How Likely Is a Tornado in Franklin County, IN?
Franklin County, IN: what NOAA's tornado record says
Franklin County has recorded 11 tornado touches in NOAA's 76-year database, a rate of roughly one every 6.9 years - our Low band. Put another way: Franklin County sees more tornado activity than 31% of US counties. Within Indiana alone, Franklin County ranks 79 of 92 counties for tornado frequency.
Beyond the frequency band: violent history
1 tornado touching Franklin 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 Franklin County's rating leads to
Indiana's Indiana Department of Homeland Security's Residential Safe Room Program is the number that matters for a Franklin 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
A direct hit is not required for Franklin County to lose power - outbreak-wide outages across Indiana regularly reach homes and businesses well outside the actual tracks. A battery bank covers that gap without a generator's fuel and venting needs.
What this number is, and is not
One caveat before relying on Franklin County's number: it is county-wide, and it covers about 384 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. Franklin County has about 23,136 residents.