Jay County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Jay County: 0.
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.

Smoke overhead

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.

Claims by ZIP code

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.

River crests

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

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.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

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.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Feb 28, 2011Flood$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   County officials and local newspapers reported widespread flooding from a combination of local creeks and rivers overflowing and ponding of water in slow drainage areas. Much of the city of Portland, as well as New Corydon suffered flooding damage. Water depths of several inches to over a foot were reported in businesses and homes. In addition, several roads were closed, including US 27 which passes through Portland. Flooding began to subside by later on the 28th, but rivers continued to respond to the heavy rainfall. No damage amounts were available at the time of entry.

2. Jul 22, 1998Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   SEVERAL ROADS ACROSS THE COUNTY SUSTAINED DAMAGE DUE TO PARTIAL OR COMPLETE WASHOUTS. MANY HOMES IN LOW LYING AREAS HAD THEIR BASEMENTS FLOODED ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF BRYANT.

3. Sep 22, 2024Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado developed near the intersection of W 75 S and Joan Dr and quickly gained|intensity as it tracked east-northeast, hitting the Portland High School which sustained considerable roof damage. Several homes nearby sustained roof damage along with considerable tree damage noted along the track of this tornado. As the tornado was dissipating it caused extensive roof damage to the second story portion of the American Legion. Maximum sustained winds were estimated to be around 110 mph.

4. Jun 11, 1998Tornado$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   THIS TORNADO COMPLETELY DESTROYED A NEW MODULAR HOME. RIGHT ACROSS THE ROAD...TWO OTHER HOUSES WERE DAMAGED AND A BARN WAS DESTROYED. SEVERAL OTHER HOMES, AN OLD SCHOOL, AND A CHURCH SUFFERED MINOR TO MODERATE DAMAGE. MANY TREES AND POWER LINES WERE DOWN AS A RESULT OF THIS STORM.

5. Jul 5, 2003Flash Flood$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Emergency management reported county road 250 W 500 N washed out by flash flooding east of Redkey. 60 homes had some damage.

6. Mar 11, 2026Tornado$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A tornado touched down south of CR W 800 S and west of SR 1,|crossing the road and snapping 3 power poles. On the northern|edge, a barn suffered door damage, a few downed trees and damage|to a greenhouse. The tornado moved NE, crossing W 800 S and|causing roof damage to a home as well as some tree damage on a|few properties. As it was passing northwest of the intersection|of CR W 800 S and S 700 W, it caused roof damage to the roof of a|pole barn with debris being carried roughly 350 yards to the|east. The final damage was noted at 2 animal barns on S 600 W|where roof lost was noted, the most extensive being on the west|side of S 600 W where the metal roofing was carried into…

7. Apr 20, 1996Thunderstorm Wind$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   One barn was destroyed, two barns damaged, a 100 foot radio tower blown down, a brick grain storage bin destroyed and several houses and an old school house damaged as thunderstorms moved across Jay County. Additionally, trees and power lines were blown down across portions of Jay County leaving a number of residences without power. Total damage was estimated at around $100,000.

8. Aug 5, 1998Flash Flood$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   OAKWOOD MOBILE HOME PARK INUNDATED. SEVERAL RESIDENCES IN PORTLAND FLOODED. MOST RURAL COUNTY ROADS WERE CLOSED DUE TO THE HIGH WATER OVER THE ROADS.

9. Aug 1, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Emergency management officials indicated that extensive tree damage was noted southwest of Redkey along State Route 67, from the Jay/Delaware county line northeast to just southwest of Redkey. Several trees were reported uprooted or snapped on State Route 67 as well as surrounding county roads. A residence in the 11000 block of West County Road 600 South reported roof damage and a hole in the house from debris. Also at the intersection of County Road 1150 West and 700 South, 5 power poles were broken and the lines dragged into a corn field. There was signs of some tree top damage and portion of a corn field was smashed over with no corn standing in some areas. While it is possible…

10. Jun 9, 2008Thunderstorm Wind$75,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Numerous trees, tree limbs and power poles were blown down in the Bryant, Portland and Salamonia areas.

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.

All-time high

104°FJun 29, 2012

All-time low

−29°FJan 20, 1985

Warmest night

80°FJul 15, 2013

Coldest day

−12°F2 times, most recently Jan 19, 1994

Wettest day

4.30 inJul 14, 2015

Snowiest day

14.0 inFeb 14, 2007

Hottest year

1998mean 53.8°F

Coldest year

2014mean 47.6°F

Wettest year

199054.65 in

Driest year

196322.12 in

Snowiest season

49.6 in1966-67

Station Portland 1 Sw (USC00127069), 910 ft elevation, 2.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1964 to September 29, 2026; 88.7% 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.

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.

Neighbouring counties

• 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 USC00127069.
• 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.