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Barren County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 340 recorded events between 1960 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 62.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,555 nationally and #30 in Kentucky.
340
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
57
Direct injuries
$26.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Barren County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Barren County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 5.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 117 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 31 events fall before 1990 and 309 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Barren County, Kentucky record is tornado, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $21.7M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Barren County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 213 | 0 | $4.0M | 87 | 1968–2026 |
| Hail | 57 | 0 | $291K | 2.75 | 1960–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 35 | 1 | $35K | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Tornado | 21 | 3 | $21.7M | F3 | 1974–2025 |
| Flood | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2015 |
| Lightning | 6 | 1 | $125K | 0 | 2000–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2010 |
Decade by decade
Barren County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
21 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 16 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | EF3 | 3 | 57 | 31.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1998-04-16 | EF3 | 2 | 9 | 48.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1979-03-31 | EF3 | 1 | 19 | 12.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 4.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-12-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 17.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2006-04-07 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 8.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-01-24 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1991-04-09 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-05-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-01-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 10.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Barren County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 16, 1998 | Tornado | GLASGOW | 2 | 9 | $10.0M |
| Mar 31, 1979 | Tornado | 1 | 19 | $2.5M | |
| May 2, 2010 | Flash Flood | DRY FORK | 1 | 0 | $15K |
| Jun 27, 2000 | Lightning | GLASGOW | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 21, 1976 | Tornado | 0 | 10 | $250K | |
| Apr 7, 2006 | Tornado | TEMPLE HILL | 0 | 4 | $1.4M |
| Apr 20, 1996 | Tornado | GOODNIGHT | 0 | 4 | $15K |
| Apr 9, 1991 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $2.5M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The dock at the Barren River State Resort Park marina suffered severe structural damage. Several large sections of the dock, along with the boats moored within them, were blown out of position. Anchor cables holding the docks in place were snapped or large anchors were blown out of position. Two boats were sunk and several boat motors were lost in the storm. Most of the other boats at the marina sustained some type of minor damage. Elsewhere in the park, buildings were damaged and more than 500 trees were downed.
Fifteen to 20 homes were destroyed, mainly in the Temple Hill area. Another dozen or so homes, along with barns and outbuildings, sustained heavy damage. Four people in the area were treated for minor injuries. The tornado formed about a mile northeast of Temple Hill just south of Barbour Road. Numerous trees were topped, and several homes were damaged. Most of the structural damage occurred along Moore Road, where several mobile homes were moved considerable distances and destroyed. A large RV was flipped over, a large tractor was moved about five feet, and a horse trailer was thrown over 75 yards. The tornado reached its peak intensity near the intersection of Moore Road and Highway 839. The storm then crossed into Metcalfe County about 2.9 miles northeast of Nobob.
The tornado first touched down along Millstown Road southwest of Park City. It uprooted and snapped the trunks of several large trees, and did some minor roof damage to a nearby home. The tornado was on the ground intermittently along its path to the south and east of Park City, destroying eight barns and uprooting or snapping numerous trees. Right before it lifted, it tore the front porch off a home and destroyed a barn. A path of straight line wind damage continued for around a mile and a half after the tornado lifted.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
44,938
Population (ACS)
$178K
Median home value
22
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| May 23, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Apr 24, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Apr 3, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | EM |
| Feb 24, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Glasgow 118
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Barren County, Kentucky?
340 events are on record between 1960 and 2026, causing 5 direct deaths and $26.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Barren County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 213 recorded events — 62.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Barren County?
21 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 16 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Barren County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Barren County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Barren County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Barren County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 68 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Barren County, Kentucky severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Ballard County 310
- Bath County 322
- Anderson County 197
- Bell County 374
- Allen County 233
- Boone County 380
Cite this page
“Barren County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/barren-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.