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Perry County, Indiana severe weather history spans 229 recorded events between 1952 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 45.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,259 nationally and #72 in Indiana.
229
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
20
Direct injuries
$252.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Perry County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Perry County, Indiana severe weather history averages 3.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 85 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 17 events fall before 1990 and 212 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Perry County, Indiana record is flash flood, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $251.8M in reported property damage. In total, 5 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Perry County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 105 | 0 | $667K | 90 | 1957–2025 |
| Hail | 47 | 0 | $80K | 2.75 | 1972–2023 |
| Flood | 36 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 2006–2020 |
| Flash Flood | 26 | 3 | $10K | 0 | 1996–2020 |
| Tornado | 15 | 2 | $251.8M | F5 | 1952–2023 |
Decade by decade
Perry County, Indiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
17 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | EF5 | 6 | 86 | 68.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-11-19 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1952-12-09 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 35.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2002-04-28 | EF2 | 1 | 19 | 32.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-03-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 16.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-04-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-04-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-06-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-06-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2007-10-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Perry County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 2006 | Flash Flood | LEOPOLD | 3 | 0 | $10K |
| Apr 3, 1974 | Tornado | 2 | 6 | $250.0M | |
| Apr 28, 2002 | Tornado | TOBINSPORT | 0 | 12 | $800K |
| Nov 20, 1970 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An F1 tornado cut a 15 mile path across north central Perry county. The hardest hit areas were Apalona and Branchville. 2 mobile homes were destroyed in Apalona, and numerous roofs were lifted off houses in Branchville. Also, numerous trees were blown down with twisting evident on photographs sent by local DES.
A circulation embedded within a strong line of storms spawned an EF-1 tornado that touched down to the northwest of Tell City, in Perry County, Indiana. It moved southeast for just over 5 miles across Tell City, lifting just south of the intersection of State Highway 237 and Scotch Pine Road. Several large trees were felled along the entire tornado's path, and several homes in Tell City received damage to their roofs. Numerous outbuildings were destroyed. A carnival site at the intersection of 10th and Watt Streets was damaged. A few rides were displaced and a semi-trailer was overturned. Many tree branches were snapped southeast of Tell City before the tornado lifted.
Thunderstorm winds caused extensive roof damage to two multi story warehouses. Flying debris caused additional damage to nearby buildings. Trees were blown on to homes and other buildings. Numerous trees were downed in the city. About 800 city residents were without power for up to four hours.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
19,270
Population (ACS)
$163K
Median home value
22
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 |
| May 4, 2018 | Flood | SEVERE STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
| Jun 23, 2011 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Tell City 116
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Perry County, Indiana?
229 events are on record between 1952 and 2025, causing 5 direct deaths and $252.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Perry County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 105 recorded events — 45.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Perry County?
17 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 12 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Perry County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Perry County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Perry County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Perry County as very low risk, placing it in the 35 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Perry 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
- Parke County 266
- Pike County 333
- Owen County 262
- Porter County 432
- Orange County 249
- Posey County 439
Cite this page
“Perry County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/perry-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.