How Likely Is a Tornado in Clinton County, IN?
How likely is a tornado in Clinton County, IN?
Clinton County has recorded 18 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 4.2 years - our Moderate band. Put another way: Clinton County sees more tornado activity than 47% of US counties. Within Indiana alone, Clinton County ranks 57 of 92 counties for tornado frequency.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
2 tornados touching Clinton County reached violent (EF4-5) strength since 1950. That single fact carries more weight for the shelter decision than the county's overall frequency band.
The dollar figure Clinton County's rating leads to
Indiana's Indiana Department of Homeland Security's Residential Safe Room Program is the number that matters for a Clinton County homeowner: 75% of an approved shelter, capped at $5,000, cutting the typical $2,890-$13,280 national range to about $722.5-$8,280 net.
What a direct hit isn't required for
32,895 people live in Clinton County, and a tornado outbreak's power loss usually reaches far more of Indiana than the tracks themselves touch. A portable battery unit is the faster, no-fuel way to bridge that outage.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Clinton County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 405 square miles, so a single touch counts the same as one in a county a fraction of that size. Weaker pre-1990s tornadoes are also documented as undercounted in NOAA's own record. Clinton County has about 32,895 residents.