Tornado Watch Issued for 27 Indiana Counties

Indianapolis not included in watch area as severe storms threaten southern parts of the state.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for 27 counties in southern Indiana, as well as parts of Kentucky and Illinois, until 9 p.m. Thursday. The watch area does not include Indianapolis, but covers a large swath of the state from the Ohio River up to the central region.

Why it matters

Tornado watches are issued when conditions are favorable for the development of tornadoes and other severe thunderstorms. While Indianapolis is not directly impacted, the threat of tornadoes and high winds in the surrounding counties could still affect travel, power, and other infrastructure in the broader region.

The details

The counties included in the tornado watch are Bartholomew, Brown, Clark, Crawford, Daviess, Dearborn, Decatur, Dubois, Floyd, Franklin, Gibson, Greene, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Knox, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Ohio, Orange, Perry, Pike, Posey, Ripley, Scott, Spencer, Sullivan, Switzerland, Vanderburgh, Warrick and Washington.

  • The tornado watch is in effect until 9 p.m. on Thursday, February 19, 2026.

The players

National Weather Service

The federal agency responsible for issuing weather watches, warnings, and forecasts for the United States.

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What’s next

Residents in the affected counties should monitor local weather reports and be prepared to take shelter if any tornado warnings are issued.

The takeaway

While Indianapolis is spared from the tornado watch, the severe weather threat in southern Indiana serves as a reminder for all Hoosiers to stay vigilant and have an emergency plan in place when dangerous storms are in the forecast.