Henry County
Population 49,137 (2025) 392 sq mi
Henry County has recorded 23 tornadoes since 1950, 45th most of 92 counties in Indiana; the most recent was on May 27, 2019.
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 195023
At a glance
The record for Henry County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Strongest tornado
F4
May 14, 1972, 30.0 mile path
Federal disaster declarations
20
Most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, 2026
DetailsSnowiest season
51.4in
Winter of 2013-14
Tornadoes
About one every 3.3 years since 1950, 4 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
May 14, 1972
F4, 30.0 mile path
200 yards wide.
Deadliest
April 3, 1974
1 killed, F4
12 injured along the whole path.
Most recent
Monday, May 27, 2019
EF1, 2.5 mile path
7 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| May 27, 2019 | EF1 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 27, 2019 | EF1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 15, 2005 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 20, 2002 | F2 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 9, 2002 | F0 | 2.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 20, 2000 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 20, 2000 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 11, 1998 | F1 | 11.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 11, 1998 | F2 | 16.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 2, 1997 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 18, 1992 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 10, 1986 | F2 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 20, 1976 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 18.0 | 12 | 1 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 18.9 | 17 | 0 |
| Apr 1, 1974 | F2 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 14, 1972 | F4 | 30.0 | 20 | 0 |
| May 18, 1965 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 8, 1965 | F2 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 18, 1962 | F3 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 8, 1958 | F2 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 5, 1958 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 5, 1957 | F2 | 0.1 | 1 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Henry County: 0.
- 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
No tropical storm or hurricane has tracked within 100 miles since records began in 1851.
Wildfire and smoke
No large wildfire has been mapped here since satellite mapping began in 1984.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2023: 60 days
Heavy smoke on 14 days in 2023, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
19.3 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
12 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
33 federal flood insurance claims since 1992, with $601,000 paid.
Most claims in one year
2026: 17 claims
$502,000 paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 47362 | 17 | $469,000 |
| 47356 | 7 | $94,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flood14
- Flash Flood13
1 death recorded in flood events since 1996.
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 112 of 1,581 months since 1895 (7%); the longest spell lasted 16 months.
112
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
47
Months in extreme drought
7%
Share of all months, severe or worse
11
Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996
Lowest reading
March 1935
−6.85, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
16 months
May 1934 to August 1935.
Latest month
September 2026
+4.40, extremely wet
Last severe month: December 2023.
- 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
4 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more within 50 miles since 1990; none reached magnitude 4.
0
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
3
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
December 30, 2010
Magnitude 3.8
6 km SE of Greentown, Indiana; 30.2 miles away, 3.1 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
December 30, 2010
Magnitude 3.8
6 km SE of Greentown, Indiana; 30.2 miles away.
- 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
370 events in the National Weather Service record, 297 of them since 1996.
45
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
7
Hail, 2 inches or larger
110
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
46
Winter weather events since 1996
2
Heat events since 1996
6
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
May 25, 2011
4.25 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
May 17, 1991
81 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 5 | 0 |
| Dense fog and smoke | 2 | 1 |
Costliest events since 1996
- May 18, 2000Hail$5.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
A series of supercell storms dumped hail from golfball to softball size across a large portion of the northern half of the IND CWA. The storms moved across a warm front that stretched across central Indiana. Numerous cars, car lots and homes had extensive damage estimated around 75 million dollars. Frankfort, Anderson and Muncie were hardest hit. In addition, three homes in New Whiteland were burned to the ground by a lightning strike. Later in the evening, a squall line moved across the same area producing only isolated hail reports.
- Sep 20, 2002Tornado$2.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
A tornado formed along a squall line. Ten single family homes sustained major damage. As the tornado passed through a trailer park, 30 trailer homes sustained major damage.
- Jun 11, 1998Tornado$800,000
National Weather Service narrative
Third tornado from single supercell four builings nad damaged nearly 10 others.
- Jul 22, 2004Lightning$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
A bus barn was destroyed by a lightning induced fire at Blue River Valley High School.
- Sep 1, 2003Thunderstorm Wind$200,000
National Weather Service narrative
Straight-line winds caused considerable damage to several houses and vehicles. A man also received an eye injury but was in fair condition.
- Jan 29, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$60,000
National Weather Service narrative
Damaging thunderstorm winds damaged a semi tractor and a dog house. A shed was also destroyed near this location. A chain link fence was down and a garage had the door blown out of it due to the winds. Part of a roof of a house and also the roof of the porch was blown off nearby. The television antenna at a residence was pulled from the ground and struck the chimney of the house. Trees were reported down around the area. A two story brick building had several rows of bricks blown from the top. Another roof of a house, just east of this location, was blown off.
- Jun 27, 2005Lightning$50,000
National Weather Service narrative
Lightning sparked a house fire near Sulphur Springs on the afternoon of 27 June 2005.
- May 12, 2002Flash Flood$50,000
National Weather Service narrative
Thunderstorms moved across all of central Indiana during the day of May 12 and continuing into the evening. These thunderstorms produced very heavy rain, with many areas seeing more than one round of thunderstorms. The result was extensive flash flooding. Numerous roads were closed, including state roads and U.S. highways. A couple of bridges were washed out, and some culverts were destroyed. At Ball State University in Delaware county, residence halls experienced flooding. Elsewhere in Delaware county water was up to 6 feet deep at underpasses. At Vincennes in Knox county, a trailer park was evacuated resulting in 80 families being moved to a shelter. Other smaller evacuations…
- Jun 20, 2000Tornado$50,000
National Weather Service narrative
A supercell embedded in a squall line produced two brief touchdowns from just south of MIddletown to just north of Mount Summit in Henry county. The first touchdown lasted a minute or less and occurred across farmland doing no damage, while the second destroyed one barn and damaged several roofs to outbuildings and downed numerous trees while again only touching down for a minute or less. A trained spotter followed the parent storm and observed several funnels across the county but only these two brief touchdowns. Otherwise, a squall line produced scattered reports of trees and power lines down across other central Indiana counties during the afternoon and evening of June 20.
- Jul 24, 2023Thunderstorm Wind$50,000
National Weather Service narrative
Thunderstorm winds flattened an 80 by 200 foot barn.
- 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 New Castle 3 Sw, 2.4 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1949.
- All-time high
- 107°FJun 29, 2012
- All-time low
- −26°F2 times, most recently Jan 20, 1994
- Warmest night
- 77°F3 times, most recently Jul 20, 1986
- Coldest day
- −12°F3 times, most recently Jan 19, 1994
- Wettest day
- 7.74 inAug 12, 2026
- Snowiest day
- 12.0 inDec 23, 2004
- Hottest year
- 1952mean 53.6°F
- Coldest year
- 2014mean 47.6°F
- Wettest year
- 201163.46 in
- Driest year
- 196328.31 in
- Snowiest season
- 51.4 in2013-14
Median first snow
December 3
Earliest: October 23, 2013
Median last snow
March 15
Latest: April 21, 2021
1 of 53 winters had no measurable snow.
Station New Castle 3 Sw (USC00126164), 991 ft elevation, 2.4 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1949 to October 26, 2026; 98.6% 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
20 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, August 25, 2026.
| Aug 25, 2026 | Flood | DR-4933-IN |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Flood | EM-3651-IN |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3641-IN |
| Apr 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4515-IN |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3456-IN |
| Jun 8, 2008 | Severe Storm | DR-1766-IN |
| Mar 12, 2007 | Snowstorm | EM-3274-IN |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3238-IN |
| Jan 21, 2005 | Severe Storm | DR-1573-IN |
| Jan 11, 2005 | Snowstorm | EM-3197-IN |
| Jun 3, 2004 | Severe Storm | DR-1520-IN |
| Sep 5, 2003 | Severe Storm | DR-1487-IN |
| Jul 11, 2003 | Severe Storm | DR-1476-IN |
| Sep 25, 2002 | Severe Storm | DR-1433-IN |
| Jan 15, 1999 | Snowstorm | EM-3135-IN |
| Apr 2, 1996 | Flood | DR-1109-IN |
| Mar 29, 1991 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-899-IN |
| Jan 5, 1991 | Flood | DR-891-IN |
| Feb 2, 1977 | Snowstorm | EM-3028-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 Henry County stands among 92 counties in Indiana and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 23 | 45 / 92 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 4 | 19 / 92 |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 0 | — |
| Flood insurance claims | 33 | 66 / 92 |
| Flood insurance paid | $601,000 | 58 / 92 |
| Disaster declarations | 20 | 17 / 92 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 27 | 66 / 92 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 193 | 49 / 92 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 46 | 46 / 92 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $9.6 million | 50 / 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 | 112 | 85 / 92 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 19.3 | 40 / 92 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 0 | — |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 0 | — |
Neighbouring counties
| Delaware County | 26 | 0 |
| Fayette County | 10 | 0 |
| Hancock County | 24 | 0 |
| Madison County | 32 | 0 |
| Randolph County | 22 | 0 |
| Rush County | 25 | 0 |
| Wayne County | 21 | 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 USC00126164.
- 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.