Crawford County
Population 10,509 (2025) 306 sq mi
Property owners in Crawford County have filed 136 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, 34th most of 92 counties in Indiana.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths since 19507
- Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger2
- Major flood years since 19781
At a glance
The record for Crawford County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Tornadoes since 1950
7
88th of 92 in Indiana
Fewer than the typical Indiana county, which has had 23
DetailsTropical cyclones within 50 mi
1
Most of any of Indiana’s 92 counties
None at hurricane strength since 1851
DetailsStrongest tornado
F5
April 3, 1974, 68.0 mile path
Strongest tropical cyclone
TS
Tropical storm (unnamed), 1888, 49.0 miles away
Tornadoes
About one every 11 years since 1950, 2 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
April 3, 1974
F5, 68.0 mile path
10 yards wide; 6 killed along the whole path.
Most recent
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
EF0, 0.2 mile path
2 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| May 7, 2024 | EF0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| May 19, 2017 | EF1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| May 30, 2004 | F3 | 15.0 | 11 | 1 |
| May 17, 1999 | F1 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F2 | 11.0 | 9 | 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 68.0 | 86 | 6 |
| May 6, 1971 | F1 | 8.1 | 2 | 1 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Crawford County: 1.
- Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.
Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
1 passed within 50 miles since 1851; none at hurricane strength.
Strongest within 50 miles
August 21, 1888
Unnamed storm, Tropical storm
49.0 miles at closest approach, winds near 54 mph.
Most recent
September 28, 2024
Helene, Remnant low
7.6 miles at closest approach.
Every storm within 100 miles
- Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.
National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.
Wildfire and smoke
No large wildfire has been mapped here since satellite mapping began in 1984.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2023: 54 days
Heavy smoke on 14 days in 2023, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
17.0 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
13 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 38 so far in 2026.
- A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.
NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Floods and flood insurance
136 federal flood insurance claims since 1979, with $2.2 million paid.
Most claims in one year
1990: 48 claims
$677,000 paid.
2nd most
1979: 18 claims
$141,000 paid.
3rd most
2000: 8 claims
$50,000 paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 47118 | 62 | $771,000 |
| 47140 | 31 | $227,000 |
| 47145 | 17 | $417,000 |
| 47137 | 13 | $530,000 |
| 47174 | 8 | $133,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flash Flood50
- Flood16
- Heavy Rain2
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 147 of 1,581 months since 1895 (9%); the longest spell lasted 22 months.
147
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
75
Months in extreme drought
9%
Share of all months, severe or worse
Lowest reading
September 1941
−5.87, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
22 months
August 1940 to May 1942.
Latest month
September 2026
+1.64, slightly wet
Last severe month: August 2012.
- The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.
NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.
Earthquakes
18 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more within 50 miles since 1906; none reached magnitude 4.
1
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
5
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
0
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
0
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
January 24, 1990
Magnitude 3.9
6 km WNW of Alton, Indiana; 2.0 miles away, 6.2 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
January 27, 1990
Magnitude 3.8
6 km N of Alton, Indiana; inside the county.
- Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
- Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Severe weather and other events
405 events in the National Weather Service record, 387 of them since 1996.
64
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
1
Hail, 2 inches or larger
174
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
37
Winter weather events since 1996
0
Heat events since 1996
5
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
July 20, 2018
2.00 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
April 9, 2011
96 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 1 | 0 |
Costliest events since 1996
- May 30, 2004Tornado$5.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
A tornado touched down near Taswell in northwest Crawford County. The tornado passed north of English, then reached it's maximum intensity as it reached the town of Marengo. Newspaper reports indicate that 50 to 60 homes in Marengo were destroyed, and another 100 were damaged. Approximately 80 percent of the buildings in Marengo received some degree of damage from the tornado. The tornado's last contact with the ground was north of Milltown in extreme northeast Crawford County. The tornado exhibited multiple vortices along it's track, and occasionally lifted off the ground.
- Apr 29, 2017Flood$4.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
State officials reported severe flooding across the county. Portions of Interstate 64 were closed and impassable. Approximately 75% of Crawford County roads were affected by flood waters. Culverts, bridges, gravel and blacktop roads were washed out by high water, making most impassable.
- Mar 2, 1997Flood, Crawford$1.5 million
National Weather Service narrative
Ohio River flooding. See narrative for north central Kentucky counties.
- Apr 29, 1996Flood, Crawford$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
Torrential rains caused the worst flooding since 1959 across many southern Indiana locations. Between 5 and 9 inches of rain fell from the afternoon of April 28 to the morning of April 29. The most notable flooding occurred along the Blue River at Fredericksburg, Milltown and English. Around 70 homes and a few businesses received major damage in Washington, Crawford and Orange counties. Two mobile homes were destroyed in Orange county. Evacuations were made in Milltown, Henryville, English, Paoli and Fredericksburg. The Blue River crested at 27.1 feet at Fredericksburg (20.0 flood stage) at 1800 est on April 29. It crested at 28.9 feet (16.0 flood stage) at Milltown at 0500 est on April 30.
- Jul 12, 2015Lightning$300,000
National Weather Service narrative
A trained spotter reported that lightning struck the Sulphur Pentecostal Church. According to the Crawford County emergency manager, the church was destroyed and determined to be a total loss.
- May 19, 2017Tornado$250,000
National Weather Service narrative
A NWS Storm Survey found all of the damage along Old Union Chapel Rd off of Hwy 62 near T&T Auto. The tornado formed in an open pasture southwest of Chapel Rd. It knocked over several cedar trees and split several sections on some maple trees before striking a barn near the road. Winds in this area were estimated at 80-85 mph. The eastern edge door of the barn was blown out and with significant roof damage above the door. Several pieces of the barn roof along with many pieces of a wood pile next to the barn were thrown 125 yards downwind into the auto body shop vehicle lot area. This smashed out several vehicle windows. Winds here were estimated at 90 mph. A single-wide trailer…
- Dec 22, 2004Heavy Snow, Crawford$80,000
National Weather Service narrative
A winter storm brought heavy snow to south central Indiana. Storm total amounts of 20 to 30 inches were reported over the area. High winds developed later in the day on the 23rd, creating drifts of snow up to four or five feet. Most roadways were dangerous or impassable, and sections of Interstate 64 were closed for a time due to accidents. The roofs on several business warehouses and storage buildings collapsed due to the weight of the snow in Jasper (Dubois County) and Paoli (Orange County). At least 11 turkey houses in Dubois County collapsed due to the snow. Hundreds of birds were killed or injured (this agricultural loss is reflected in the crop damage figure quoted above).…
- Jul 8, 2016Thunderstorm Wind$35,000
National Weather Service narrative
The public reported trees down on a house.
- May 19, 2017Thunderstorm Wind$25,000
National Weather Service narrative
The Crawford County emergency manager reported that severe thunderstorm winds blew off a porch from a mobile home and damaged a metal outbuilding.
- Jun 5, 2019Thunderstorm Wind$20,000
National Weather Service narrative
A moist and unstable air mass sat over the Ohio River Valley. CAPE values exceeded 3000 J/kg, but shear was weak. This provided an environment for pulse type thunderstorms. As the heat of the day began to build, it became enough to kickoff area thunderstorms. Thunderstorms across southern Indiana caused several trees to fall, along with severe hail and heavy rainfall.
- Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.
Weather records
From Dubois Srn In Forage Farm, 17.8 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1955.
- All-time high
- 109°FJul 8, 2012
- All-time low
- −25°FJan 19, 1994
- Warmest night
- 80°FJul 13, 1966
- Coldest day
- −7°FJan 17, 1977
- Wettest day
- 5.67 inJul 23, 2017
- Snowiest day
- 13.0 inDec 23, 2004
- Hottest year
- 1998mean 57.3°F
- Coldest year
- 1976mean 51.7°F
- Wettest year
- 201971.49 in
- Driest year
- 199228.23 in
- Snowiest season
- 33.0 in1995-96
Median first snow
December 15
Earliest: October 30, 1993
Median last snow
February 25
Latest: April 21, 2021
1 of 44 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Dubois Srn In Forage Farm (USC00122309), 690 ft elevation, 17.8 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1955 to August 31, 2026; 94.2% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.
NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.
Federal disaster declarations
21 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Winter Storm, January 24, 2026.
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3641-IN |
| Jul 22, 2025 | Flood | DR-4882-IN |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4515-IN |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3456-IN |
| May 4, 2018 | Flood | DR-4363-IN |
| Jun 23, 2011 | Severe Storm | DR-1997-IN |
| Mar 5, 2009 | Severe Storm | DR-1828-IN |
| Sep 23, 2008 | Severe Storm | DR-1795-IN |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3238-IN |
| Jan 21, 2005 | Severe Storm | DR-1573-IN |
| Jan 11, 2005 | Snowstorm | EM-3197-IN |
| Sep 1, 2004 | Severe Storm | DR-1542-IN |
| Jun 3, 2004 | Severe Storm | DR-1520-IN |
| Jun 13, 2002 | Severe Storm | DR-1418-IN |
| Jul 22, 1998 | Severe Storm | DR-1234-IN |
| Mar 6, 1997 | Severe Storm | DR-1165-IN |
| Jul 3, 1996 | Severe Storm | DR-1125-IN |
| Apr 2, 1996 | Flood | DR-1109-IN |
| Jun 4, 1990 | Severe Storm | DR-869-IN |
| Jul 31, 1979 | Flood | DR-596-IN |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | DR-423-IN |
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.
How this compares
Where Crawford County stands among 92 counties in Indiana and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 7 | 88 / 92 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 2 | 48 / 92 |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 1 | 1 / 92 |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 0 | — |
| Flood insurance claims | 136 | 34 / 92 |
| Flood insurance paid | $2.2 million | 31 / 92 |
| Disaster declarations | 21 | 12 / 92 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 68 | 36 / 92 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 270 | 29 / 92 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 37 | 67 / 92 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $11.9 million | 41 / 92 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 0 | — |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 147 | 12 / 92 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 17.0 | 82 / 92 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 0 | — |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 1 | 8 / 92 |
Neighbouring counties
| Dubois County | 28 | 0 |
| Harrison County | 25 | 1 |
| Meade County KY | 16 | 1 |
| Orange County | 23 | 0 |
| Perry County | 15 | 1 |
| Washington County | 35 | 0 |
Sources and vintage
Every number on this page comes from these public records.
- Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
- Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
- Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
- Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
- Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
- Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00122309.
- River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
- Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.
Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.