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Hardin County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 478 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 55.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #957 nationally and #12 in Kentucky.
478
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
130
Direct injuries
$70.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Hardin County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Hardin County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 6.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 160 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 73 events fall before 1990 and 405 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Hardin County, Kentucky record is tornado, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $56.9M 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 Hardin County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 266 | 0 | $56.9M | 96 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 99 | 0 | $0 | 4.5 | 1974–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 57 | 1 | $923K | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Tornado | 34 | 2 | $10.6M | F4 | 1964–2026 |
| Flood | 11 | 0 | $1.4M | 0 | 2011–2020 |
| Heavy Rain | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2015 |
| Lightning | 4 | 1 | $401K | 0 | 2002–2025 |
Decade by decade
Hardin County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
31 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 25 touched down inside it and 6 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 | 3 | 81 | 37.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-06-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-02-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2008-02-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-02-05 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-01-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-05-11 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 6.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-05-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-05-13 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 15.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Hardin County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | Tornado | Elizabethtown | 2 | 57 | $250K |
| Jul 27, 2010 | Lightning | (FTK)GODMAN AAF FT K | 1 | 2 | $0 |
| Feb 16, 2025 | Flash Flood | GLENDALE JCT | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| May 14, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Radcliff | 0 | 46 | $5.0M |
| Mar 30, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 8 | $250K | |
| May 11, 2003 | Tornado | RINEYVILLE | 0 | 5 | $1.0M |
| May 17, 1990 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 5 | $0 | |
| Nov 15, 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 4 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
At approximately 8 PM, a 63 year old male was driving on Gilead Church Road when he drove into water over the roadway. He left his vehicle and drown. His body was found a short distance from his vehicle. The value of damage to the vehicle is unknown.
Two soldiers at Fort Knox were struck by lightning while doing training outside. They were airlifted to the hospital where an 18 year old female eventually died from the injuries she sustained. The time is approximate.
Department of Emergency Service reports three mobile home parks received substantial damage. Forty-six minor injuries were also reported throughout the county. In all, 421 homes were damaged and 100 destroyed across the county. Damage was estimated at $10.9 million across the county including $6 million in Vine Grove and $3.5 million in Radcliff. The damage was attributed to downburst winds up to 120 mph with embedded weak F1 tornadoes not out of the question.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
111,942
Population (ACS)
$226K
Median home value
26
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 |
| Apr 10, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Mar 28, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Elizabeth Town 121
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Hardin County, Kentucky?
478 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 4 direct deaths and $70.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Hardin County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 266 recorded events — 55.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Hardin County?
31 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 25 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Hardin County?
26 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Hardin County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Hardin County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hardin County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 76 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Hardin 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
- Hancock County 182
- Harlan County 294
- Greenup County 326
- Harrison County 185
- Green County 227
- Hart County 293
Cite this page
“Hardin County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/hardin-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.