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Indiana · County tornado history

Gibson County, Indiana tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 28 tornadoes in Gibson County, Indiana from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.7 years. That ranks it 24 of 92 counties in Indiana with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on July 9, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
28
Since 2000
16
Strongest
F4, June 2, 1990
Most recent
EF1, July 9, 2024
Peak month
May (10)
Per 1,000 sq mi
57
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Gibson County

May has brought the most, 10 of 28. About 79% touched down between 3 pm and 9 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 18% of the total, a sign of the cool-season storms common in the South.

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 4
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 14
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 6
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 2
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Gibson County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 2, 1990 F4 13 mi 200 yd 6 60
June 2, 1990 F4 106 mi 300 yd 1 12
February 28, 2017 EF3 44.1 mi 440 yd 1 2
April 3, 1989 F3 3.1 mi 100 yd 8
January 29, 2008 EF2 7 mi 100 yd 2
May 14, 2009 EF2 10.3 mi 125 yd
February 28, 2011 EF2 22 mi 550 yd
May 25, 2011 EF2 12.2 mi 125 yd
May 19, 2022 EF2 26.9 mi 300 yd
July 9, 2024 EF2 8.4 mi 400 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Gibson County was an F4 on June 2, 1990. It killed 6 people and injured 60 along its 13-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
July 9, 2024 EF1 1 mi 25 yd
July 9, 2024 EF2 8.4 mi 400 yd
July 9, 2024 EF1 0.4 mi 40 yd
May 26, 2024 EF1 34.1 mi 500 yd
May 19, 2022 EF2 26.9 mi 300 yd
June 8, 2021 EF0 1.3 mi 60 yd 1
February 7, 2019 EF1 2.5 mi 100 yd
February 28, 2017 EF3 44.1 mi 440 yd 1 2

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Gibson County as relatively low, with a score of 39 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.34 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $934,208 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Gibson County had?

28 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 16 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Gibson County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on July 9, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Gibson County?

An F4 on June 2, 1990, with a 106-mile path.

When is tornado season in Gibson County?

May has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.