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Putnam County, Indiana severe weather history spans 349 recorded events between 1959 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 50.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,497 nationally and #33 in Indiana.
349
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
13
Direct injuries
$7.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Putnam County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Putnam County, Indiana severe weather history averages 5.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 137 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 53 events fall before 1990 and 296 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Putnam County, Indiana record is tornado, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $4.0M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Putnam County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 176 | 0 | $1.4M | 74 | 1965–2026 |
| Hail | 114 | 0 | $6K | 3 | 1959–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 25 | 0 | $1.9M | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Tornado | 21 | 1 | $4.0M | F3 | 1961–2025 |
| Flood | 8 | 0 | $30K | 0 | 2008–2025 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $9K | 0 | 2008–2010 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2010 |
Decade by decade
Putnam County, Indiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
22 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 21 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-11-22 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 12.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-02 | EF2 | 1 | 6 | 3.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-03-20 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 24.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 77.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1969-05-10 | EF2 | 0 | 7 | 16.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-07-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-07-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-07-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-07-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2002-08-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Putnam County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 3, 1990 | Tornado | 1 | 1 | $250K | |
| May 10, 1969 | Tornado | 0 | 7 | $250K | |
| Dec 23, 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | CLOVERDALE | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| May 17, 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | PUTNAMVILLE | 0 | 1 | $20K |
| Nov 22, 1992 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $2.5M | |
| May 25, 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 | |
| Dec 11, 1967 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $3K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Several roads, bridges, and culverts were washed out due to excessive rainfall that caused flash flooding over the county. Mill Creek flooded areas around and south of Cloverdale. There was high water surrounding homes, filling basements, and trapping people inside their cars. Interstate 70 collapsed near the Cloverdale exit. Greencastle had flood related damage while in Russellville and Fillmore vehicles were stuck in high water.
The area along Washington Street and Bloomington Street saw a lot of tree and utility line damage from thunderstorm winds. Witnesses at the Putnam County Fairgrounds said several chickens were killed as a result of the storm.
An 18 to 24 inch diameter tree downed at the 4000 block of county road 1100s near Reelsville. 3 power poles were snapped near the location. Fire rescue made 12 downed tree calls during the evening with 30 to 40 across the county.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
37,280
Population (ACS)
$219K
Median home value
19
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 |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Putnam County, Indiana?
349 events are on record between 1959 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $7.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Putnam County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 176 recorded events — 50.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Putnam County?
22 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 Putnam County?
19 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Putnam County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Putnam County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Putnam County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 43 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Putnam 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
- Pulaski County 152
- Randolph County 265
- Posey County 439
- Ripley County 488
- Rush County 273
- Porter County 432
Cite this page
“Putnam County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/putnam-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.