Madison County

Every recorded tornado

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

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. May 18, 2000Hail$15.0 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.

2. Sep 20, 2002Tornado$8.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   One of Indiana's longest tracking tornados formed along a squall line on the morning of September 20. The tornado touched down near Ellettsville in Monroe county and then remained on the ground for 112 miles before lifting in Blackford county. The tornado produced F3 damage at its strongest points. Nearly 100 single family homes were destroyed, along with several mobile homes. Some apartments were also destroyed. Many businesses and hundreds of homes received damage. Several counties were declared disaster areas.

3. Sep 1, 2003Flood, Madison$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   8 to 10 inches of rain fell across central Indiana during the Labor Day weekend causing major flooding along parts of the White River. In fact, Indianapolis received the most rain ever for a calendar day (7.2 inches) breaking the old record set in 1895 (6.8 inches). According to a local newspaper account, nearly 3,000 residents across central Indiana applied for flood assistance and flood damage was estimated in excess of 20 million dollars. SEMA reports indicated more than 300 homes and nearly 60 businesses were flooded. Nearly 200 people were forced to evacuate their residences. The cities of Muncie and Anderson had near major flooding as the river crested at its highest level…

4. Apr 2, 2025Tornado$3.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This ninth tornado to impact central Indiana was the fourth of five tornadoes spawned within Madison County and Delaware County. This longer tornado tracked from far east-central Madison County to north-central Delaware County. The circulation's track exhibited an overall curled path from northeasterly to east-northeasterly, which then turned back north-northeastward over the final segment. Spawned near the Moonville community, the tornado caused significant damage to a two-story house and completely destroyed three old and weakly-anchored outbuildings, additionally a large old barn was shifted off its foundation and the northern half of roof was thrown well to the…

5. Sep 1, 2003Flash Flood$2.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Record rainfall event occurred across central Indiana starting in the evening of August 31 and continuing through the morning of September 2. The heaviest rain occurred along an axis from Vigo to Clay to Putnam to Hendricks to Marion to Hamilton to Madison, Delaware and Randolph counties. Many spots near the axis received 8 to 10 inches over the 30 hour period. This resulted in widespread flash flooding and flooding along small creeks. There were numerous evacuations from homes and rescues from vehicles. Many schools were closed. Many neighborhoods that never saw flooding before were flooded. There were also hundreds of flooded basements. The National Guard was activated to help…

6. Jan 22, 1999Flood, Madison$1.7 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain of up to 5 inches on the 21st and 22nd combined with rapid snow melt upstream causing widespread flooding along the White River from Muncie to East Mount Carmel. Crests ranged from around a foot above flood stage along extreme eastern sections of the White to around 10 feet above flood stage across extreme western sections. Flooding along the river in Hamilton and northern Marion counties were the highest seen since December 1990 and January 1991. Many homes and streets were flooded, and a few rescues took place. The following are various crests along the river: Muncie - 9.62 feet (flood stage is 9 feet); Anderson - 12.8 feet (flood stage is 10 feet); Noblesville -…

7. Jul 8, 2003Flash Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A severe squall line moved across the northern part of the Indianapolis CWA late on the evening of the 7th and into the overnight of the 8th. Trees and power lines were reported down across many locales. Winds moved and damaged a car in southwest Tippecanoe county. Large hail was isolated with only a dime size report across Henry county. There was also additional flash flooding due to the heavy rain and already saturated grounds. Pipe Creek in Alexandria in Madison county normally 1.5 feet crested at 13 feet and overflowed its banks flooding 40 homes. Water was up to 4 feet deep in some residences.

8. Jun 11, 1998Tornado$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Supercell produced tornado touching down near Elwood which then tracked NE to just north of Summitville before traversing into SC Grant County before dissipating near Fowlerton. Along its track in northern Madison County this tornado destroyed approximately 9 buildings and damaged about 10 others. Nearly all these buildings were on farms as the tornado passed through farm country before crops emerged.

9. Jul 29, 2024Tornado$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado began in far eastern Hamilton County as an EF0 before skipping across Indiana Route 13 into Madison County and quickly landing in a field at a cemetery south of Perkinsville in Madison county, causing sporadic tree damage. The tornado crossed the White River, snapping and uprooting several trees at a residence south of County Road 300 North where it was rated an EF1. The tornado then moved into a corn field before lifting briefly prior to hitting the Frankton Lapel Administration Building where significant brick wall and roof damage occurred. The roof of a small gymnasium at this building was lifted and thrown approximately 150 yards to the north northeast while the…

10. Jul 2, 1997Tornado$600,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The same supercell that produced the weak tornado in Hamilton county also produced this tornado. This strong tornado initially began as three funnels which merged to one tornadoabout when it touched down on the southwest side of Anderson near exit 22 of Interstate 69. The tornado proceeded east-southeast for 5 miles, damaging 35 homes, five with major damage, and also one business. Over 50 trees were blown down, numerous power lines were blown down, and two grain silos were tipped over before the tornado lifted near Emporia. Due to advance warning and good visibility that day, everyone in the path of the tornado were awareof its approach, and was able to seek shelter and escape injury.

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

106°FJun 28, 2012

All-time low

−24°FJan 20, 1985

Warmest night

84°FJun 27, 1914

Coldest day

−14°FJan 20, 1985

Wettest day

4.43 inMay 30, 2015

Snowiest day

11.0 inDec 5, 1977

Hottest year

1921mean 57.1°F

Coldest year

1978mean 48.0°F

Wettest year

201759.06 in

Driest year

193425.84 in

Snowiest season

46.3 in1977-78

Station Anderson 1 N (USC00120177), 843 ft elevation, 1.5 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1895 to October 27, 2026; 87.1% 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 USC00120177.
• 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.