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 for Crawford County Tornado: 31th percentile. Tropical: 0th percentile. Wildfire: 0th percentile. Flood: 85th percentile. Hail & wind: 87th percentile. Heat: 0th percentile. Cold: 28th percentile. Winter: 25th percentile. TORTROPFIREFLOODSEVEREHEATCOLDWINTER

Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed

2026
  • 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.

Flood insurance claims

136

34th of 92 in Indiana

$2.2 million paid since 1979

Details

Tornadoes since 1950

7

88th of 92 in Indiana

Fewer than the typical Indiana county, which has had 23

Details

Tropical cyclones within 50 mi

1

Most of any of Indiana’s 92 counties

None at hurricane strength since 1851

Details

Strongest tornado

F5

April 3, 1974, 68.0 mile path

Strongest tropical cyclone

TS

Tropical storm (unnamed), 1888, 49.0 miles away

Federal disaster declarations

21

Most recent: Severe Winter Storm, 2026

Details

Record high

109°F

July 8, 2012

Details

Record low

−25°F

January 19, 1994

Details

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.

Tornadoes by decade Doppler radar era² 1950s: 0 1960s: 0 1970s: 2 2 1980s: 0 1990s: 2 2 2000s: 1 1 2010s: 1 1 2020s: 1 1 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
Recorded tornadoes per decade. The 2020s are incomplete.
Tornadoes by month J: 0 F: 0 M: 0 A: 1 M: 5 5 J: 1 J: 0 A: 0 S: 0 O: 0 N: 0 D: 0 JFMAMJJASOND
By month of occurrence, all years.

Every recorded tornado

Tornadoes in Crawford County since 1950
May 7, 2024EF00.28000
May 19, 2017EF10.25000
May 30, 2004F315.0400111
May 17, 1999F11.5000
Jun 2, 1990F211.010090
Apr 3, 1974F568.010866
May 6, 1971F18.14021
  1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Crawford County: 1.
  2. 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 cyclones within 100 miles
Helene20247.6Remnant low46Category 4
Audrey195799.7Tropical storm41Category 3
Unnamed191536.0Post-tropical40Category 4
Unnamed189278.9Post-tropical48Tropical storm
Unnamed188849.0Tropical storm54Category 3
  1. 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.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 7 2012: 7 2013: 3 2014: 5 2015: 6 2016: 1 2017: 3 2018: 8 2019: 8 2020: 11 2021: 38 2022: 15 2023: 54 54 2024: 19 2025: 13 201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Days each year on which a satellite-traced plume of medium or heavy smoke covered the county’s population centre, 2011 to 2025.
  1. 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.

Federal flood insurance claims by year 1979: 18 1982: 7 1983: 6 1990: 48 48 1996: 6 2000: 8 2008: 7 2018: 7 19792000
Claims per year since 1979. Years with fewer than five claims are not shown.

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

Flood insurance claims by ZIP code
4711862$771,000
4714031$227,000
4714517$417,000
4713713$530,000
471748$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.

Months in severe drought or worse, by year 1895: 0 1896: 0 1897: 0 1898: 0 1899: 0 1900: 0 1901: 6 1902: 4 1903: 1 1904: 2 1905: 6 1906: 0 1907: 0 1908: 3 1909: 1 1910: 0 1911: 0 1912: 0 1913: 0 1914: 8 1915: 4 1916: 0 1917: 0 1918: 0 1919: 0 1920: 0 1921: 0 1922: 0 1923: 0 1924: 0 1925: 9 1926: 0 1927: 0 1928: 0 1929: 0 1930: 7 1931: 7 1932: 0 1933: 0 1934: 12 12 1935: 4 1936: 5 1937: 0 1938: 0 1939: 0 1940: 7 1941: 12 1942: 5 1943: 1 1944: 4 1945: 0 1946: 0 1947: 0 1948: 0 1949: 0 1950: 0 1951: 0 1952: 0 1953: 4 1954: 12 1955: 1 1956: 0 1957: 0 1958: 0 1959: 0 1960: 0 1961: 1 1962: 0 1963: 2 1964: 4 1965: 0 1966: 0 1967: 0 1968: 0 1969: 0 1970: 0 1971: 0 1972: 0 1973: 0 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 0 1977: 0 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 0 1981: 0 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 1 1988: 1 1989: 0 1990: 0 1991: 5 1992: 6 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 1 2000: 0 2001: 0 2002: 0 2003: 0 2004: 0 2005: 0 2006: 0 2007: 0 2008: 0 2009: 0 2010: 0 2011: 0 2012: 1 2013: 0 2014: 0 2015: 0 2016: 0 2017: 0 2018: 0 2019: 0 2020: 0 2021: 0 2022: 0 2023: 0 2024: 0 2025: 0 18951905191519251935194519551965197519851995200520152025
Months each year with a Palmer index of −3 or lower, 1895 to 2025. Twelve means the whole year.
  1. 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 3 or more within 50 miles, by year 1973: 0 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 0 1977: 0 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 1 1981: 0 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 1 1986: 0 1987: 1 1988: 0 1989: 0 1990: 2 2 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 0 1999: 0 2000: 0 2001: 0 2002: 0 2003: 0 2004: 0 2005: 0 2006: 0 2007: 0 2008: 0 2009: 0 2010: 0 2011: 0 2012: 0 2013: 0 2014: 0 2015: 0 2016: 0 2017: 0 2018: 0 2019: 0 2020: 0 2021: 0 2022: 0 2023: 0 2024: 0 2025: 0 19731978198319881993199820032008201320182023
Per year, 1973 to 2025.
  1. 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).
  2. 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

Other Storm Events types since 1996
Lightning100Jul 12, 2015

Costliest events since 1996

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Mar 2, 1997Flood, Crawford$1.5 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Ohio River flooding. See narrative for north central Kentucky counties.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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…

  7. 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).…

  8. Jul 8, 2016Thunderstorm Wind$35,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The public reported trees down on a house.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  1. 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
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Dubois Srn In Forage Farm 32°F 40° 20° 3.8 Jan 46° 23° 3.5 Feb 56° 32° 5.1 Mar 67° 42° 5.7 Apr 76° 52° 6.0 May 84° 61° 5.3 Jun 87° 64° 5.3 Jul 86° 62° 3.1 Aug 81° 54° 3.8 Sep 70° 44° 3.6 Oct 56° 33° 3.6 Nov 46° 26° 3.8 Dec Precipitation, inches
Average daily high and low by month, and average monthly precipitation, over the last 30 years.
Nights at or below freezing per year 1976: 140 140 1977: 99 1979: 116 1980: 98 1981: 121 1982: 112 1983: 111 1984: 107 1985: 100 1986: 96 1987: 100 1988: 118 1989: 117 1990: 95 1991: 103 1992: 100 1993: 114 1994: 100 1995: 112 1996: 117 1997: 113 1998: 86 1999: 96 2001: 97 2002: 107 2003: 104 2007: 108 2008: 115 2009: 99 2010: 106 2013: 136 2014: 130 2015: 105 2016: 108 2017: 106 2018: 139 2019: 131 2020: 124 2021: 121 2022: 132 2023: 113 2024: 112 2025: 123 19761987199720132023
Nights at or below freezing each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 113.7.
Snowfall by winter 1982: 0.5 in 1984: 16.8 in 1986: 2.3 in 1990: 8.8 in 1991: 1.0 in 1992: 18.0 in 1993: 13.6 in 1994: 3.0 in 1995: 33.0 in 33.0 1996: 6.0 in 1997: 14.6 in 1998: 10.5 in 1999: 0.3 in 2000: 12.6 in 2001: 0.0 in 2002: 25.7 in 2003: 4.6 in 2005: 7.6 in 2006: 1.5 in 2007: 13.6 in 2008: 11.0 in 2009: 20.1 in 2020: 15.7 in 2021: 1.8 in 2022: 9.0 in 2023: 3.3 in 2024: 16.3 in 2025: 20.0 in 198219972008
Total snowfall each winter (July to June), last 50 winters.

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.

Federal disaster declarations
Jan 24, 2026Winter StormSevere Winter StormEmergencyEM-3641-IN
Jul 22, 2025FloodSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4882-IN
Apr 3, 2020BiologicalCovid-19 PandemicMajor disasterDR-4515-IN
Mar 13, 2020BiologicalCovid-19EmergencyEM-3456-IN
May 4, 2018FloodSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-4363-IN
Jun 23, 2011Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, andMajor disasterDR-1997-IN
Mar 5, 2009Severe StormSevere Winter StormMajor disasterDR-1828-IN
Sep 23, 2008Severe StormSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1795-IN
Sep 10, 2005HurricaneHurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergencyEM-3238-IN
Jan 21, 2005Severe StormSevere Winter Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1573-IN
Jan 11, 2005SnowstormSnowEmergencyEM-3197-IN
Sep 1, 2004Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1542-IN
Jun 3, 2004Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1520-IN
Jun 13, 2002Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1418-IN
Jul 22, 1998Severe StormSevere Storms and Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1234-IN
Mar 6, 1997Severe StormSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1165-IN
Jul 3, 1996Severe StormSevere Storms and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1125-IN
Apr 2, 1996FloodBlizzard of 96Major disasterDR-1109-IN
Jun 4, 1990Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disasterDR-869-IN
Jul 31, 1979FloodSevere Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-596-IN
Apr 4, 1974TornadoTornadoesMajor disasterDR-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.

Ranks
Tornadoes since 1950788 / 922,459 / 3,143
Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger248 / 92866 / 3,143
Tropical cyclones within 50 mi11 / 921,473 / 3,143
Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi0——
Wildfire acres since 19840——
Flood insurance claims13634 / 921,135 / 3,143
Flood insurance paid$2.2 million31 / 921,115 / 3,143
Disaster declarations2112 / 921,345 / 3,143
Flood events since 19966836 / 921,043 / 3,143
Hail and wind events since 199627029 / 921,410 / 3,143
Winter storm events since 19963767 / 922,287 / 3,143
Reported damage since 1996$11.9 million41 / 921,846 / 3,143
River crests at major flood stage0——
High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years0.0——
Months in severe drought since 189514712 / 921,018 / 3,143
Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years17.082 / 921,351 / 3,143
Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 19000——
Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 197318 / 92826 / 3,143

Neighbouring counties

Neighbouring counties
Dubois County280017
Harrison County2510207
Meade County KY161018
Orange County2300113
Perry County151042
Washington County350058

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.