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Bracken County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 188 recorded events between 1965 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 69.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,516 nationally and #99 in Kentucky.
188
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
11
Direct injuries
$4.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Bracken County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Bracken County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 3.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 64 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 8 events fall before 1990 and 180 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Bracken County, Kentucky record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $1.8M in reported property damage. In total, 5 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Bracken County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 130 | 2 | $1.8M | 70 | 1971–2023 |
| Hail | 18 | 0 | $3K | 1.75 | 1965–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 18 | 1 | $1.5M | 0 | 1996–2023 |
| Flood | 16 | 0 | $9K | 0 | 2008–2025 |
| Tornado | 6 | 1 | $1.2M | F4 | 1968–2025 |
Decade by decade
Bracken County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
9 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-04-23 | EF4 | 6 | 364 | 78.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1968-04-23 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-07-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 21.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1995-08-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-04-08 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 5.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-09-22 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 4.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-04-02 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 3.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-03-02 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-05-08 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Bracken County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 8, 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | BROOKSVILLE | 2 | 3 | $100K |
| Apr 23, 1968 | Tornado | 1 | 8 | $250K | |
| Jul 23, 2017 | Flash Flood | AUGUSTA | 1 | 0 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Five to seven inches of rain produced widespread flash flooding across Bracken County. Two homes were washed away off of Augusta-Minerva Road, killing one man (M82MH). Several other homes in the area sustained damage due to the high water. About 20 boats broke from their moorings on Bracken Creek and were washed into the Ohio River. Several roads across the area also sustained damage due to the rushing water.
The tornado began along Brooksville-Powersville Road west of Hamilton Road. Tree damage was observed in the area along with some minor damage to a home east of Hamilton Road. Several barns were heavily damaged or destroyed in the area. Additional observed damage was located on Michaels Lane and McNamara Lane where several barns were damaged. The tornado continued eastward, crossing Brooksville-Germantown Road, causing damage to more barns, outbuildings, and trees. Based on radar data and observed damage provided by the public on social media, it is believe the tornado dissipated north of Brooksville-Germantown Road west of Locust Creek.
A supercell tracked across the county causing significant damage. Roofs were blown off a barn and a restaurant. Between 50 and 100 trees were blown down between Augusta and Germantown, which is on the border of Mason county.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
8,444
Population (ACS)
$125K
Median home value
18
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Apr 24, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Apr 3, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | EM |
| Feb 16, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | EM |
| Nov 26, 2024 | Tropical Storm | REMNANTS OF HURRICANE HELENE | DR |
| Mar 28, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Bracken County, Kentucky?
188 events are on record between 1965 and 2025, causing 4 direct deaths and $4.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Bracken County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 130 recorded events — 69.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Bracken County?
9 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 7 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Bracken County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Bracken County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Bracken County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Bracken County as very low risk, placing it in the 12 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Bracken 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
- Boyle County 177
- Breathitt County 566
- Boyd County 271
- Breckinridge County 349
- Bourbon County 213
- Bullitt County 312
Cite this page
“Bracken County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/bracken-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.