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Graves County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 432 recorded events between 1961 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 47.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,127 nationally and #16 in Kentucky.
432
Recorded events
27
Direct deaths
228
Direct injuries
$17.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Graves County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Graves County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 6.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 152 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 46 events fall before 1990 and 386 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Graves County, Kentucky record is tornado, responsible for 24 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $7.1M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Graves County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 207 | 2 | $3.1M | 87 | 1961–2025 |
| Hail | 96 | 0 | $25K | 2.75 | 1964–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 45 | 0 | $2.8M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 38 | 24 | $7.1M | F2 | 1967–2024 |
| Flood | 27 | 1 | $4.3M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 10 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2015 |
| Funnel Cloud | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2018 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $45K | 0 | 1997–2023 |
Decade by decade
Graves County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
43 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 33 touched down inside it and 10 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-10 | EF4 | 57 | 515 | 168.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2005-11-15 | EF3 | 1 | 20 | 44.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2016-05-10 | EF3 | 0 | 10 | 19.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-03-04 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 7.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2017-03-01 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-04-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 35.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1971-12-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1961-05-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 22.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-04-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 17.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-05-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Graves County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 11, 2021 | Tornado | BALTIMORE | 24 | 210 | $0 |
| Feb 16, 2025 | Flood | VIOLA | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 29, 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | SYMSONIA | 1 | 0 | $5K |
| Jun 15, 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | SYMSONIA | 1 | 0 | $45K |
| May 10, 2016 | Tornado | DUBLIN | 0 | 10 | $3.5M |
| May 1, 1997 | Lightning | WINGO | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Jan 18, 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | SYMSONIA | 0 | 2 | $60K |
| Mar 3, 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | LYNNVILLE | 0 | 1 | $10K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A 56-year-old man was killed when a tree fell onto the cab of his truck. The truck struck a fallen tree along Highway 534, and then continued along the road until another tree fell on the truck cab and crushed it. Dozens of trees were uprooted or snapped. This vehicle fatality occurred near the beginning of a microburst damage path. The damage path width was about one mile. Peak winds in this portion of the damage path were estimated near 80 mph. The microburst continued eastward into Marshall County.
Flash flooding from the 15th and early 16th transitioned to areal flooding along Mayfield Creek and the West Fork of the Clarks River near Viola and Symsonia. A man lost his life after his vehicle was washed away in flood waters on Highway 348 where it crosses the West Fork of the Clarks River northwest of Symsonia. Numerous roads, including Highway 408, remained closed into the 17th.
The tornado touched down at the intersection of Little Bethel Church Road and Woodson Road, traveled along and just north of Woodson Road, went across State Route 129 and ended just east of Stubblefield Road. The tornado traveled east-northeast at 60 mph for two consecutive miles. Much of the damage path width was 100 yards or less, but peaked at 235 yards wide just east of Route 129. The tornado hit a farm/out building and did damage to several trees along Woodson Road. It intensified at Route 129, and then hit a chicken farm with substantial damage to 3 of the 6 buildings. A 4th building was moderately damaged. Two buildings at each end had minor damage. Metal roofing was launched well up into trees at least 50 to 60 feet tall east of the farm buildings. Damage was estimated to be around 2 million dollars. Minor damage to a house and some trees was found at Stubblefield Road before the tornado ended. Peak winds in this tornado were estimated near 110 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
36,630
Population (ACS)
$148K
Median home value
22
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 |
| Jul 23, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Apr 10, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Mayfield 121
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Graves County, Kentucky?
432 events are on record between 1961 and 2025, causing 27 direct deaths and $17.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Graves County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 207 recorded events — 47.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Graves County?
43 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 33 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Graves County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Graves County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Graves County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Graves County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 84 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Graves 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
- Grant County 211
- Grayson County 310
- Garrard County 172
- Green County 227
- Gallatin County 161
- Greenup County 326
Cite this page
“Graves County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/graves-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.