661
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
9
Direct injuries
$3.6M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Jefferson County, Kentucky: 661 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 90. That places the county #41 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Jefferson County, Kentucky: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Jefferson County is the 2010s, when 237 of the county's 661 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Jefferson County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 57.1% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #41 for this hazard and #1 within Kentucky, putting it in the 98.7 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Jefferson County with 145 recorded events, while Dec is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 2024 | LYNDON | 70 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 10, 2013 | INDIAN HILLS | 56 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 20, 2000 | LOUISVILLE | 70 | 1 | 0 | $15K |
| May 14, 1994 | St. Matthews | 0 | 0 | 3 | $500K |
| Jul 31, 1992 | 0 | 0 | 2 | $0 | |
| May 30, 2004 | FAIRDALE | 70 | 0 | 1 | $150K |
| Jul 13, 1987 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 | |
| Jun 13, 1987 | 0 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2026 | PROSPECT | 50 | $0 |
| Apr 27, 2026 | BECKLEY | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2026 | LOUISVILLE | 56 | $0 |
| Dec 29, 2025 | LOUISVILLE | 50 | $0 |
| Aug 19, 2025 | OKOLONA | 39 | $1K |
| Jun 26, 2025 | PLEASURE RIDGE PARK | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 2025 | PLEASURE RIDGE PARK | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 2025 | LOUISVILLE | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 2025 | PLEASURE RIDGE PARK | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 26, 2025 | (SDF)STANIFORD FLD L | 50 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Jefferson County
- Hail 206
- Flash Flood 166
- Flood 56
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A large swath of straight line wind damage was observed across northeastern parts of Louisville, consistent with 75 to 80 mph winds. Numerous trees and power lines were downed by strong winds across the city. A 34 year old man was killed by debris on Hobbs Station Road in Anchorage.
A severe weather spotter reported an overturned trailer and uprooted trees 5 to 10 miles East of Louisville. A meteorologist with WHAS-TV relayed a report of a twisted off sign being blown through a window of a Sizzler restaurant in the same vicinity as the overturned trailer, three people were injured.
The ASOS measured a 64 mph wind gust at Standiford International Airport. The storm that produced this strong downburst downed many trees in the neighborhood and removed a portion of the Crown Plaza Hotel roof. This hotel is located just north of the airport.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Jefferson County, Kentucky?
661 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Jefferson County between 1957 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Jefferson County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Jefferson County measured 90.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Jefferson County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Jefferson County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/jefferson-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.