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Knox; Bell; Harlan; Morgan; Johnson; Wolfe; Magoffin; Floyd; Lee; Breathitt; Knott; Owsley; Perry; Clay; Leslie; Letcher; Martin; Pike
Harlan County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 294 recorded events between 1968 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 56.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,810 nationally and #51 in Kentucky.
294
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$8.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Harlan County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Harlan County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 5.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 105 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 14 events fall before 1990 and 280 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Harlan County, Kentucky record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $5.5M 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 Harlan County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 165 | 2 | $429K | 78 | 1969–2025 |
| Hail | 65 | 0 | $41K | 5 | 1968–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 32 | 0 | $1.8M | 0 | 1996–2022 |
| Flood | 20 | 0 | $5.5M | 0 | 2000–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 9 | 0 | $26K | 0 | 2009–2021 |
| Tornado | 2 | 0 | $720K | EF0 | 2007–2007 |
| Debris Flow | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2001–2001 |
Decade by decade
Harlan County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
2 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 2 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-04-03 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-04-03 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Harlan County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | AGES | 2 | 0 | $10K |
| Apr 28, 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | DRESSEN | 0 | 3 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A local newspaper and citizens reported a couple of mobile homes being swept into the Cumberland River outside of Harlan as the river overspilled its banks. Approximately 70 homes were reported to have been impacted by flood waters across the county. Various streets, especially northeast of Harlan, were closed due to flood waters, including Kentucky Highway 413 from U.S. Highway 421 to Kentucky Highway 522. Portions of U.S. Highway 119 were also closed around Loyall and Baxter near the Cumberland River as major flood stage was reached. This forced the closure of flood gates in Harlan.
A foot of water was flowing over May Street. A couple of mudslides and a flooded business were reported in the Middle of Harlan as well. Substantial damage was done to roads across the county, mainly from urban and small stream flooding and from ditches washing out.
Law enforcement reported several instances of significant flash flooding between Bledsoe and Baxter. Radar estimates and rain gauges indicated 3 to 6 inches of rain fell across Harlan County, with one cooperative observer 3 miles north of Harlan measuring 6.02 inches of rain. Considerable property damage was incurred, including that to between 75 to 100 homes as well as several fences and yards. Some homes in Bledsoe ended up with 3 to 4 feet of water inside of them. Roads and small bridges along U.S. Highway 421 were washed away as creeks spilled over their banks. Roads were further hampered by a rock/mud slide at U.S. Highway 119 and Sukey Ridge Rd outside of Baxter. The Kentucky State Emergency Operations Center received requests for assistance and resources from county officials as written declarations were also composed. American Red Cross teams were mobilized to Harlan County, providing food and water to residents.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
25,772
Population (ACS)
$74K
Median home value
33
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| 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 |
| Feb 16, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | EM |
| Nov 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | REMNANTS OF HURRICANE HELENE | DR |
| Jul 23, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Harlan County, Kentucky?
294 events are on record between 1968 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $8.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Harlan County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 165 recorded events — 56.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Harlan County?
2 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 2 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Harlan County?
33 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Harlan County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Harlan County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Harlan County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 66 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Harlan 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
- Hardin County 478
- Harrison County 185
- Hancock County 182
- Hart County 293
- Greenup County 326
- Henderson County 373
Cite this page
“Harlan County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/harlan-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.