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Madison County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 401 recorded events between 1955 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 53.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,250 nationally and #17 in Kentucky.
401
Recorded events
16
Direct deaths
66
Direct injuries
$40.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Madison County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Madison County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 5.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 160 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 39 events fall before 1990 and 362 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Madison County, Kentucky record is tornado, responsible for 9 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $38.6M 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 Madison County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 216 | 0 | $739K | 175 | 1956–2025 |
| Hail | 80 | 0 | $5K | 2.75 | 1959–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 61 | 3 | $1.2M | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Tornado | 18 | 9 | $38.6M | F4 | 1955–2023 |
| Flood | 18 | 1 | $31K | 0 | 2007–2021 |
| Lightning | 4 | 3 | $100K | 0 | 1996–2018 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2018 |
| Debris Flow | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2025–2025 |
Decade by decade
Madison County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
19 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 16 touched down inside it and 3 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 | 7 | 28 | 31.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2009-05-08 | EF3 | 2 | 15 | 21.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1955-03-04 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 8.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-04-20 | EF2 | 0 | 10 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-05-21 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1972-08-19 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-03-12 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-01-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-01-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.8 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Madison County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 7 | 20 | $0 | |
| May 8, 2009 | Tornado | KIRKSVILLE | 2 | 15 | $0 |
| Aug 21, 2013 | Lightning | COTTONBURG | 2 | 3 | $0 |
| Apr 14, 2015 | Flood | REDHOUSE | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| May 2, 2010 | Flash Flood | REDHOUSE | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| Jun 14, 2003 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 0 | $2K |
| Feb 19, 2000 | Flash Flood | RICHMOND | 1 | 0 | $10K |
| Sep 5, 1996 | Lightning | BEREA | 1 | 0 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The public reported that several homes were surrounded by high water from heavy rainfall. Approximately 3 to 4 inches of rain fell during the morning. Additionally, a 42 year old male lost his life after hydroplaning on Paint Lick Rd during the morning hours. The vehicle then crashed into Paint Lick Creek and became submerged. Rescue workers were able to retrieve his body later in the evening.
The heavy rains over the previous 24 hours caused the creek flowing by a home to flood the house. One person died in the home when they began shaking and collapsed in the water. The cause of death was found to be drowning and electrocution due to submersion. M65PH.
A vehicle was attempting to cross a low water bridge over Drowning Creek near Panola in eastern Madison County. The creek was well above the bridge and traveling swiftly. The vehicle was swept away by flood waters. The driver and an adult passenger were rescued, but a 6 year old child was missing, and recovered several days later. Elsewhere, there was minor street flooding in the city of Richmond.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
95,769
Population (ACS)
$232K
Median home value
27
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 |
| Apr 23, 2021 | Flood | SEVERE, STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Richmond 149
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Madison County, Kentucky?
401 events are on record between 1955 and 2025, causing 16 direct deaths and $40.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Madison County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 216 recorded events — 53.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Madison County?
19 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 16 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Madison County?
27 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Madison County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Madison County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Madison County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 75 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Madison 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
- McLean County 178
- Magoffin County 305
- McCreary County 309
- Marion County 214
- McCracken County 525
- Marshall County 375
Cite this page
“Madison County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/madison-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.