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Switzerland County, Indiana severe weather history spans 182 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 53.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,542 nationally and #83 in Indiana.
182
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
41
Direct injuries
$21.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Switzerland County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Switzerland County, Indiana severe weather history averages 2.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 58 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 12 events fall before 1990 and 170 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Switzerland County, Indiana record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $18.1M 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 Switzerland County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 98 | 1 | $500K | 74 | 1970–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 32 | 0 | $18.1M | 0 | 1996–2026 |
| Hail | 31 | 0 | $28K | 3 | 1968–2024 |
| Flood | 11 | 1 | $31K | 0 | 2011–2024 |
| Tornado | 10 | 0 | $2.8M | F4 | 1956–2025 |
Decade by decade
Switzerland County, Indiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
10 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 7 touched down inside it and 3 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 | EF4 | 1 | 10 | 26.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF4 | 0 | 104 | 27.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-03-14 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 18.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-19 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-07-20 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-03-23 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-07-23 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-06-11 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-03-04 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-02-25 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Switzerland County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 2021 | Flood | MARKLAND | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| Jun 21, 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | FAIRVIEW | 1 | 0 | $25K |
| Apr 3, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 40 | $0 | |
| Nov 22, 1992 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $2.5M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Eight to 10 inches of rain over a few hour period caused significant flash flooding over portions of western Switzerland County. Numerous creeks and streams were out of their banks. The hardest hit areas were in the vicinity of Bennington and along Indian Creek, where several county bridges were heavily damaged and a couple of bridges were washed out. Significant damage occurred to numerous homes along Indian Creek with trees also downed by the flowing water and roadways along the creek washed out in places.
The tornado touched down near State Route 250 and Antioch Road. The tornado traveled to the northeast across Devers Road and toward North Branch Road before lifting near North Branch Road. Three barns were destroyed and two roofs were blown off of residences due to the tornado.
A brief tornado was confirmed using videos from social media, broadcast media, and local officials. The tornado was contained within heavily forested areas, limiting access to ground surveys. This resulted in no confirmed damage. The exact location and duration of the tornado was approximated based on radar, geo-location techniques, and video evidence.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
9,909
Population (ACS)
$176K
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 |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Switzerland County, Indiana?
182 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $21.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Switzerland County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 98 recorded events — 53.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Switzerland County?
10 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 7 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Switzerland County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Switzerland County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Switzerland County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Switzerland County as very low risk, placing it in the 12 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Switzerland 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
- Sullivan County 242
- Tippecanoe County 555
- Steuben County 280
- Tipton County 151
- Starke County 217
- Union County 146
Cite this page
“Switzerland County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/switzerland-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.