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Owen County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 238 recorded events between 1965 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 61.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,191 nationally and #70 in Kentucky.
238
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$3.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Owen County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Owen County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 4.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 86 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 12 events fall before 1990 and 226 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Owen County, Kentucky record is flash flood, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $2.3M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Owen County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 146 | 0 | $624K | 65 | 1965–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 37 | 3 | $2.3M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Hail | 31 | 0 | $15K | 2.75 | 1968–2025 |
| Flood | 18 | 1 | $6K | 0 | 2008–2024 |
| Tornado | 4 | 0 | $393K | F1 | 1974–2014 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2002 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 2011–2011 |
Decade by decade
Owen 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: 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-11-22 | EF4 | 1 | 10 | 26.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1959-02-10 | EF3 | 0 | 6 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-03-02 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 5.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-10-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-10-07 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 8.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1992-11-22 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF1 | 0 | 18 | 31.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1994-04-28 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Owen County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 1997 | Flash Flood | COUNTYWIDE | 2 | 0 | $2.1M |
| Mar 4, 2021 | Flood | PERRY PARK | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 1, 2016 | Flash Flood | TERESITA | 1 | 0 | $50K |
| Mar 2, 2012 | Tornado | NEW LIBERTY | 0 | 3 | $320K |
| May 28, 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | WHEATLEY | 0 | 2 | $5K |
| Apr 17, 2002 | Lightning | NEW LIBERTY | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Heavy rain fell over parts of southern Owen County with measured rainfall rates as high as 2 inches in 45 minutes. Flash flooding occurred along Indian and Sawdridge Creeks. A 53 year old man was swept away and killed by the rapidly rising water along Indian Creek near the intersection of Teresita Road and Old Walnut Grove Road. Three other people needed to be rescued from a porch at a nearby residence due to the rising water.
The tornado touched down north of Owenton initially near a farm south of Highway 227, where minor damage to a barn and house were observed. The tornado continued east to near the intersection of Todd Road and Highways 127, 36, and 227 where the EF2 damage occurred. This damage included a house that had complete removal of the roof and partial exterior wall collapse. Numerous barns in the area were also completely destroyed. Power poles and trees were snapped, as well as a semi trailer overturned. The tornado then continued east across Kemper Lane where more barns were destroyed and numerous groves of trees were uprooted and snapped. The tornado lifted just east of Jonesville Road. This location is approximate due to inaccessible terrain. Damage in the area of Jonesville Road consisted of minor damage to outbuildings, tree damage, and minor removal of roofing material. Based on the damage survey, the maximum wind speed of this tornado was estimated to be 125 miles per hour.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
11,330
Population (ACS)
$169K
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 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 |
| Mar 28, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Owen County, Kentucky?
238 events are on record between 1965 and 2025, causing 4 direct deaths and $3.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Owen County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 146 recorded events — 61.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Owen County?
8 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 6 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Owen County?
23 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Owen County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Owen County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Owen County as very low risk, placing it in the 15 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Owen 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
- Oldham County 326
- Owsley County 193
- Ohio County 339
- Pendleton County 218
- Nicholas County 127
- Perry County 387
Cite this page
“Owen County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/owen-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.