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Special Weather Statement
Knox; Bell; Harlan; Morgan; Johnson; Wolfe; Magoffin; Floyd; Lee; Breathitt; Knott; Owsley; Perry; Clay; Leslie; Letcher; Martin; Pike
Knox County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 290 recorded events between 1974 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 52.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,832 nationally and #54 in Kentucky.
290
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$7.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Knox County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Knox County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 5.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 105 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 9 events fall before 1990 and 281 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Knox County, Kentucky record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $4.1M 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 Knox County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 153 | 0 | $503K | 70 | 1974–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 53 | 1 | $4.1M | 0 | 1996–2021 |
| Hail | 50 | 0 | $11K | 2.5 | 1980–2025 |
| Flood | 22 | 0 | $2.6M | 0 | 2007–2022 |
| Heavy Rain | 7 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 2002–2021 |
| Tornado | 3 | 0 | $280K | F1 | 2004–2024 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 2014–2014 |
| Funnel Cloud | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2021–2021 |
Decade by decade
Knox County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
3 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 3 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-26 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-05-31 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-05-31 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Knox County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 20, 2011 | Flash Flood | ANCHOR | 1 | 0 | $25K |
| Mar 16, 2012 | Heavy Rain | BARBOURVILLE | 0 | 6 | $20K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Dispatch reported several roads inundated by flood waters and mudslides across the county. These include Kentucky Highway 229 near Heidrick, Kentucky Highway 11 near Barbourville, and Asher Branch Road off of Kentucky Highway 229. Hundreds of individuals experienced a lack of clean water due to mudslides affecting the water supply across the county. Additionally, Emergency Management reported 37 homes impacted by flood waters, particularly along the Cumberland River.
Numerous trees down countywide. Road signs blown down. Roof blown off a trailer. Eight children in a shelter due to their home being uninhabitable. Unconfirmed report of 2 people trapped in their basement due to wind damage.
Two other residents of Kayjay were trapped in their home for a period of time as it floated along KY 225 during the height of the June 20th flash flood. The house sustained heavy damage along with many of the owners belongings.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
29,865
Population (ACS)
$119K
Median home value
39
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| May 23, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | 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 |
| Jul 23, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Barbourville 107
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Knox County, Kentucky?
290 events are on record between 1974 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $7.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Knox County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 153 recorded events — 52.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Knox County?
3 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 3 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Knox County?
39 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Knox County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Knox County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Knox County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 75 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Knox 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
- Knott County 190
- Larue County 207
- Kenton County 273
- Laurel County 590
- Johnson County 323
- Lawrence County 235
Cite this page
“Knox County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/knox-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.