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Laurel County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 590 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 58.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #614 nationally and #5 in Kentucky.
590
Recorded events
24
Direct deaths
108
Direct injuries
$67.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Laurel County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Laurel County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 8.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 205 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 33 events fall before 1990 and 557 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Laurel County, Kentucky record is tornado, responsible for 23 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $36.2M 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 Laurel County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 343 | 1 | $1.2M | 78 | 1964–2026 |
| Hail | 129 | 0 | $30.0M | 4.5 | 1967–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 59 | 0 | $301K | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Tornado | 19 | 23 | $36.2M | F3 | 1954–2025 |
| Flood | 18 | 0 | $39K | 0 | 2010–2021 |
| Funnel Cloud | 10 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2004–2012 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $212K | 0 | 1997–2024 |
| Heavy Rain | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2008–2021 |
Decade by decade
Laurel County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
19 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-16 | EF4 | 18 | 0 | 60.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF3 | 7 | 40 | 22.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-06-29 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-03-02 | EF2 | 6 | 40 | 7.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2001-06-02 | EF2 | 0 | 10 | 7.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-05-18 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1984-05-06 | EF2 | 0 | 8 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 22 | 19.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1954-06-01 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 16.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2007-11-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Laurel County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2025 | Tornado | GOODWATER | 17 | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 3, 2012 | Tornado | HAZEL PATCH | 6 | 40 | $5.0M |
| May 28, 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Holly Bay | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 22 | $2.5M | |
| Oct 1, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 16 | $250K | |
| Jun 2, 2001 | Tornado | LONDON | 0 | 10 | $17.1M |
| May 6, 1984 | Tornado | 0 | 8 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 1, 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | (LOZ)MCGEE FLD LONDO | 0 | 3 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A storm damage survey team from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Jackson, Kentucky confirmed that an EF-2 tornado moved across portions of Laurel County on March 2, 2012. The tornado touched down southwest of Wood Creek Lake at 704 pm EST, and tracked northeast crossing I-75 and Highway 490 before lifting just south of the Victory community. Winds were estimated to have reached 125 mph. This tornado damaged or destroyed several residences. Five fatalities occurred on March 2nd with another person dieing on March 23rd from injuries they received as their mobile home was impacted by the tornado on March 2nd. All fatalities occurred in mobile homes.
During the evening of May 1st, a severe thunderstorm moving southeast dumped a large swath of hail ranging in size from pennies to softballs across a large portion of Laurel County. Numerous homes and vehicles were damaged, especially in the town of London.
Tornado touchdown occurred 1.8 miles east-northeast of Bernstadt around 428 pm EST, with the tornado dissipating 1 mile southwest of Pittsburg around 433 pm EST. The path length was almost 2 miles and the width was 200 yards at its maximum. The tornado was rated EF1, with estimated peak winds of 94 to 99 mph. Several homes along the tornados path sustained broken windows from flying debris and shingle and gutter damage along the tornados path. A tree fell on one home. Intermittent tree damage was observed along the tornados path. One barn collapsed and several outbuildings were also damaged, with one building being blown off its foundation. A manufactured home was shifted of its foundation at the touchdown site.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
62,983
Population (ACS)
$160K
Median home value
28
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| 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 |
Within the county
Most affected places
- London 224
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Laurel County, Kentucky?
590 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 24 direct deaths and $67.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Laurel County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 343 recorded events — 58.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Laurel County?
19 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 16 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Laurel County?
28 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Laurel County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Laurel County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Laurel County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 72 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Laurel 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
- Larue County 207
- Lawrence County 235
- Knox County 290
- Lee County 281
- Knott County 190
- Leslie County 333
Cite this page
“Laurel County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/laurel-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.