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Lawrence County, Indiana severe weather history spans 332 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 46.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,594 nationally and #39 in Indiana.
332
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
59
Direct injuries
$49.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Lawrence County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lawrence 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 288 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Lawrence County, Indiana record is flood, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $32.6M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Lawrence County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 154 | 0 | $1.0M | 70 | 1964–2026 |
| Hail | 80 | 0 | $0 | 2.75 | 1967–2026 |
| Flood | 33 | 3 | $15.3M | 0 | 1998–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 30 | 0 | $698K | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Tornado | 27 | 1 | $32.6M | F4 | 1955–2025 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $245K | 0 | 1999–2009 |
| Funnel Cloud | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2012 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2013 |
Decade by decade
Lawrence 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: 21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-06-02 | EF4 | 1 | 51 | 11.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-02 | EF4 | 0 | 9 | 18.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF3 | 1 | 26 | 35.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-05-25 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 6.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-03-08 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 1.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-03-01 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1959-02-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1957-04-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-03-01 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-11-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.9 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lawrence County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 9, 2026 | Flood | LAWRENCEPORT | 2 | 0 | $20K |
| Jun 2, 1990 | Tornado | 1 | 51 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 12, 2006 | Flood | BEDFORD | 1 | 0 | $100K |
| Apr 15, 1994 | Tornado | Mitchell | 0 | 3 | $50K |
| Apr 15, 1994 | Tornado | Bryantsville | 0 | 2 | $500K |
| Mar 8, 2009 | Tornado | FAYETTEVILLE | 0 | 1 | $420K |
| Jun 3, 2008 | Tornado | POPCORN | 0 | 1 | $120K |
| May 17, 1999 | Lightning | O OLITIC | 0 | 1 | $150K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The East Fork White River, while cresting in moderate flood stage in southeastern Lawrence County, swept away a truck carrying two people during the overnight early on the 9th. Both occupants were found submerged in 8 feet of water west of the Tunnelton community near the intersection of Earl Road and Lawrenceport Road.
This brief but powerful tornado had a steady track to the east-northeast, creating damage consistent of an EF3 strength tornado. A rating of EF3 corresponds with winds of 136 to 165 MPH. The maximum width of the tornado was approximately 1/8 mile. It completely destroyed the above ground portions of two homes, seriously damaged a trailer home, and created lesser damage to two other homes. It picked a full size school bus up, turned it around and onto its side, and moved it uphill onto the foundation of what had been an occupied home. The damage estimate is very rough.
This EF1 tornado produced damage north of Springville. Over a dozen structures had minor to moderate damage with the worst damage being two destroyed mobile homes and a garage being destroyed. Dozens of hardwood trees were either snapped off or uprooted.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
45,102
Population (ACS)
$175K
Median home value
21
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 |
| Apr 22, 2009 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Bedford 103
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lawrence County, Indiana?
332 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 4 direct deaths and $49.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lawrence County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 154 recorded events — 46.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lawrence County?
24 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 Lawrence County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lawrence County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lawrence County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lawrence County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 48 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lawrence 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
- LaPorte County 423
- Madison County 530
- Lake County 659
- Marion County 1,061
- LaGrange County 203
- Marshall County 313
Cite this page
“Lawrence County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/lawrence-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.