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Jackson County, Indiana severe weather history spans 330 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 46.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,607 nationally and #40 in Indiana.
330
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
59
Direct injuries
$46.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Jackson County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Jackson County, Indiana severe weather history averages 4.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 130 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 44 events fall before 1990 and 286 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Jackson County, Indiana record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $35.5M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Jackson County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 153 | 2 | $2.2M | 75 | 1957–2026 |
| Hail | 67 | 0 | $10K | 2 | 1962–2025 |
| Flood | 48 | 2 | $35.5M | 0 | 1998–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 30 | 0 | $318K | 0 | 1996–2021 |
| Tornado | 24 | 2 | $8.9M | F4 | 1956–2026 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $48K | 0 | 1996–2012 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 5.6 | 2005–2007 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2010 |
| Drought | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2023–2023 |
Decade by decade
Jackson County, Indiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
27 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 21 touched down inside it and 6 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-06-02 | EF4 | 0 | 9 | 18.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1976-09-26 | EF3 | 1 | 10 | 4.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF3 | 1 | 26 | 35.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-05-25 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 6.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 1990-06-02 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 41.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1963-04-19 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 85.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-03-01 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-05-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-04-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 14.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-03-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Jackson County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 20, 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | SEYMOUR | 2 | 0 | $50K |
| Apr 3, 1974 | Tornado | 1 | 21 | $0 | |
| Sep 26, 1976 | Tornado | 1 | 10 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 6, 2026 | Flood | ROCKFORD | 1 | 0 | $70K |
| Mar 10, 2006 | Flood | ROCKFORD | 1 | 0 | $100K |
| Jun 3, 1990 | Tornado | 0 | 9 | $2.5M | |
| Feb 6, 2008 | Flood | ROCKFORD | 0 | 6 | $15K |
| Mar 15, 2012 | Lightning | SEYMOUR | 0 | 4 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
River flooding in northeastern Jackson County was exasperated locally by heavy rainfall during the overnight of the 4th-5th around 2.00 inches, with the East Fork White River later cresting at Seymour in major flood stage on the 5th evening. On the 6th morning around 700EST, a man in an airboat near Courtland, while attempting to rescue individuals stranded in a submerged vehicle, died after the boat experienced mechanical issues, capsized, and was swept under a bridge.
Flood occurred along the East Fork White River in Jackson County, including in the cities of Seymour and Rockford, due to heavy rain. Water was over roads and houses were flooded in Medora. Water also affected several homes on the east side of Cortland and trapped some residents. In Seymour and Rockford multiple homes were affected by flood waters. many low spots around the county were flooded. Water rescues were made and a railroad bridge was washed out.
An EF-1 Tornado with a path length of 3.71 miles and path width of 100 yards moved through this area. The estimated peak winds were 105 mph with damage including snapped trees and two barns destroyed. The tornado touched down just east of Co Road 300E where multiple trees were snapped about 15 to 20 ft above ground. The tornado then moved northeast and caused substantial damage to barns and to at least one home across a three to four mile path before lifting near Co Road 600E to the north of County Road 1000N. The tornado may not have been on the ground continuously for the whole track.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
46,660
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 23, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND | DR |
| Mar 5, 2009 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Sep 23, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Jackson County, Indiana?
330 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 6 direct deaths and $46.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Jackson County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 153 recorded events — 46.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Jackson County?
27 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 21 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Jackson County?
17 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Jackson County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Jackson County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Jackson County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 53 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Jackson 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
- Huntington County 437
- Jasper County 263
- Howard County 310
- Jay County 176
- Henry County 279
- Jefferson County 249
Cite this page
“Jackson County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/jackson-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.