, River Road, Russell Road, Shanks Road, Siemon Road, Sorber Road, St. Peters Road, Stockpile Road and Webb Road.
Water was flowing over several roads across Franklin County, including U.S. Route 52. One bridge on River Road sustained significant damage. On Big Cedar Road, the pavement on a section of the road was peeled away and laid into a field beside the road. Several other bridge approaches were damaged in the county and numerous culvert pipes were destroyed.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
23,020
Population (ACS)
$250K
Median home value
22
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Jul 22, 2025 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| 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 |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Brookville 107
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Franklin County, Indiana?
244 events are on record between 1960 and 2026, causing 11 direct deaths and $3.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Franklin County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 116 recorded events — 47.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Franklin County?
13 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 Franklin County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Franklin County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Franklin County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Franklin County as very low risk, placing it in the 34 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Franklin 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
- Fountain County 240
- Fulton County 237
- Floyd County 282
- Gibson County 589
- Fayette County 213
- Grant County 350
Cite this page
“Franklin County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/franklin-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.