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Lewis County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 206 recorded events between 1965 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 46.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,413 nationally and #90 in Kentucky.
206
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
22
Direct injuries
$17.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Lewis County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lewis County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 3.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 81 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 14 events fall before 1990 and 192 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Lewis County, Kentucky record is flash flood, responsible for 4 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $11.5M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Lewis County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 95 | 0 | $504K | 78 | 1965–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 51 | 4 | $11.5M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 27 | 0 | $16K | 0 | 2007–2025 |
| Hail | 26 | 0 | $8K | 1.75 | 1986–2020 |
| Tornado | 6 | 0 | $5.8M | F3 | 1965–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Lewis County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
8 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 7 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-10 | EF3 | 0 | 17 | 25.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1982-06-16 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 9.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-07-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 29.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-06-16 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1971-04-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-11-26 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 9.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-06-11 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-06-30 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lewis County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 2004 | Flash Flood | TRINITY | 4 | 0 | $0 |
| May 10, 2003 | Tornado | TOLLESBORO | 0 | 17 | $5.0M |
| Jun 16, 1982 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Nov 27, 1965 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Showers and thunderstorms with heavy rainfall caused extensive damage across the county, with the worst damage occurring in Camp Dix. Numerous creeks and streams overflowed their banks and many roads were closed. A total of 146 structures were damaged with 50 being totally destroyed. Evacuations of 300 people occurred.
The tornado touched down to the southeast of Maysville, continuing east-southeast into Lewis County. The greatest damage occurred in the Heron Hill area in western Lewis County. Seventeen people were injured in Lewis County. 21 homes were destroyed, 10 homes sustained major damage and 17 homes received minor damage. Numerous barns, buildings and garages were also damaged or destroyed. The tornado appeared to skip across parts of Mason and Lewis Counties. Tornado damage ended four miles to the southeast of Vanceburg.
Numerous roads were washed out due to flash flooding. In addition there were multiple water rescues from homes. At least three mobile homes and a grocery store were swept off their foundation. Major damage occurred to residences, businesses, vehicles, and roads across southern portions of the county.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
12,965
Population (ACS)
$96K
Median home value
34
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 |
| Nov 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | REMNANTS OF HURRICANE HELENE | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lewis County, Kentucky?
206 events are on record between 1965 and 2025, causing 4 direct deaths and $17.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lewis County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 95 recorded events — 46.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lewis County?
8 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 7 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lewis County?
34 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lewis County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lewis County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lewis County as very low risk, placing it in the 41 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lewis 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
- Letcher County 285
- Lincoln County 207
- Leslie County 333
- Livingston County 225
- Lee County 281
- Logan County 352
Cite this page
“Lewis County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/lewis-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.