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Parke County, Indiana severe weather history spans 266 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 50.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,997 nationally and #56 in Indiana.
266
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$3.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Parke County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Parke County, Indiana severe weather history averages 3.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 135 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 36 events fall before 1990 and 230 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $1.7M 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 Parke County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 133 | 0 | $1.7M | 110 | 1958–2026 |
| Hail | 50 | 0 | $0 | 2.75 | 1976–2026 |
| Flood | 46 | 0 | $268K | 0 | 1998–2023 |
| Flash Flood | 22 | 0 | $155K | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Tornado | 14 | 0 | $955K | F3 | 1953–2026 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2005 |
Decade by decade
Parke County, Indiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
12 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-04-29 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 5.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 17.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-03-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 10.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-05-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-19 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 31.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1953-03-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-05-25 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-02 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-02 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Parke County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 11, 2005 | Lightning | ANNAPOLIS | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| May 13, 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | ROSEDALE | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| May 25, 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado began just west of Mecca with sporadic tree damage that continued north of West Pence Street. The tornado crossed Coxville Road before tracking mostly through rural woods and farmland west of McAdams Road. The worst damage occurred where the circulation tracked roughly parallel to McAdams Road towards County Road West 100 South where a small garage was completely destroyed and a 150 year old barn was mostly destroyed. The tornado centerline was just to the west of residences along McAdams Road. Several other residences nearby had tree and pole barn damage. The tornado then moved into farmland before dissipating just north of County Road West 100 South. Maximum winds were estimated at 110 mph.
This second tornado to impact central Indiana began in a rural field just east of the Numa community. High end EF1 damage was caused to a home and two other buildings along West County Road 900 South where tree damage also occurred. Damage was scattered to the northeast, east, and southeast. The tornado continued northeast passing south of Coxville and then south of Catlin. Only tree damage occurred across these rural areas. The funnel was likely skipping for last few miles before lifting, which confined much of the damage to tree tops. Peak wind gusts were 105 mph.
Thunderstorm straight line winds damaged a garage in the Bridgeton community and a small barn and large shed on Mansfield Road, with a couple trees onto houses, and Indiana Route 59 closed from downed trees and power poles.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
16,406
Population (ACS)
$151K
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 |
| Apr 22, 2014 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM AND SNOWSTORM | DR |
| Jun 23, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND | DR |
| Jun 8, 2008 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, FLOODING, AND TORNADOES | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Montezuma 118
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Parke County, Indiana?
266 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $3.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Parke County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 133 recorded events — 50.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Parke County?
12 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 Parke County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Parke County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Parke County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Parke County as very low risk, placing it in the 28 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Parke 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
- Owen County 262
- Perry County 229
- Orange County 249
- Pike County 333
- Ohio County 103
- Porter County 432
Cite this page
“Parke County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/parke-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.