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Washington County, Indiana severe weather history spans 292 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 51.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,823 nationally and #50 in Indiana.
292
Recorded events
9
Direct deaths
26
Direct injuries
$18.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Washington County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Washington County, Indiana severe weather history averages 4.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 99 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 32 events fall before 1990 and 260 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Washington County, Indiana record is tornado, responsible for 8 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $12.6M 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 Washington County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 150 | 0 | $1.5M | 100 | 1969–2026 |
| Hail | 51 | 0 | $95K | 2.75 | 1963–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 35 | 0 | $300K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 34 | 8 | $12.6M | F5 | 1956–2025 |
| Flood | 19 | 1 | $3.5M | 0 | 2006–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2014 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 2014–2014 |
Decade by decade
Washington County, Indiana severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
38 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 36 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | EF5 | 6 | 86 | 68.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2012-03-02 | EF4 | 11 | 0 | 46.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-02 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 41.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-04-19 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 85.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-04-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 15.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-05-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 25.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-02 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 4.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-03-10 | EF2 | 0 | 25 | 12.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1985-04-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1963-03-16 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Washington County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2, 2012 | Tornado | FREDDRICKSBURG | 5 | 0 | $2.0M |
| Mar 19, 1963 | Tornado | 2 | 0 | $3K | |
| Apr 3, 1974 | Tornado | 1 | 12 | $0 | |
| Jan 17, 2007 | Flood | MILLPORT | 1 | 0 | $15K |
| Apr 3, 1956 | Tornado | 0 | 12 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 3, 1990 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Recent heavy rains brought the East Fork of the White River above flood Stage. A man drowned around 8 pm Thursday evening January 18th after attempting to drive south from Jackson County into Washington County across a water covered bridge 1 mile east of Sparksville. His car was found on January 20th, and his body was discovered on January 21st in 3 feet of water on the Washington County side of the White River.
The Blue River at Fredericksburg crested at 27.3 feet around 330 PM EST on March 19. Flood stage at Fredericksburg is 20 feet. This is the major flooding level for this location. Water enters businesses in the town and some evacuations are required. U.S. Highway 150 is closed.
The tornado touched down initially in western Washington County, where it destroyed a home and a garage. It skipped across Washington County, with the next reported damage in the vicinity of Pekin. Several homes and farm buildings were damaged or destroyed there. A total of nine homes were destroyed in Washington County, and 31 homes were damaged to some degree. The tornado then continued southeast and crossed into Clark County, Indiana.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
28,212
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 3, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
| Mar 9, 2012 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | 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 Washington County, Indiana?
292 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 9 direct deaths and $18.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Washington County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 150 recorded events — 51.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Washington County?
38 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 36 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Washington County?
19 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Washington County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Washington County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Washington County as very low risk, placing it in the 41 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Washington 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
- Warrick County 393
- Wayne County 435
- Warren County 196
- Wells County 243
- Wabash County 255
- White County 263
Cite this page
“Washington County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/washington-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.