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Mason County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 236 recorded events between 1961 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 54.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,206 nationally and #71 in Kentucky.
236
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$7.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Mason County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Mason County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 3.7 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 75 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 22 events fall before 1990 and 214 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Mason County, Kentucky record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $3.5M 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 Mason County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 128 | 0 | $1.5M | 70 | 1961–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 35 | 1 | $2.5M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Hail | 33 | 0 | $7K | 2.5 | 1966–2022 |
| Flood | 29 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2008–2025 |
| Tornado | 10 | 0 | $3.5M | F3 | 1964–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2013–2013 |
Decade by decade
Mason County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
13 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 11 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-04-23 | EF4 | 6 | 364 | 78.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 2003-05-10 | EF3 | 0 | 17 | 25.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-05-07 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1981-06-09 | EF2 | 0 | 7 | 4.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-07-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 21.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2024-04-12 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-04-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1969-07-22 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-03-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Mason County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 1997 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 1 | 0 | $500K |
| Jun 10, 1981 | Tornado | 0 | 7 | $2.5M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Five to seven inches of rain produced widespread flash flooding across Mason County. Several homes were damaged by rushing water, including one home that was washed off its foundation along State Route 11 east of Maysville. About 60 vehicles were washed away from an auto sales lot in Maysville. Numerous roads across the area also sustained damaged due to the rushing water.
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.
The tornado began within the town of Minerva, Kentucky causing tree and minor structural damage. Numerous trees were observed to be uprooted and snapped along Minerva Tuckahoe Road, consistent with EF1 intensity. Additionally, a structure was damaged on T Wenz Road, which confirmed the estimated EF1 intensity, with considerable roof coverage loss and a partial collapse of the second story brick wall. Due to a lack of access along the rest of T Wenz Road and Lee Creek, it is unknown how many trees and builders were damaged. The last known sign of damage, a few trees uprooted, was observed along Tuckahoe Road. It is believed the tornado dissipated before the Ohio River.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
16,956
Population (ACS)
$162K
Median home value
23
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 16, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | EM |
| May 22, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Apr 23, 2021 | Flood | SEVERE, STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Mar 28, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Mason County, Kentucky?
236 events are on record between 1961 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths and $7.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Mason County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 128 recorded events — 54.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Mason County?
13 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 11 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Mason County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Mason County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Mason County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Mason County as very low risk, placing it in the 39 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Mason 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
- Martin County 211
- Meade County 278
- Marshall County 375
- Menifee County 225
- Marion County 214
- Mercer County 196
Cite this page
“Mason County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/mason-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.