Washington County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Washington County: 8.
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.

Every storm within 100 miles

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.

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. Mar 18, 2008Flood$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Blue River at Fredericksburg crested at 27.3 feet around 330 PM EST on March 19. Flood stage at Fredericksburg is 20 feet. This is the major flooding level for this location. Water enters businesses in the town and some evacuations are required. U.S. Highway 150 is closed.

2. Mar 2, 2012Tornado$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This EF-4 tornado that ultimately stayed on the ground for 49 miles across several counties touched down just south of Fredricksburg. Several trees were snapped off with estimated EF-1 damage along a path of 30 yards wide along the south fork of the Blue Lick River. After crossing farmland, the tornado widened and intensified quickly, toppling a high tension metal power structure near the intersection of Homers Chapel and Fredricksburg Roads. Damage at that location was consistent with 130 mph winds. ||High tension wires were downed and trees snapped along West End Road just north of Shanks Hill Road. The tornado continued to intensify as it crossed State Route 135 at Dutch Creek…

3. May 27, 2004Tornado$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado touched down initially in western Washington County, where it destroyed a home and a garage. It skipped across Washington County, with the next reported damage in the vicinity of Pekin. Several homes and farm buildings were damaged or destroyed there. A total of nine homes were destroyed in Washington County, and 31 homes were damaged to some degree. The tornado then continued southeast and crossed into Clark County, Indiana.

4. Apr 29, 1996Flood, Washington$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. Mar 11, 2006Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Blue River at Fredericksburg crested at 24.76 feet around 430 AM EST on March 12. Flood stage at Fredricksburg is 20 feet. Moderate flooding occurs at this level. Highway 150 is closed, and some flood waters enter businesses in the town of Fredricksburg. Homes and businesses in Milltown in Crawford County were flooded. Some residents had to be evacuated.

6. May 27, 2004Flash Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous roads in the city were flooded. Streets were closed, and several barricades were washed away by rapidly rising water. People had to be rescued from flooded vehicles on Water and Market Streets. Several people were evacuated from their homes due to high water. Several semi-trailers were swept out of a parking lot by flood waters and became wedged against the South Main Street Bridge. The bridge was closed for two hours as a precaution, so that it could be checked for damage from the impact.

7. Nov 5, 2017Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The National Weather Service in conjunction with Washington County|Emergency Management Agency conducted a storm survey in central|Washington County and determined there were three distinct|touchdowns near and around the Salem, Indiana area Sunday evening|November 5. The second tornado touched down in downtown Salem at the Salem Feed|Mill on South Water Street. There was significant damage on the|upper portion of the feed mill approximately 70 feet off the ground|along with some power poles being severely bent. A multi-business|building was hit by the tornado with a large portion of its roof|lifted and dropped on the Dinner Bell restaurant. There was|extensive damage from falling…

8. Nov 5, 2017Tornado$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The National Weather Service in conjunction with Washington County Emergency Management Agency conducted a storm survey in central Washington County and determined there were three distinct touchdowns near and around the Salem, Indiana area Sunday evening November 5. The third tornado touched down near the intersection of Canton Road and Howell Road. Severe damage was sustained to several barns, street signs, bird houses, and metal poles that were bent or snapped. A 500 gallon propane tank moved to the south 3 feet and became lodged against a grain storage building. There was an excellent signature of mud and dirt spattering cyclonically on a grain silo. The tornado was extremely…

9. Nov 10, 2002Thunderstorm Wind$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorm winds took the roofs off numerous houses. Many trees were downed. Marble size hail covered the ground.

10. May 8, 1996Thunderstorm Wind$150,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A hanger roof was blown off by 60 mph winds at the Salem airport. 2 planes were destroyed and 2 were heavily damaged. Report from HAM radio operater.

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°F2 times, most recently Jul 7, 2012

All-time low

−22°FJan 19, 1994

Warmest night

83°F3 times, most recently Jun 29, 2024

Coldest day

1°FJan 20, 1985

Wettest day

7.22 inMar 1, 1997

Snowiest day

15.5 inJan 17, 1994

Hottest year

2024mean 61.9°F

Coldest year

1960mean 54.5°F

Wettest year

201868.83 in

Driest year

195330.38 in

Snowiest season

50.1 in1977-78

Station Louisville International Airport (USW00093821), 480 ft elevation, 33.4 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 26, 2026; 100.0% 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 USW00093821.
• 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.