Live
Active alerts for this county
Special Weather Statement
Knox; Bell; Harlan; Morgan; Johnson; Wolfe; Magoffin; Floyd; Lee; Breathitt; Knott; Owsley; Perry; Clay; Leslie; Letcher; Martin; Pike
Leslie County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 333 recorded events between 1974 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 49.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,587 nationally and #32 in Kentucky.
333
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$1.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Leslie County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Leslie County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 6.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 151 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 7 events fall before 1990 and 326 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Leslie County, Kentucky record is flood, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $706K 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 Leslie County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 165 | 0 | $706K | 70 | 1974–2026 |
| Hail | 85 | 0 | $53K | 4.25 | 1980–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 35 | 0 | $606K | 0 | 1996–2021 |
| Flood | 26 | 2 | $426K | 0 | 2000–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 14 | 0 | $80K | 0 | 2002–2020 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $25K | 0 | 2004–2009 |
| Tornado | 3 | 0 | $50K | F0 | 1990–2014 |
| Debris Flow | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2025–2025 |
Decade by decade
Leslie County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
4 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-07-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-05-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-03-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-06-22 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Leslie County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 23, 2019 | Flood | CINDA | 2 | 0 | $15K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A local news media outlet reported that a motorist crashed into Wolf Creek off of Stidham Road south of Cinda. The driver's body was later found trapped inside the car. Additionally, a bystander also died as a result of the flooded creek after he jumped in to try to save the driver. The creek was 3 to 4 times higher than normal, contributing to the death of both men.
Local media reported significant flooding in Hyden, leading to a state of emergency declaration for the city. The city park was one of the areas under water. Several other locations around the county experienced significant road damage.
Local media reported flooding in the Confluence community, resulting from heavy rain and water backup from Buckhorn Lake's dam. Several homes were surrounded by flood waters, while Kentucky Highway 257 and other nearby roads were inundated for more than 2 weeks following the end of the heavier rainfall and more widespread flooding issues.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
10,079
Population (ACS)
$69K
Median home value
39
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 |
| 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 Leslie County, Kentucky?
333 events are on record between 1974 and 2026, causing 2 direct deaths and $1.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Leslie County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 165 recorded events — 49.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Leslie County?
4 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 4 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Leslie County?
39 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Leslie County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Leslie County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Leslie County as very low risk, placing it in the 32 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Leslie 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
- Lee County 281
- Letcher County 285
- Lawrence County 235
- Lewis County 206
- Laurel County 590
- Lincoln County 207
Cite this page
“Leslie County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/leslie-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.