Wabash County

Every recorded tornado

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

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. Jul 22, 1998Flash Flood$6.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   6 TO 8 INCHES OF RAIN FELL ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF WABASH COUNTY SENDING THE NORMALLY DOCILE CHARLEY CREEK INTO A RAGING ONE-HALF MILE WIDE TORRENT THROUGH TOWN. MANY PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT STRANDED BY THE FLOOD WATERS WERE EVACUATED TO HIGHER GROUND. TWO BRIDGES AND 15 COUNTY ROADS WERE COMPLETELY WASHED OUT. MANY HOMES ALONG THE EEL AND SALAMONIE RIVERS WERE EVACUATED AS WELL AS THOSE RIVERS APPROACHED RECORD FLOOD LEVELS. DAMAGE ESTIMATES WERE IN THE MILLIONS DUE TO COUNTLESS FLOODED HOMES... BASEMENTS AND VEHICLES.

2. Jun 14, 2000Tornado$700,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado touched down again, hitting a farm at 1300 N and 100 W. A man suffered a broken leg here. Two hog sheds and a large grain bin were destroyed. A 200-yard swath of trees were uprooted to the northeast along the railroad tracks. Another man suffered back and chest injuries as the tornado continued to the intersection of 1300 N and Meridian Road and demolished the barn in which he stood. A 5th wheel camper was rolled 50 yards from its original position destroying it. The tornado continued to the next farm just south of 1400 N and 100 E. The barn was destroyed and the house suffered moderate damage, primarily from flying tree debris. The tornado snapped a utility pole,…

3. Aug 22, 2001Lightning$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A lightning strike caused a fire at the administration building of North Central Co-op in Wabash. The building is located at the southwest corner of Cass and Fulton Streets. Damage was estimated to be as high as a half million dollars.

4. Jul 5, 2003Flash Flood$350,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Law enforcement reported roads closed due to flash flooding across the county. 27 residences had some minor damage.

5. May 14, 2011Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous thunderstorms trained over northeastern Wabash county, with radar and eventually spotter confirmation, of three to more than four inches of rain falling. Flooding on roads slowly subsided during the daylight hours of the 15th.

6. Mar 10, 2009Flood$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Eel River went well out of its banks as a result of heavy rainfall over a several day period. The river crested just above 14 feet in North Manchester, with numerous roads under water in North Manchester and adjacent areas. No reports of injuries or rescues were noted.

7. May 7, 2024Thunderstorm Wind$125,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Report of 3 damaged residences. Roof off one home. Uprooted trees and power lines down as well.

8. Jun 14, 2000Tornado$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The initial tornado touchdown occurred near the intersection of SR 15 and 114. Two barns were deroofed and a grain silo was partially blown down. Several trees and limbs were taken down. The tornado lifted briefly as it crossed SR 15. It then continued on the ground for one half mile before striking another farm just west of the intersection of SR 114 and 400 W. A barn roof was blown off, and several trees and power lines were taken down. Crop damage was noted in an adjacent field. The tornado then lifted until it touched down about 1 mile to the northeast.

9. Jul 21, 1998Thunderstorm Wind$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   TREE FELL ON HOME AND DESTROYED PORCH. COAST TO COAST STORE LOST THEIR GREEN HOUSE AND SECURITY FENCE AS IT BECAME AIRBORNE IN THE HIGH WINDS.

10. May 30, 2008Tornado$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A brief touchdown was confirmed in an open field just west of a residence on South State Road 13 south of West 400 S. Several trees were damaged with a pole barn being partially destroyed. A second barn had the north wall blown towards the north and a partial roof collapse as a result. Approximately 12 power poles were snapped or pushed over along State Route 13. The damage in the area was consistent with a EF1 tornado with maximum winds estimated at around 90 mph. Two minor injuries as two people were in the barn at the time the tornado struck.

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

108°FJul 14, 1936

All-time low

−23°F2 times, most recently Jan 21, 1985

Warmest night

80°FJul 30, 1999

Coldest day

−13°FJan 19, 1994

Wettest day

7.07 inAug 5, 1998

Snowiest day

13.0 inNov 16, 1932

Hottest year

1921mean 56.3°F

Coldest year

2014mean 46.8°F

Wettest year

199854.68 in

Driest year

193426.25 in

Snowiest season

69.2 in1981-82

Station Marion 2 N (USC00125337), 790 ft elevation, 20.5 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1893 to October 27, 2026; 96.5% 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 USC00125337.
• 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.