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Clark County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 198 recorded events between 1961 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 66.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,455 nationally and #92 in Kentucky.
198
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
17
Direct injuries
$52.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Clark County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Clark County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 3.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 58 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 26 events fall before 1990 and 172 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $51.6M 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 Clark County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 131 | 0 | $51.6M | 85 | 1961–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 34 | 0 | $12K | 0 | 1996–2021 |
| Hail | 20 | 0 | $0 | 2.75 | 1982–2024 |
| Tornado | 7 | 0 | $700K | F4 | 1974–2024 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 2007–2015 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $7K | 0 | 1998–1998 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2009 |
Decade by decade
Clark County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
7 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 5 touched down inside it and 2 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 | EF4 | 7 | 28 | 31.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1982-03-16 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-06-16 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 12.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-04-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 12.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-04-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-02-06 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-08-11 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Clark County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 8 | $0 | |
| Jun 16, 1982 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $250K | |
| May 18, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Winchester | 0 | 3 | $50.0M |
| Jul 8, 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 | |
| Mar 16, 1982 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The damage path was from Combs Ferry Road Northeast through the county. The roof off the Red Carpet Inn on West Lexington Avenue was blown off. Debris from the roof was thrown on Shoney's Restaurant and Hatfield Chrysler-Plymouth. Three workers at OHI America were injured when the roof collapsed. Three tractor-semitrailers were blown into a building. Also, there was extensive damage to homes and barns. Winds greater than 100 mph estimated.
A spotter reported that winds associated with a strong line of showers brought damage to his storm doors and his garage. In his neighborhood many large tree limbs were downed, causing power outages. Thirteen minutes earlier, just 3 miles northwest of Winchester, a Kentucky mesonet site recorded a wind gust of 57 mph.
After exiting Bourbon County, the tornado continued southeast to a large property off the 6700 block of Paris Rd, in far north Clark County. The home had several older healthy trees near the home downed as well as a barn demolished. A very old|stone cabin downwind of the home escaped damage, likely because of the upstream trees and the home structure. Some additional tree damage occurred along Pretty Run Rd. The tornado last caused damage to a large new barn in Wades Mill area before lifting. In total, the EF1 tornado covered 13.44 miles after beginning near Bethlehem Road in Bourbon County and ending in Clark County.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
37,192
Population (ACS)
$206K
Median home value
27
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| 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 16, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | EM |
| Nov 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | REMNANTS OF HURRICANE HELENE | DR |
| Apr 10, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Winchester 101
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Clark County, Kentucky?
198 events are on record between 1961 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $52.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Clark County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 131 recorded events — 66.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Clark County?
7 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 5 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Clark County?
27 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Clark County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Clark County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Clark County as very low risk, placing it in the 38 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Clark 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
- Christian County 620
- Clay County 333
- Casey County 252
- Clinton County 174
- Carter County 226
- Crittenden County 156
Cite this page
“Clark County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/clark-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.