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Whitley County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 477 recorded events between 1959 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 50.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #960 nationally and #13 in Kentucky.
477
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
9
Direct injuries
$6.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Whitley County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Whitley County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 7.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 189 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 14 events fall before 1990 and 463 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Whitley County, Kentucky record is flash flood, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $4.0M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Whitley County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 242 | 0 | $1.6M | 75 | 1973–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 92 | 3 | $332K | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Hail | 71 | 0 | $9K | 3.5 | 1959–2025 |
| Flood | 52 | 1 | $4.0M | 0 | 2000–2022 |
| Funnel Cloud | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2002–2015 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $8K | 0 | 2009–2021 |
| Tornado | 5 | 0 | $550K | F3 | 1967–2011 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $7K | 0 | 1997–2020 |
| Debris Flow | 1 | 0 | $2K | 0 | 2018–2018 |
Decade by decade
Whitley 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: 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967-03-12 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 23.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1967-03-12 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.7 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Whitley County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 2014 | Flash Flood | PARKERS | 3 | 0 | $1K |
| Feb 6, 2020 | Flood | WILLIAMSBURG | 1 | 0 | $4.0M |
| Mar 12, 1967 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $250K | |
| Aug 31, 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | HIGHLAND PARK | 0 | 1 | $10K |
| Apr 4, 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | CORBIN | 0 | 1 | $1K |
| Apr 4, 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | FABER | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 14, 1997 | Lightning | WILLIAMSBURG | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A vehicle containing a deceased family of three was found submerged in Jellico Creek off Newman Campbell Rd. The family went missing late Thursday night and the vehicle was found early Saturday morning. It is likely based off evidence from the scene that the driver drove into swiftly flowing water at least 3 feet deep and was swept away. Time of the event is a general estimate.
Emergency Management reported extensive flooding in Williamsburg and elsewhere across Whitley County, especially east of town. Several swift water rescues were performed with one woman being diagnosed with hyperthermia. At least 38 homes were inundated with water, with six of these being completely under water. Many businesses also sustained extensive water damage, especially along the Cumberland River basin. Several local residents rate this as the second worst flood in their memory, right behind that of the April 1977 flood.||On February 10th, a man was found dead inside his vehicle on Kentucky Highway 779. He apparently attempted to drive through flood waters on his way to work on February 6th.
The tornado touched down northwest of Williamsburg Kentucky along Brays Chapel Road and remained on the ground until just west of Airport Road. The tornado crossed highway 25W and Kentucky 204 while downing and uprooting many trees and causing significant damage to several barns and outbuildings along its path. Additional straight line wind damage occurred just east of where the tornado lifted from around airport road east over Interstate 75. The tornado's maximum wind speeds were estimated between 90 and 95 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
36,920
Population (ACS)
$132K
Median home value
38
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| May 23, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | 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 |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Williamsburg 118
- Corbin 116
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Whitley County, Kentucky?
477 events are on record between 1959 and 2025, causing 4 direct deaths and $6.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Whitley County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 242 recorded events — 50.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Whitley County?
4 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 2 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Whitley County?
38 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Whitley County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Whitley County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Whitley County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 62 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Whitley 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
- Webster County 217
- Wolfe County 289
- Wayne County 311
- Woodford County 177
- Washington County 163
- Warren County 583
Cite this page
“Whitley County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/whitley-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.