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Henderson County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 373 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 40.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,371 nationally and #24 in Kentucky.
373
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
27
Direct injuries
$40.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Henderson County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Henderson County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 5.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 108 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 61 events fall before 1990 and 312 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Henderson County, Kentucky record is flood, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $18.0M 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 Henderson County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 150 | 0 | $1.7M | 87 | 1955–2025 |
| Hail | 82 | 0 | $5K | 3 | 1974–2025 |
| Flood | 57 | 2 | $9.5M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 31 | 0 | $18.0M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 28 | 0 | $11.7M | F3 | 1956–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 14 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2004–2015 |
| Funnel Cloud | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2016 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $21K | 0 | 2000–2011 |
Decade by decade
Henderson County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
28 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 21 touched down inside it and 7 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005-11-06 | EF3 | 24 | 238 | 41.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-04-03 | EF3 | 1 | 2 | 22.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2013-11-17 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 14.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2009-03-28 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 12.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1960-06-28 | EF3 | 0 | 12 | 14.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2020-03-28 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 5.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-03-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 16.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-22 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 15.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2004-05-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1982-05-31 | EF2 | 0 | 4 | 16.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Henderson County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 8, 2015 | Flood | HENDERSON | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| Mar 22, 2013 | Flood | BASKETT | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| Nov 6, 2005 | Tornado | HENDERSON | 0 | 8 | $7.0M |
| Apr 12, 1979 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $0 | |
| May 31, 1982 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $2.5M | |
| Jun 26, 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | HENDERSON | 0 | 2 | $20K |
| Feb 29, 2012 | Tornado | WHITE CITY | 0 | 2 | $80K |
| Mar 28, 2009 | Tornado | KINGS MILLS | 0 | 2 | $500K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Minor flooding occurred on the Ohio River. Numerous secondary roads in low-lying bottomlands were underwater. One motorist died after driving down a flooded road in a remote area adjacent to Audubon State Park. The body of the 55-year-old man was found in the water near his truck about 17 days after he went missing. A few state roads were closed near the river, including Highways 268, 811, and 136.
Minor flooding occurred along the Ohio River in Henderson County. Some low-lying fields were underwater. A few river access roads were underwater. At the end of a secondary road near the confluence of the Green and Ohio Rivers, a 70-year-old man drowned after driving into floodwaters. The man was discovered by a sheriff's deputy on March 24 while on routine patrol. The water was close to chest deep when the deputy located him. It appeared the victim's truck had stalled in the water and that he attempted to walk out. The victim did not have a phone in his possession. County dispatch was notified of his stalled truck on March 22, but nobody was found during a search by rescue squad personnel.
The tornado that would cause mass casualties in the Evansville, Indiana area crossed the Ohio River a second time. This second crossing was from Vanderburgh County, Indiana into Henderson County. The tornado then crossed the river a third time less than a mile west of the U.S. Highway 41 twin bridges. The river does not form the state line at the third crossing. From the bridges, extensive tree damage was visible along both sides of the Ohio River. Almost immediately after crossing the river, the tornado slammed into a horse racing facility named Ellis Park. There was extensive damage to grandstands and housing facilities for jockeys. A few race horses were killed. This facility was the first major facility to be impacted by the tornado. All of the Henderson County tornado injuries were at Ellis Park. The tornado then crossed back into Vanderburgh County, Indiana after striking Ellis Park.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
44,280
Population (ACS)
$172K
Median home value
23
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 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 |
| Apr 10, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Henderson 198
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Henderson County, Kentucky?
373 events are on record between 1955 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $40.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Henderson County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 150 recorded events — 40.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Henderson County?
28 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 21 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Henderson County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Henderson County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Henderson County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Henderson County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 73 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Henderson 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
- Hart County 293
- Henry County 214
- Harrison County 185
- Hickman County 201
- Harlan County 294
- Hopkins County 357
Cite this page
“Henderson County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/henderson-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.