Knox County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Indiana Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Knox County is higher than Indiana average and is lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Knox County is lower than Indiana average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #6
| Knox County | 0.34 |
| Indiana | 0.12 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Knox County | 0.0000 |
| Indiana | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #64
| Knox County | 219.72 |
| Indiana | 265.56 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 13,504 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Knox County were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 7 | Cold: | 49 | Dense Fog: | 38 | Drought: | 29 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 2,457 | Hail: | 3,262 | Heat: | 75 | Heavy Snow: | 122 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 0 | Ice Storm: | 49 | Landslide: | 1 | Strong Wind: | 95 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 6,497 | Tropical Storm: | 0 | Wildfire: | 2 | Winter Storm: | 155 | Winter Weather: | 73 |
| Other: | 593 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Knox County.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 2 historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Knox County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 36.8 | 1974-04-03 | 4.7 | 11 | 38.59 | -88.09 |
| 41.2 | 1984-07-28 | 4 | 10 | 39.22 | -87.07 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 77 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Knox County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 2.9 | 1971-05-06 | 2 | 38°42'N / 87°30'W | 38°38'N / 87°15'W | 14.10 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Knox |
| 6.3 | 1959-02-10 | 3 | 38°45'N / 87°24'W | 38°48'N / 87°22'W | 3.30 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Knox |
| 7.0 | 2002-09-20 | 2 | 38°33'N / 87°26'W | 38°40'N / 87°15'W | 11.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 2 | 1.0M | 20K | Knox |
| Brief Description: A tornado formed along a squall line in Pike county then moved across Knox and into Daviess counties. A few homes were destroyed in Knox county and several were damaged. A conservation officer in his vehicle was thrown an eighth of a mile by the tornado. | |||||||||||
| 8.2 | 1956-02-25 | 2 | 38°46'N / 87°23'W | 38°47'N / 87°15'W | 7.20 Miles | 900 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Knox |
| 9.0 | 1963-04-19 | 2 | 38°37'N / 87°38'W | 38°37'N / 87°29'W | 7.90 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 12 | 2.5M | 0 | Knox |
| 9.8 | 1971-05-06 | 2 | 38°38'N / 87°42'W | 38°42'N / 87°30'W | 11.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lawrence |
| 10.0 | 1989-01-07 | 4 | 38°35'N / 87°42'W | 38°37'N / 87°26'W | 12.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Knox |
| 10.1 | 2002-09-20 | 2 | 38°40'N / 87°14'W | 38°43'N / 87°14'W | 1.10 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 10K | Daviess |
| Brief Description: A tornado formed along a squall line in Pike county then moved across Knox and into Daviess counties. A few homes were destroyed in Knox county and several were damaged. A conservation officer in his vehicle was thrown an eighth of a mile by the tornado. | |||||||||||
| 11.0 | 1962-04-30 | 2 | 38°52'N / 87°27'W | 38°40'N / 87°02'W | 26.20 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Knox |
| 11.5 | 1990-06-02 | 2 | 38°50'N / 87°31'W | 38°52'N / 87°26'W | 4.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Knox |
| 12.0 | 1990-06-02 | 2 | 38°46'N / 87°40'W | 38°50'N / 87°31'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Lawrence |
| 13.0 | 1967-12-11 | 2 | 38°31'N / 87°31'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Knox | |||
| 13.4 | 1990-06-02 | 4 | 38°29'N / 87°26'W | 38°31'N / 87°17'W | 9.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Pike |
| 13.5 | 1956-04-03 | 2 | 38°44'N / 87°41'W | 38°46'N / 87°38'W | 3.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lawrence |
| 13.7 | 1986-05-15 | 2 | 38°40'N / 87°10'W | 0.20 Mile | 10 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Daviess | |
| 14.1 | 1963-04-19 | 2 | 38°34'N / 87°40'W | 38°37'N / 87°38'W | 3.30 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 10 | 250K | 0 | Lawrence |
| 14.5 | 1990-06-02 | 4 | 38°31'N / 87°17'W | 38°31'N / 87°15'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Knox |
| 15.3 | 1990-06-02 | 4 | 38°28'N / 87°26'W | 38°29'N / 87°15'W | 11.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 6 | 60 | 25.0M | 0 | Pike |
| 15.5 | 1990-06-02 | 4 | 38°28'N / 87°29'W | 38°28'N / 87°26'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Gibson |
| 15.8 | 1990-06-02 | 4 | 38°31'N / 87°15'W | 38°32'N / 87°11'W | 4.40 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Pike |
| 15.8 | 1974-04-01 | 3 | 38°43'N / 87°44'W | 38°45'N / 87°41'W | 3.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Lawrence |
| 16.0 | 1990-06-02 | 4 | 38°27'N / 87°35'W | 38°29'N / 87°26'W | 7.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Gibson |
| 17.6 | 1963-04-19 | 2 | 38°33'N / 87°44'W | 38°34'N / 87°40'W | 3.60 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Wabash |
| 17.9 | 1956-02-25 | 2 | 38°47'N / 87°15'W | 38°50'N / 87°00'W | 13.80 Miles | 900 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Daviess |
| 20.4 | 1989-01-07 | 4 | 38°29'N / 87°47'W | 38°35'N / 87°42'W | 7.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 50 | 25.0M | 0 | Wabash |
| 20.4 | 1956-02-25 | 2 | 38°45'N / 87°55'W | 38°48'N / 87°39'W | 14.60 Miles | 450 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Lawrence |
| 20.5 | 1999-05-05 | 2 | 38°24'N / 87°17'W | 38°26'N / 87°15'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0 | Pike |
| Brief Description: The tornado destroyed a mobile home and damaged about a dozen houses. Top winds were estimated near 130 MPH. There was extensive tree damage. | |||||||||||
| 20.9 | 1969-08-09 | 2 | 38°40'N / 87°02'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Daviess | |||
| 20.9 | 1998-04-15 | 2 | 38°29'N / 87°09'W | 38°30'N / 87°06'W | 4.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0 | Pike |
| Brief Description: The tornado destroyed two large barns and five or six smaller outbuildings. Significant damage occurred to two farm houses. Several trees and power poles were snapped off. Some two-by-fours and a large saw blade were embedded in homes. | |||||||||||
| 21.1 | 1990-06-02 | 4 | 38°26'N / 87°43'W | 38°27'N / 87°35'W | 8.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Knox |
| 21.5 | 2005-11-15 | 3 | 38°41'N / 87°08'W | 38°47'N / 86°55'W | 10.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 31 | 11.6M | 0 | Daviess |
| Brief Description: An F3 tornado touched down near Washington, Indiana on the afternoon of 15 November 2005, and proceeded northeast for 12 miles, lifting at Crane Naval Base in Martin County. The tornado was up to 1/4 mile wide at times. The worst damage occurred 4 miles northeast of Montgomery. K&K Industries sits at that site. Abe Knepp, the owner, is also a chaplain for Daviess County Emergency Management, and was monitoring law enforcement radio traffic while at work. His decision to send his 120 employees home early likely saved several lives, as the plant was destroyed by the tornado 30 minutes after it was cleared. 123 homes and 20 businesses sustained damage in Daviess County. Despite the amount of damage, only one of the 31 reported injuries was considered serious. An area of severe thunderstorms moved through central Indiana on the afternoon and evening of 15 November 2005, fueled by abnormally warm conditions which had been the rule across the region for the first half of the month. One strongly rotating supercell produced three tornadoes, two of them rated strong F3, over southern portions of central Indiana. Additional severe weather occurred with other supercells and squall line storms across central Indiana. Thanks to early warnings and heightened awareness of the severe weather threat, no one was killed by the tornadoes, and only one serious injury was reported. | |||||||||||
| 22.1 | 1990-06-02 | 4 | 38°32'N / 87°11'W | 38°34'N / 86°55'W | 13.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Daviess |
| 23.5 | 2006-05-25 | 2 | 38°28'N / 87°07'W | 38°27'N / 87°05'W | 2.20 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.0M | 0 | Pike |
| Brief Description: About five homes were destroyed. Roughly 15 other homes received major damage, primarily to roofs. Some roofs were removed. Two businesses sustained major roof damage. One mobile home was overturned and blown into a neighboring mobile home, causing extensive damage to it. Individuals were trapped in one home, but no injuries were reported. One travel trailer and one tractor trailer were overturned. Numerous trees and power lines were downed, blocking roads into the community. The damage path began just west of the intersection of Highway 356 and County Road 900E. The damage path extended east-southeast, ending just northwest of County Road 250N where it intersects the Dubois County line. Peak winds were estimated near 120 MPH. | |||||||||||
| 24.0 | 1990-06-02 | 3 | 38°39'N / 87°03'W | 38°41'N / 86°54'W | 6.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Daviess |
| 24.3 | 1999-05-05 | 2 | 38°21'N / 87°16'W | 38°22'N / 87°16'W | 1.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 15K | 0 | Pike |
| Brief Description: A tornado with estimated top winds of 130 MPH produced a damage path about a mile long. Since the track was through rural areas, the only structural damage was to a garage. Many trees were down. | |||||||||||
| 24.8 | 1971-05-06 | 2 | 38°38'N / 87°15'W | 38°29'N / 86°44'W | 29.70 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Daviess |
| 25.7 | 1996-04-19 | 2 | 38°20'N / 87°15'W | 38°21'N / 87°15'W | 0.80 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0 | Pike |
| Brief Description: Numerous trees were uprooted or snapped off. The roof was lifted off one house, which was destroyed. Ten other houses received minor to moderate wind damage. Between 10 and 15 barns and small sheds were demolished. | |||||||||||
| 28.0 | 1990-06-02 | 3 | 38°41'N / 86°54'W | 38°41'N / 86°54'W | 0.50 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Martin |
| 28.2 | 1963-04-29 | 3 | 39°02'N / 87°28'W | 39°07'N / 87°02'W | 23.90 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Sullivan |
| 28.6 | 1957-05-21 | 2 | 38°42'N / 87°59'W | 38°43'N / 87°55'W | 3.60 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Richland |
| 28.9 | 1957-06-11 | 2 | 39°06'N / 87°19'W | 0.20 Mile | 70 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Sullivan | |
| 29.2 | 1974-05-30 | 2 | 39°05'N / 87°37'W | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Crawford | |||
| 30.0 | 1958-07-11 | 2 | 38°31'N / 87°57'W | 38°30'N / 87°54'W | 2.70 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wabash |
| 30.2 | 1990-06-02 | 4 | 38°23'N / 87°59'W | 38°26'N / 87°43'W | 13.30 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Wabash |
| 31.5 | 1956-02-25 | 2 | 38°44'N / 88°05'W | 38°45'N / 87°55'W | 8.80 Miles | 450 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Richland |
| 31.8 | 1989-04-03 | 3 | 38°15'N / 87°38'W | 38°15'N / 87°34'W | 3.10 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 8 | 25.0M | 0 | Gibson |
| 33.3 | 2009-05-14 | 2 | 38°12'N / 87°34'W | 38°13'N / 87°22'W | 10.00 Miles | 125 Yards | 0 | 0 | 300K | 0K | Gibson |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Maximum winds were estimated near 120 mph at the beginning of the damage path. The most significant damage occurred on a farm on the north side of the Haubstadt Raceway. A 50-foot grain bin was moved off its foundation and destroyed, several large machinery buildings sustained partial losses of roofs and walls, and a race car frame on blocks was moved about 100 feet. Damage intensity decreased eastward along the path. Elsewhere along the path, a barn lost its roof, and several homes received roof damage. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A line of severe thunderstorms moved slowly southeast through the early morning hours. These storms moved through a very moist and unstable atmosphere. A small-scale bow echo produced a significant tornado. | |||||||||||
| 33.7 | 1990-06-02 | 4 | 38°34'N / 86°55'W | 38°41'N / 86°41'W | 14.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 4 | 2.5M | 0 | Martin |
| 34.4 | 1974-05-30 | 2 | 38°40'N / 86°47'W | 2.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Martin | |
| 34.8 | 1989-01-07 | 2 | 38°23'N / 87°56'W | 38°24'N / 87°57'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Wabash |
| 35.1 | 1990-06-02 | 2 | 39°03'N / 87°07'W | 39°07'N / 86°54'W | 10.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Greene |
| 35.8 | 1965-11-26 | 2 | 38°43'N / 88°05'W | 0.50 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 5 | 25K | 0 | Richland | |
| 36.4 | 1967-10-24 | 3 | 38°29'N / 86°48'W | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Dubois | |||
| 37.1 | 1957-12-18 | 3 | 38°56'N / 88°03'W | 38°59'N / 87°59'W | 4.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Jasper |
| 37.4 | 1963-03-19 | 2 | 38°24'N / 86°50'W | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dubois | |||
| 37.7 | 1969-09-05 | 2 | 39°14'N / 87°22'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Sullivan | |||
| 38.0 | 1958-07-11 | 2 | 38°22'N / 88°09'W | 38°31'N / 87°57'W | 14.90 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Edwards |
| 38.3 | 2008-01-29 | 2 | 38°12'N / 87°48'W | 38°13'N / 87°45'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0K | Gibson |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado entered southern Gibson County from northern Posey County. Damage consisted mostly of downed trees and a few damaged barns and sheds. Peak winds were estimated near 120 mph. The average path width was about 80 yards. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A powerful cold front moved rapidly southeast across southwest Indiana during the late afternoon hours. An organized line of severe thunderstorms developed along the front as it approached southern Illinois, then swept east across southwest Indiana. Widespread damaging winds accompanied the line of storms. Temperatures fell about 30 degrees in less than one hour when the very strong cold front passed through. | |||||||||||
| 40.5 | 1989-01-07 | 2 | 38°19'N / 88°08'W | 38°23'N / 87°56'W | 9.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Edwards |
| 40.6 | 1990-06-02 | 4 | 38°41'N / 86°41'W | 38°40'N / 86°39'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Orange |
| 40.9 | 2008-01-29 | 2 | 38°11'N / 87°52'W | 38°12'N / 87°48'W | 4.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 2 | 0 | 200K | 0K | Posey |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A mobile home was destroyed. Two occupants of the mobile home were killed. Numerous trees were uprooted. One barn was destroyed, along with some small sheds. Four barns, three houses, and one church were damaged. The damage was mostly to roofs. Peak winds were estimated near 120 mph. The average path width was estimated to be 80 yards. The tornado continued into extreme southern Gibson County. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A powerful cold front moved rapidly southeast across southwest Indiana during the late afternoon hours. An organized line of severe thunderstorms developed along the front as it approached southern Illinois, then swept east across southwest Indiana. Widespread damaging winds accompanied the line of storms. Temperatures fell about 30 degrees in less than one hour when the very strong cold front passed through. | |||||||||||
| 41.6 | 1990-06-02 | 4 | 38°39'N / 88°18'W | 38°43'N / 88°05'W | 12.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Richland |
| 42.0 | 1990-06-02 | 4 | 38°19'N / 88°09'W | 38°23'N / 87°59'W | 11.60 Miles | 300 Yards | 1 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Edwards |
| 42.4 | 1990-06-02 | 4 | 38°40'N / 86°39'W | 38°41'N / 86°37'W | 1.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Lawrence |
| 44.2 | 1954-04-06 | 2 | 38°14'N / 86°51'W | 38°16'N / 86°48'W | 3.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dubois |
| 44.2 | 2002-09-20 | 2 | 38°06'N / 87°50'W | 38°09'N / 87°47'W | 4.70 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 1 | 500K | 0 | Posey |
| Brief Description: The tornado destroyed 10 mobile homes and four buildings. The greatest concentration of damage was on Highway 165 about 2 miles south of Poseyville. Peak winds were estimated around 130 MPH. Among the destroyed structures was a county highway garage. Eight vehicles were tossed, including a small van that was thrown onto a debris pile. One person was treated for a cut. | |||||||||||
| 44.4 | 1990-06-02 | 4 | 38°57'N / 88°16'W | 39°03'N / 88°01'W | 12.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Jasper |
| 44.4 | 1976-05-30 | 2 | 38°14'N / 88°00'W | 0.30 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | White | |
| 44.6 | 1979-04-11 | 2 | 38°02'N / 87°20'W | 38°04'N / 87°16'W | 4.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 1 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Warrick |
| 46.0 | 2009-03-08 | 3 | 38°51'N / 86°36'W | 38°51'N / 86°35'W | 1.00 Mile | 1408 Yards | 0 | 1 | 420K | 0K | Lawrence |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: This brief but powerful tornado had a steady track to the east-northeast, creating damage consistent of an EF3 strength tornado. A rating of EF3 corresponds with winds of 136 to 165 MPH. The maximum width of the tornado was approximately 1/8 mile. It completely destroyed the above ground portions of two homes, seriously damaged a trailer home, and created lesser damage to two other homes. It picked a full size school bus up, turned it around and onto its side, and moved it uphill onto the foundation of what had been an occupied home. The damage estimate is very rough. EPISODE NARRATIVE: By late morning a warm front stretched approximately from low pressure over northeast Missouri through central Illinois to between Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, Indiana while the cold front trailed from the low into Oklahoma. At 1040 EST tornado watch number 49 was issued for much of western Indiana, much of Illinois, and locations south, effective until 1600 EST. National Weather Service radar showed scattered storms in the watch area in Indiana, better organized storms firing up over eastern Iowa and western Illinois, and an area of rain north of the warm front. At 1400 EST radar showed a broken line of storms with isolated supercells and line segments extending from northern Indiana south-southwestward through southern Indiana into western Kentucky with an eastward movement at 40-45 knots along central and northern portions of the line. The thermodynamic environment was marginally unstable but becoming more unstable with time. Supporting factors for severe weather were: large-scale atmospheric ascent, forcing associated with an ejecting short wave trough, significant shear, and increasing sunshine along and behind the warm front as it lifted north. At 1343 EST the first severe weather report occurred with a measured thunderstorm wind gust of 91 MPH in Vincennes in Knox county. An additional tornado watch, watch number 50, was issued at 1355 EST to cover the rest of Indiana east of watch number 49. At this point 90+ knot mid-level winds and 55+ knot 850 millibar winds were across the region. Portions of the watches were canceled starting shortly before 1600 EST. By the end of the severe weather episode an EF3 tornado had touched down in Lawrence County just west of Bedford. Portions of Daviess county experienced wind gusts of 80 to 90 MPH, while Tippecanoe, Clinton and Howard Counties had gusts from 60 to 70 mph. Significant damage occurred to several homes and farms in Lawrence County. | |||||||||||
| 46.2 | 1963-03-16 | 2 | 38°03'N / 87°10'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Warrick | |
| 46.4 | 1979-04-11 | 2 | 38°00'N / 87°26'W | 38°02'N / 87°20'W | 5.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Vanderburgh |
| 46.5 | 2005-11-06 | 3 | 37°57'N / 87°28'W | 38°06'N / 87°05'W | 21.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 4 | 30 | 65.0M | 0 | Warrick |
| Brief Description: This tornado, which crossed into Warrick County from Vanderburgh County just south of Interstate 164 (at Angel Mounds), crossed the entire county in less than 20 minutes. The tornado reached its peak intensity in Warrick County, where winds reached about 200 MPH. The peak winds occurred along Highway 261 and Lincoln Road, in an industrial park near Paradise, and in DeGonia Springs. As the tornado passed south of Boonville, the county seat of Warrick County, a teenage girl was killed in a vehicle. In the community of DeGonia Springs, three persons in a mobile home were killed. One of the victims was a woman who was 8-months pregnant. From the north side of Newburgh to DeGonia Springs, houses were severely damaged or destroyed, and vehicles were tossed. Some of the tornado victims were moved 40 feet or more. The tornado passed just to the south of Tennyson before exiting into Spencer County. M33MH, F28MH, M4MH, F18VE This was the deadliest tornado in Indiana since April 3, 1974. This tornado tracked a total of 41 miles from Henderson County, KY into Spencer County, IN. A total of at least 500 homes and buildings were destroyed or severely damaged. Much of the damage was upper F-2 to lower F-3 intensity. Although the tornado was up to 500 yards wide, the average path width was 275 yards. Of the approximately 230 injuries, 20 were critical, and 63 resulted in hospital admissions. This tornado was the more northern tornado of a pair of strong supercell tornadoes that occurred simultaneously. The southern tornado occurred in Crittenden and Webster Counties of Kentucky. | |||||||||||
| 48.1 | 1958-07-11 | 2 | 38°33'N / 88°26'W | 38°32'N / 88°09'W | 15.30 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Wayne |
| 48.4 | 1998-04-15 | 2 | 38°43'N / 88°23'W | 38°45'N / 88°15'W | 6.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0 | Clay |
| Brief Description: A severe thunderstorm, which originated in eastern Missouri, travelled to the east across southern Illinois. It produced numerous tornadoes. When it moved into our county warning area, it produced two tornadoes over Clay County. The first tornado touched down 3 miles west southwest of Flora. As it travelled to the northeast it destroyed a set of crossing signals along a set of railroad tracks. It moved parallel to the tracks and on the west edge of Flora it blew 60 to 70 cars of a moving CSX freight train off the tracks. No injuries were reported with the train crew or anyone nearby. At this point the tornado was F2 intensity. Most of the tornado track through Flora stayed south of the railroad tracks. In this area most of the structural damage to frame houses was relatively minor with roof/siding damage the most common. A few homes totally lost roofs, garages/storage sheds were destroyed, and one unanchored mobile home was destroyed and landed about 100 feet from its foundation. Three occupants sustained minor injuries. Several vehicles in the area were damaged from falling trees and debris. The tornado briefly lifted and came down again on the east side of town. It damaged or destroyed 40 to 50 condominiums, which was due more to a result of poor construction techniques rather than wind speed. Roof structures did not survive, with the rafters only consisting of 2x4s. The tornado was rated F1 in this area. After hitting the condominium complex, the tornado caused light damage to an industrial park with power poles down and 10 businesses sustaining damage. From there the damage was light, mainly to trees. Two miles northwest of Clay City, the tornado overturned a mobile home before lifting. At about the same time, half a mile to the north of the first tornado, another tornado formed and touched down. It destroyed a mobile home (F2 intensity) and then travelled to the northeast causing spotty damage, mainly to trees. It destroyed a shed 5 miles north of Olney (Richland County) before lifting and dissipating. In total 8 people sustained minor injuries. Damage in Clay County was estimated around $2.2 million and no damage estimate was available for Richland County. | |||||||||||
| 48.5 | 2009-03-08 | 2 | 38°33'N / 88°21'W | 38°36'N / 88°16'W | 5.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 90K | 0K | Wayne |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Several structures were damaged. Half of the roof was blown off one house. A well-built storage barn was blown into another house. Debris was blown several hundred yards. Debris from a house impacted a second house 250 yards away. The second house had only minor structural damage. A large metal barn partially caved in when a small grain elevator blew onto it. Peak winds were estimated near 122 mph. The tornado crossed into Clay County. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong 500 mb shortwave moved rapidly northeast from the Plains during the day. The shortwave became a closed low over the Great Lakes region by the evening hours. In the lower levels, a strong southwest 850 mb jet from 60 to 65 knots shifted east from the Ozarks across southern Illinois. These features provided sufficient shear and instability for a significant tornado. | |||||||||||
| 49.2 | 1986-05-15 | 2 | 37°59'N / 87°33'W | 0.20 Mile | 10 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Vanderburgh | |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.