217
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
5
Direct injuries
$3.9M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in McCracken County, Kentucky: 217 recorded events between 1959 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 87. That places the county #903 nationally and #15 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in McCracken County, Kentucky: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in McCracken County is the 2010s, when 60 of the county's 217 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 McCracken County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 41.3% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #903 for this hazard and #15 within Kentucky, putting it in the 71.3 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in McCracken County with 46 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 18, 1995 | Woodville | 70 | 0 | 2 | $200K |
| Sep 23, 2006 | (PAH)BARKLEY ARPT PA | 65 | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| Jul 28, 2003 | PADUCAH | 55 | 0 | 1 | $85K |
| Jul 18, 2001 | REIDLAND | 0 | 0 | 1 | $10K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 19, 2025 | WOODLAWN | 70 | $3K |
| Jul 18, 2025 | FUTRELL | 56 | $15K |
| May 16, 2025 | CECIL | 61 | $12K |
| Mar 15, 2025 | AVONDALE HGTS | 78 | $1K |
| Mar 15, 2025 | MAXON | 78 | $2K |
| Mar 15, 2025 | MASSAC | 78 | $5K |
| Aug 16, 2024 | (PAH)BARKLEY ARPT PA | 52 | $10K |
| Aug 2, 2024 | LONE OAK | 52 | $1K |
| Aug 2, 2024 | MAXON | 61 | $15K |
| May 27, 2024 | HEATH | 56 | $2K |
Other hazards here
More from McCracken County
- Hail 76
- Flash Flood 73
- Flood 70
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Widespread damaging winds around 75 mph occurred across much of western and central McCracken County, including the cities of Paducah and Lone Oak. A wind gust to 75 mph was measured by the automated observing system at Barkley Regional Airport. A wind gust to 68 mph was measured at a fire station in Grahamville. Numerous buildings sustained minor roof damage, including a few historic landmarks in downtown Paducah. A metal wall panel was blown off a large storage building in Paducah. A large tree fell through the kitchen and bedroom of a house. Several outbuildings and sheds were destroyed, including one that was blown onto a road near Barkley Regional Airport. Trees and signs were blown down areawide, including some large uprooted trees. Numerous power outages lasted through the morning. Some roads were blocked by downed trees and power lines. A large tree was down on a vehicle in Paducah, destroying the vehicle. A power pole and power lines were down on a car in Lone Oak.
A severe thunderstorm moving northeast from Ballard County clipped northwest McCracken County. The storm overturned and destroyed a mobile home, causing minor injuries to two of its occupants. Many outbuildings were damaged, roofs were blown off two barns, and some utility poles were snapped or blown over. Several residences sustained minor roof damage. The affected area in McCracken County was about one square mile.
Strong damaging winds struck parts of McCracken County, mainly around the city of Paducah. A semi was blown over on the Interstate 24 bridge across the Ohio River. On the north side of Paducah, about 175 feet of a 400-foot tall broadcasting tower was knocked down. Large trees were down in the city of Paducah, and bricks were blown off an historic building downtown. Just outside the city, several trees were blown down in Lone Oak. At the Barkley Regional Airport west of Paducah, a trailer was shifted off its foundation.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in McCracken County, Kentucky?
217 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in McCracken County between 1959 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in McCracken County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in McCracken County measured 87.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for McCracken 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 McCracken County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/mccracken-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.