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Larue County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 207 recorded events between 1952 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 59.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,403 nationally and #88 in Kentucky.
207
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
28
Direct injuries
$5.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Larue County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Larue County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 2.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 67 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 29 events fall before 1990 and 178 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is tornado, with $4.7M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Larue County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 123 | 0 | $941K | 87 | 1970–2025 |
| Hail | 39 | 0 | $0 | 2.5 | 1956–2020 |
| Flash Flood | 22 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2024 |
| Tornado | 15 | 0 | $4.7M | F3 | 1952–2026 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2013 |
Decade by decade
Larue County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
14 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 11 touched down inside it and 3 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-03-28 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 2.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1952-03-22 | EF3 | 0 | 18 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-06-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-02-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-02-29 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-03-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1997-03-28 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2022-04-13 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-03-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-06-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 5.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Larue County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 22, 1952 | Tornado | 0 | 18 | $250K | |
| Nov 15, 1989 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 6 | $0 | |
| Apr 5, 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | ROANOKE | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Mar 29, 1997 | Tornado | MAGNOLIA | 0 | 1 | $3.0M |
| Feb 21, 1993 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $50K | |
| Aug 4, 1987 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Two miles SW on Hodgenville on Old Sonora Road a large 36×30 foot well built metal barn sustained significant structural damage when the barn broke free from the foundation. Portions of the trusses and 6×6 poles were found 100 yards to the east. Several large pieces of metal roofing and siding were blown eastward up to 1/2 mile and several splintered sections of the roof were impaled in the ground nearby. There was sporadic wind damage eastward from this point and then a concentrated area of damage at Larue County Middle School. Wind gusts lifted a section of the cafeteria roof and threw it about 25 feet downwind to the east. About 100 yards further east from the school, a small storage shed was pushed into the dugout dislodging several concrete blocks. Winds around the school area were estimated to be around 65 mph. Northeast of Hodgenville in Ovsen Heights, a concentrated area of wind brought down several power poles and trees knocking down a few outbuildings and back deck areas. Winds were estimated to be 65 to 70 mph at this location.
The tornado first downed a large tree on McDowell Rd 2.8 miles south of Hodgenville. It damaged tree tops at the Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park as it moved northeast. At the end of Earl Jones Road, the tornado destroyed one cinder block and wood barn and damaged the roof of another, scattering debris several hundred yards. The tornado then skipped intermittently over primarily open farmland for several miles before uprooting and snapping several trees along Leafdale Road west of Highway 470.
A storm survey confirmed widespread straight line wind damage in Hodgenville. A compact but fast moving bow echo that earlier damaged Radcliff brought a measured wind gust of 68 mph to a Kentucky Mesonet site just west of Hodgenville. Numerous soft and hardwood trees had either toppled or had had branches stripped and thrown in a southeasterly direction. A concentrated area of damage consistent with 70 mph winds was surveyed just east of downtown Hodgenville. Awnings and some roof siding were stripped from several buildings. Widespread tree damage was noted near the Red Hill Cemetery. The cemetery's large flag pole was bent at a nearly 45 degree angle. Hail up to half dollar size fell for an estimated 20 minutes.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
15,107
Population (ACS)
$184K
Median home value
25
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 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 |
| Jul 23, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Larue County, Kentucky?
207 events are on record between 1952 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $5.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Larue County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 123 recorded events — 59.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Larue County?
14 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 11 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Larue County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Larue County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Larue County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Larue County as very low risk, placing it in the 12 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Larue 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
- Knox County 290
- Laurel County 590
- Knott County 190
- Lawrence County 235
- Kenton County 273
- Lee County 281
Cite this page
“Larue County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/larue-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.