Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson
- When
- April 20, 12:04 AM EST to 12:07 AM EST
- Where
- Jackson County, Seymour to 15 mi W of Seymour
- Deaths
- 2 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Coordinates
- 38.970, -86.180
Damaging Wind in Indiana, April 20, 1996
Downburst winds killed two campers in the Hoosier National Forest in northwest Jackson County around midnight. The downburst winds blew down hundreds of pine trees, many of which fell on the campers in their tent.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 2
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $50,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS IND wrote it up.
Downburst winds killed two campers in the Hoosier National Forest in northwest Jackson County around midnight. The downburst winds blew down hundreds of pine trees, many of which fell on the campers in their tent. Massive chest injuries led to their death. Due to the remoteness of their campsite, these individuals were not found until almost twelve hours after the storms.
The radar
The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 82 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:04 UTC.
Event by event
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The people who died
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson | 1996-04-20 | 56 | Male | Camping | Direct |
| Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson | 1996-04-20 | 55 | Female | Camping | Direct |
What these are
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornado in Kentucky, April 20, 1996
- Tornado in Tennessee, April 20, 1996
- Tornado in Kentucky, April 20, 1996
- Tornado in Indiana, April 20, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Mississippi, April 20, 1996
- Tornado in Indiana, April 20, 1996
- Tornadoes in Tennessee, April 20, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Tennessee, April 20, 1996
- Tornado in Kentucky, April 20, 1996
- Flood in Michigan, April 20 to 27, 1996
- Tornado in Indiana, April 20, 1996
- Tornado in Kentucky, April 20, 1996
More
Every storm in Indiana in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, April 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5546382.