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Indiana · County tornado history

Knox County, Indiana tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 26 tornadoes in Knox County, Indiana from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.9 years. That ranks it 28 of 92 counties in Indiana with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on May 26, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
26
Since 2000
7
Strongest
F4, June 2, 1990
Most recent
EF2, May 26, 2024
Peak month
April (7)
Per 1,000 sq mi
50
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 Knox County

April has brought the most, 7 of 26. About 54% touched down between 5 pm and 11 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 23% 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) 7
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 6
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 10
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
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 Knox County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
June 2, 1990 F4 106 mi 300 yd 1 12
January 7, 1989 F4 19 mi 200 yd 55
February 10, 1959 F3 3.3 mi 100 yd
April 19, 1963 F2 14.8 mi 250 yd 22
September 20, 2002 F2 13.5 mi 150 yd 2
February 25, 1956 F2 21 mi 900 yd 1
May 6, 1971 F2 55.3 mi 50 yd 1
June 2, 1990 F2 5 mi 50 yd 1
November 17, 2013 EF2 8.8 mi 100 yd 1
April 30, 1962 F2 26.2 mi 10 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Knox County was an F4 on June 2, 1990. It killed 1 person and injured 12 along its 106-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 26, 2024 EF2 12.1 mi 50 yd
May 19, 2022 EF2 26.9 mi 300 yd
February 7, 2019 EF0 3 mi 300 yd
November 17, 2013 EF2 8.8 mi 100 yd 1
April 19, 2011 EF1 10.9 mi 75 yd
March 8, 2009 EF1 4.4 mi 100 yd 1
September 20, 2002 F2 13.5 mi 150 yd 2
June 29, 1998 F0 1.2 mi 80 yd

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 Knox County as relatively low, with a score of 61 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.35 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,875,708 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 Knox County had?

26 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 7 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Knox County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on May 26, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Knox County?

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

When is tornado season in Knox County?

April 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.