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Wells County, Indiana severe weather history spans 243 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 54.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,153 nationally and #68 in Indiana.
243
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
44
Direct injuries
$29.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Wells County, Indiana severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Wells County, Indiana severe weather history averages 3.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 70 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 36 events fall before 1990 and 207 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Wells County, Indiana record is tornado, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $28.1M 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 Wells County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 132 | 0 | $842K | 70 | 1963–2025 |
| Hail | 78 | 0 | $188K | 2.75 | 1956–2026 |
| Tornado | 17 | 1 | $28.1M | F4 | 1955–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 10 | 0 | $250K | 0 | 1998–2019 |
| Lightning | 5 | 0 | $344K | 0 | 2001–2008 |
| Flood | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2015–2015 |
Decade by decade
Wells 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: 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965-04-11 | EF4 | 4 | 125 | 52.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2019-05-27 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 12.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 11.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 14.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-12-21 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-06-24 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-07-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1998-06-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-10-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1986-07-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Wells County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 1965 | Tornado | 1 | 38 | $25.0M | |
| May 28, 2019 | Tornado | MC NATTS | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jun 3, 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| Dec 21, 1967 | 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
Lightning struck the corner of the Farm Credit Services office in Bluffton. Employees reported a loud boom, but nothing was apparent immediately. An off duty Bluffton fire fighter in the area noticed smoke from the building and began evacuations of the building and call for personnel. The fire quickly got into the attic and the building was a total loss with damage estimates of at least $250,000.
Numerous reports of damage to buildings, trees, tree limbs, power lines and poles were received across the county. A pole barn was flattened south of Bluffton, as well as a tree being blown down onto a semi travelling on US 224. An air conditioner unit was blown off the top of the Ossian Elementary School, striking a building. A county sheriff's car was damaged while enroute to a alarm call during the storm. The officer's car struck a large tree that fell onto the road. A wind gust of 63 mph was recorded at the Bluffton police department. Surveys from local emergency and NWS officials found evidence of the formation of gustnadoes where concentrated areas of damage were observed.
THIS WAS ONE OF SEVERAL TORNADOES PRODUCED FROM THE SAME SUPERCELL THAT DEVELOPED ACROSS HOWARD COUNTY. THIS BRIEF SPINUP CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO ALL OUTBUILDINGS ON ONE FARM, 2 FARM HOMES SUFFERED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, 5 OTHER HOMES SUFFERED MINOR TO MODERATE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
28,420
Population (ACS)
$198K
Median home value
15
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 |
| Mar 12, 2007 | Snowstorm | SNOW | EM |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane | HURRICANE KATRINA EVACUATION | EM |
| Jan 21, 2005 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Wells County, Indiana?
243 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $29.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Wells County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 132 recorded events — 54.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Wells County?
17 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 14 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Wells County?
15 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Wells County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Wells County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wells County as very low risk, placing it in the 23 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Wells 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
- Wayne County 435
- White County 263
- Washington County 292
- Whitley County 338
- Warrick County 393
- Warren County 196
Cite this page
“Wells County, Indiana.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/indiana/wells-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.