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Newton County, Indiana severe weather history spans 218 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 46.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,332 nationally and #74 in Indiana.
218
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
29
Direct injuries
$6.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Newton County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Newton County, Indiana severe weather history averages 3.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 76 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 29 events fall before 1990 and 189 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Newton County, Indiana record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $3.2M 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 Newton County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 101 | 0 | $172K | 65 | 1961–2026 |
| Hail | 62 | 0 | $0 | 2.75 | 1970–2025 |
| Tornado | 26 | 2 | $3.2M | F4 | 1954–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 14 | 0 | $1.5M | 0 | 1996–2020 |
| Flood | 7 | 0 | $1.0M | 0 | 2006–2020 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2019–2025 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 2010–2010 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2023–2023 |
Decade by decade
Newton County, Indiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
26 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 21 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-04-17 | EF4 | 1 | 70 | 57.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1976-03-12 | EF3 | 1 | 15 | 38.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1961-04-23 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 51.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-05-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1987-07-06 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1962-04-30 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1950-01-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-06-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 13.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2013-11-17 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1981-06-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 20.9 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Newton County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 10, 2026 | Tornado | (C98) LAKE VILLAGE AIRPORT | 2 | 10 | $0 |
| Mar 12, 1976 | Tornado | 0 | 7 | $250K | |
| Apr 30, 1962 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $25K | |
| Jul 6, 1987 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 17, 1963 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Jun 25, 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | ROSELAWN AIRSTRIP AR | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 31, 1954 | 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
All county roads south of SR 114 were closed due to flooding. The south end of Goodland was evacuated due to high water. A bridge was damaged by flood waters on 1100 South near 550 East. Several roads had damage to the pavement and shoulders. Kentland measured 3.96 inches of rainfall.
The tornado touched down in Goodland causing several large grain bins to cave in on themselves with some of the surrounding scaffolding collapsing. This portion of the storm was consistent with high-end EF-0 damage with estimated winds to 85 mph. The tornado continued into Jasper County around 1:29 PM CST where it further intensified to EF-1.
A tornado started near Colfax St. and tracked through the south side of Shelby, through DeMotte, and ended slightly east of N. 600W Rd. A large barn was completely destroyed, and damage was done to houses in both Shelby and DeMotte. In addition, numerous hardwood trees were snapped and uprooted. Maximum winds were estimated to 110 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
13,922
Population (ACS)
$172K
Median home value
18
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 |
| May 4, 2018 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 22, 2014 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Sep 23, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Newton County, Indiana?
218 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $6.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Newton County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 101 recorded events — 46.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Newton County?
26 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 Newton County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Newton County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Newton County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Newton County as very low risk, placing it in the 12 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Newton 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
- Morgan County 424
- Noble County 304
- Montgomery County 322
- Ohio County 103
- Monroe County 370
- Orange County 249
Cite this page
“Newton County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/newton-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.