Tornadoes · United States · Indiana

Tornadoes in Clark County, Indiana

29 tornadoes have crossed Clark County since 1950, 2 of them surveyed so far this year and still preliminary, 24th of the 92 counties in Indiana with a tornado on record, an average of one every 2.6 years. They have killed 23 people and injured 234. 2 were rated F4 or EF4 and above.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Now

Tornadoes
29
Deaths
23
Injuries
234
F4 and above
2
Worst on record
EF4, March 2, 2012

The deadliest in Clark County

  1. F4 Hanover–Madison tornado, IndianaApril 3, 197411 killed, 190 injured
  2. EF4 Henryville tornado, Indiana and KentuckyMarch 2, 201211 killed
  3. EF1, Clark County, IndianaJanuary 29, 20081 killed

The strongest

  1. EF4 Henryville tornado, Indiana and KentuckyMarch 2, 2012EF4, 46.6 mi (75 km)
  2. F4 Hanover–Madison tornado, IndianaApril 3, 1974F4, 35.6 mi (57 km)
  3. F3, Clark, Trimble and Jefferson counties, Indiana and KentuckyJune 2, 1990F3, 17.0 mi (27 km)
  4. F3, Floyd and Clark counties, IndianaJune 2, 1990F3, 12.0 mi (19 km)
  5. EF3, Clark County, IndianaOctober 18, 2007EF3, 4.8 mi (8 km)
  6. F2, Washington and Clark counties, IndianaMay 27, 2004F2, 25.9 mi (42 km)
  7. EF2, Clark, Jefferson and Oldham counties, Indiana and KentuckyApril 2, 2024EF2, 11.2 mi (18 km)
  8. F2, Clark County, IndianaJuly 23, 1961F2, 0.1 mi (0 km)
  9. F2, Clark County, IndianaFebruary 10, 1959F2, 0.1 mi (0 km)

Every year with a tornado

The 16 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Clark County. Each year links to every tornado in Indiana that year.

YearTornadoesDeathsInjuriesStrongest
20262EF1
2024432EF2
20171EF1
2012311EF4
20113EF1
20091EF1
200811EF1
20071EF3
20042F2
1990212F3
1974111190F4
19732F1
19721F1
19701F1
19613F2
19591F2

Every tornado that crossed Clark County

29 tornadoes, newest first. The 2 at the top are this year's, from the surveying office rather than SPC's published database, and their ratings are marked as preliminary.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 21, 20269:50 PM EDTEF1Clark3.0150
June 26, 20269:03 PM EDTEF0Clark0.325
September 24, 20241:40 PM EDTEF0Clark3.9100
May 7, 20249:23 PM EDTEF0Clark1.260
April 2, 20244:31 PM CDTEF2Clark to KY11.245032
February 10, 20244:49 AM ESTEF1Clark1.075
March 1, 20176:04 AM ESTEF1Clark0.320$200,000
March 2, 20123:30 PM ESTEF1Clark6.660$300,000
March 2, 20122:50 PM ESTEF4Henryville tornado46.680011$58 million
January 17, 201211:06 AM ESTEF0Clark1.930$20,000
April 19, 201112:28 AM EDTEF1Clark1.2200
April 19, 201112:28 AM EDTEF0Clark0.275
February 28, 20113:29 AM CSTEF1Clark to KY3.0100$7,000
September 20, 20095:58 PM EDTEF1Clark1.135$10,000
January 29, 20087:58 PM ESTEF1Clark0.21001$50,000
October 18, 200710:03 PM EDTEF3Clark4.8440$1.0 million
May 30, 20043:30 PM EDTF1Clark2.010$500,000
May 27, 20046:30 PM ESTF2Washington25.9150$2.5 million
June 2, 199010:40 PM CDTF3Clark to KY17.04405$50,000 to $500,000
June 2, 199010:57 PM EDTF3Floyd12.03007$500,000 to $5 million
April 3, 19743:19 PM CDTF4Hanover–Madison tornado35.61,20011190$50 million to $500 million
June 27, 197311:00 AM EDTF1Clark15.2100$50,000 to $500,000
June 16, 19739:10 PM EDTF1Clark0.120$5,000 to $50,000
April 13, 19725:42 AM ESTF1Clark0.120$5,000 to $50,000
September 3, 19705:30 PM EDTF1Clark5.130$5,000 to $50,000
July 23, 19617:30 PM GMT-5F2Clark0.110$5,000 to $50,000
July 23, 19617:30 PM GMT-5F1Clark0.110$500 to $5,000
March 6, 196110:00 AM GMT-6F1Clark0.110$500 to $5,000
February 10, 19594:00 AM GMT-6F2Clark0.110$5,000 to $50,000

Nearby

Warnings in force in Clark CountyThe forecast for Clark CountyThe live radar over Clark CountyEvery county in Indiana

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.