Indiana, 1996

Tornado in Indiana, May 8, 1996

May 8, 1996 · NWS IND · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A strong tornado developed just west of Seymour and moved across the downtown area causing major damage before lifting. In all, nine businesses sustained major damage, eighty-eight homes were damaged and seven homes were destroyed.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
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  • Winter weather
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$1.3 million
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.

A strong tornado developed just west of Seymour and moved across the downtown area causing major damage before lifting. In all, nine businesses sustained major damage, eighty-eight homes were damaged and seven homes were destroyed. Three mobile homes were also destroyed. The Seymour highschool also received damage.

The radar

The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:54 UTC.

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Event by event

1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Jackson

When
May 8, 3:55 PM EST to 4:05 PM EST
Where
Jackson County, Seymour to 4 mi of Seymour
Rating
F2
Path length
5.5 mi
Path width
200 yd
Property damage
$1.3 million
Coordinates
38.970, -85.970

What these are

Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Indiana in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Indiana, 1996Warnings in Indiana, May 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: 5556329.