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Owen County, Indiana severe weather history spans 262 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 48.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,033 nationally and #60 in Indiana.
262
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
9
Direct injuries
$78.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Owen County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Owen County, Indiana severe weather history averages 3.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 118 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 34 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 Owen County, Indiana record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $50.2M 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 Owen County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 127 | 0 | $826K | 72 | 1967–2025 |
| Hail | 56 | 0 | $51K | 4 | 1967–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 28 | 1 | $24.4M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 25 | 0 | $50.2M | 0 | 1998–2014 |
| Tornado | 15 | 2 | $2.6M | F2 | 1955–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2010 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2010 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 2000–2000 |
Decade by decade
Owen County, Indiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
15 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 13 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-31 | EF3 | 2 | 2 | 5.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-06-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-04-18 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 3.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2019-06-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-05-30 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-05-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1994-04-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-05-19 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-06-28 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-06-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Owen County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2023 | Tornado | SPENCER | 2 | 2 | $1.6M |
| Dec 22, 2013 | Flash Flood | ADEL | 1 | 0 | $5K |
| Jul 21, 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | SPENCER | 0 | 5 | $0 |
| Sep 20, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | SOUTHPORT | 0 | 1 | $20K |
| Apr 19, 1975 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An Owen County woman was killed Christmas Eve when her car hit flooded waters on her way to a Christmas family gathering. According to a release, emergency crews responded to the area around 8:00 p.m. Tuesday for a call that a car landed in flooded water. When they got to the vehicle, they say there wasn't anyone inside. After a brief search, including a door-to-door search, they found the driver, 86, partially submerged in the water a short distance from the car. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Numerous local and county roads closed due to high water. A couple were rescued by boat from the roof of their vehicle on State Road 43. Additional water rescues were done across Owen and Monroe counties. 1500 Fish Creek road was completely flooded with water rapidly flowing across the road. White Road along Raccoon Creek was destroyed by flood waters. Across the county roads have suffered severe damage, 23 culverts have been washed out and 2 bridges have significant damage. In all, over 30 Owen County roads are closed. A local emergency disaster declaration was created later in the day.
Spencer had multiple flood damaged homes. State Roads 43, 46, and 67 were all closed. United States 231 was also closed. Roads and bridges were washed out. Water was over railroad tracks near Gosport. Cars and golf carts were under water. Over 60 roads were washed out. Campers were stranded.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
21,604
Population (ACS)
$172K
Median home value
19
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 15, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Apr 22, 2014 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Spencer 155
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Owen County, Indiana?
262 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $78.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Owen County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 127 recorded events — 48.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Owen County?
15 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 13 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Owen County?
19 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Owen County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Owen County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Owen County as very low risk, placing it in the 35 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Owen 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
- Orange County 249
- Parke County 266
- Ohio County 103
- Perry County 229
- Noble County 304
- Pike County 333
Cite this page
“Owen County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/owen-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.