1,476
Recorded events
119
Counties affected
242
Direct deaths
$1.1B
Property damage
Kentucky tornado history: 1,476 recorded events across 119 counties between 1950 and 2026.
Decade by decade
Kentucky tornado history by decade
The 2010s are the busiest decade on record with 358 reported tornado events across Kentucky. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most tornado events in Kentucky
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Christian County | 55 | 0 | $58.7M | 1963–2025 |
| #2 | Calloway County | 42 | 1 | $7.4M | 1963–2024 |
| #3 | Graves County | 38 | 24 | $7.1M | 1967–2024 |
| #4 | Hardin County | 34 | 2 | $10.6M | 1964–2026 |
| #5 | Jefferson County | 34 | 3 | $6.2M | 1964–2025 |
| #6 | Warren County | 33 | 18 | $7.6M | 1957–2026 |
| #7 | Daviess County | 31 | 0 | $80.0M | 1952–2024 |
| #8 | Union County | 29 | 0 | $20.2M | 1956–2025 |
| #9 | McCracken County | 28 | 0 | $4.7M | 1958–2024 |
| #10 | Henderson County | 28 | 0 | $11.7M | 1956–2023 |
| #11 | Pulaski County | 26 | 7 | $7.2M | 1963–2025 |
| #12 | Trigg County | 26 | 0 | $6.4M | 1968–2024 |
| #13 | Muhlenberg County | 25 | 14 | $31.0M | 1950–2024 |
| #14 | Marshall County | 25 | 7 | $10.6M | 1951–2023 |
| #15 | Logan County | 24 | 2 | $7.9M | 1957–2026 |
| #16 | Breckinridge County | 23 | 1 | $4.5M | 1974–2026 |
| #17 | Webster County | 22 | 1 | $25.0M | 1956–2019 |
| #18 | Ballard County | 21 | 0 | $1.6M | 1958–2023 |
| #19 | Barren County | 21 | 3 | $21.7M | 1974–2025 |
| #20 | Todd County | 21 | 0 | $10.5M | 1977–2025 |
| #21 | Grayson County | 20 | 3 | $55.9M | 1959–2026 |
| #22 | Hopkins County | 20 | 16 | $39.4M | 1956–2024 |
| #23 | Hart County | 19 | 1 | $4.6M | 1969–2026 |
| #24 | Laurel County | 19 | 23 | $36.2M | 1954–2025 |
| #25 | Shelby County | 19 | 0 | $36.0M | 1951–2023 |
Significant events
Deadliest tornado events in Kentucky
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | Meade County | F5 | 31 | 257 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | Graves County | EF4 | 24 | 210 |
| May 17, 2025 | Laurel County | EF4 | 17 | 0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | Warren County | EF3 | 16 | 63 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | Hopkins County | EF4 | 15 | 200 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | Muhlenberg County | EF4 | 11 | 25 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | Clinton County | F4 | 8 | 63 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Madison County | F4 | 7 | 20 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Pulaski County | F3 | 6 | 30 |
| Apr 28, 1971 | Adair County | F4 | 6 | 58 |