Live
Active alerts for this county
Heat Advisory
Orange; Washington; Scott; Jefferson; Dubois; Crawford; Perry; Harrison; Floyd; Clark; Hancock; Breckinridge; Meade; Ohio; Grayson; Hardin; Bullitt; Jefferson; Oldham; Trimble; Henry; Shelby; Franklin; Scott; Harrison; Spencer; Anderson; Woodford; Fayette; Bourbon; Nicholas; Nelson; Washington; Mercer; Jessamine; Clark; Larue; Marion; Boyle; Garrard; Madison; Butler; Edmonson; Hart; Green; Taylor; Casey; Lincoln; Logan; Warren; Simpson; Allen; Barren; Monroe; Metcalfe; Adair; Russell; Cumberland; Clinton
Jefferson County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 1,158 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 57.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #88 nationally and #1 in Kentucky.
1,158
Recorded events
8
Direct deaths
259
Direct injuries
$78.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Jefferson County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Jefferson County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 16.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 464 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 135 events fall before 1990 and 1,023 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Jefferson County, Kentucky record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $47.5M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Jefferson County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 661 | 3 | $3.6M | 90 | 1957–2026 |
| Hail | 206 | 0 | $20.0M | 2.75 | 1961–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 166 | 1 | $47.5M | 0 | 1997–2026 |
| Flood | 56 | 1 | $530K | 0 | 1998–2021 |
| Tornado | 34 | 3 | $6.2M | F4 | 1964–2025 |
| Lightning | 24 | 0 | $685K | 0 | 1996–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 10 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2018 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2010 |
Decade by decade
Jefferson County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
35 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 29 touched down inside it and 6 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | EF4 | 3 | 225 | 18.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1996-05-28 | EF4 | 0 | 10 | 30.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-02 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 9.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-04-02 | EF2 | 0 | 32 | 11.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-06-22 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-06-22 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-03-25 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 38.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-03-30 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 5.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2024-07-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Jefferson County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | Tornado | 3 | 225 | $0 | |
| May 26, 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | LYNDON | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 9, 2018 | Flash Flood | LOUISVILLE | 1 | 0 | $10K |
| Mar 14, 2015 | Flood | HARRODS CREEK | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 10, 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | INDIAN HILLS | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 20, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | LOUISVILLE | 1 | 0 | $15K |
| Apr 2, 2024 | Tornado | TRANSYLVANIA BEACH | 0 | 22 | $0 |
| May 14, 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | St. Matthews | 0 | 3 | $500K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A Yellow Cab taxi driver tried to drive through standing water underneath a railroad overpass at 13th Street and Oak Street. When the vehicle he was driving stalled, the driver made several calls to 911, but provided an incorrect location for rescuers. He drowned due to the quickly rising flood waters in that low spot.
A 67-year old male was preparing to leave his home along the banks of the Ohio River as flood waters rose on March 14. Before he could reach his car, however, the flood waters overcame him. He was found 6 days later not far from his home.
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.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively High
FEMA NRI risk rating
783,022
Population (ACS)
$248K
Median home value
25
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 24, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Feb 16, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | EM |
| May 22, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Louisville 288
- Highlands 108
- Audubon Park 105
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Jefferson County, Kentucky?
1,158 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 8 direct deaths and $78.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Jefferson County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 661 recorded events — 57.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Jefferson County?
35 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 29 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Jefferson County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Jefferson County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Jefferson County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Jefferson County as relatively high risk, placing it in the 98 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Jefferson 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
- Jackson County 308
- Jessamine County 177
- Hopkins County 357
- Johnson County 323
- Hickman County 201
- Kenton County 273
Cite this page
“Jefferson County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/jefferson-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.