135
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
7
Direct injuries
$1.9M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Ballard County, Kentucky: 135 recorded events between 1969 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 78. That places the county #1,731 nationally and #68 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Ballard County, Kentucky: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Ballard County is the 2010s, when 37 of the county's 135 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 Ballard County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 43.5% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,731 for this hazard and #68 within Kentucky, putting it in the 44.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Ballard County with 25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 22, 1999 | LA CENTER | 78 | 0 | 3 | $200K |
| Oct 24, 2001 | KEVIL | 74 | 0 | 2 | $25K |
| Jul 5, 1987 | 52 | 0 | 1 | $0 | |
| Jul 4, 1987 | 52 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 12, 2025 | GAGE | 51 | $0 |
| Jul 12, 2025 | SLATER | 61 | $8K |
| Mar 30, 2025 | OGDEN | 52 | $1K |
| Mar 15, 2025 | WICKLIFFE | 70 | $1K |
| Aug 16, 2024 | OGDEN | 61 | $5K |
| Jul 31, 2024 | HINKLEVILLE | 56 | $3K |
| May 27, 2024 | LA CENTER | 52 | $1K |
| May 26, 2024 | WICKLIFFE | 70 | $65K |
| Apr 2, 2024 | MONKEYS EYEBROW | 61 | $1K |
| Mar 15, 2024 | GAGE | 65 | $15K |
Other hazards here
More from Ballard County
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Widespread damaging winds occurred in much of Ballard County. Wind damage occurred in La Center, where the Ballard County High School and a law office sustained roof damage. The roof of the law office was partially blown off. Elsewhere, widespread damage to trees and power lines was reported across the county. Several homes sustained damage, mainly to roofs. South of La Center, a pole barn about 1,100 square feet was destroyed. Most walls and the roof collapsed, damaging numerous possessions in the barn.
An intense thunderstorm microburst overturned and destroyed a mobile home. Three occupants were injured. Workers had trouble reaching the residence due to downed trees. The mobile home flipped over several times before coming to a stop on top of a van and truck. One of the injured persons required surgery for a severe cut on the arm. Nearby, a machine shop was destroyed, and a barn with over 20,000 bushels of grain was blown away.
A microburst containing winds estimated near 85 mph struck portions of Wickliffe. At a boat facility along the Mississippi River, a portion of a warehouse roof collapsed. Another portion of the metal roof was blown away. Trees were uprooted and power lines were down, and other debris was scattered throughout the city. Other than some minor shingle damage, most of the damage in the city of Wickliffe was near the riverfront. There was other damage off Highway 286 on the outskirts of Wickliffe, including a barn roof that was blown off, shingle damage at a house, and soffit damage at a grocery store. On Highway 121 at the edge of town, a tree fell on a house, causing minor damage to the house.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Ballard County, Kentucky?
135 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Ballard County between 1969 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Ballard County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Ballard County measured 78.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Ballard 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 Ballard County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/ballard-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.