343
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
8
Direct injuries
$1.2M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Laurel County, Kentucky: 343 recorded events between 1964 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 78. That places the county #322 nationally and #4 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Laurel County, Kentucky: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Laurel County is the 2010s, when 120 of the county's 343 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Laurel County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 58.1% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #322 for this hazard and #4 within Kentucky, putting it in the 89.8 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jun is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Laurel County with 72 recorded events, while Sep is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 1995 | Holly Bay | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 1, 2016 | (LOZ)MCGEE FLD LONDO | 78 | 0 | 3 | $0 |
| Jul 1, 2013 | KEAVY | 50 | 0 | 2 | $0 |
| Aug 19, 2001 | TUTTLE | 0 | 0 | 2 | $5K |
| Jul 5, 2012 | HARE | 55 | 0 | 1 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16, 2026 | BERNSTADT | 50 | $0 |
| Mar 11, 2026 | KEAVY | 50 | $1K |
| Mar 11, 2026 | LESBAS | 51 | $0 |
| Mar 11, 2026 | (LOZ)MCGEE FLD LONDO | 61 | $0 |
| Mar 11, 2026 | PITTSBURG | 61 | $0 |
| Jun 17, 2025 | BOREING | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 17, 2025 | LONDON | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 6, 2025 | EAST BERNSTADT | 50 | $0 |
| May 21, 2025 | HOPEWELL | 50 | $300 |
| May 21, 2025 | VOX | 50 | $500 |
Other hazards here
More from Laurel County
- Hail 129
- Flash Flood 59
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
NWS Storm Survey and Emergency Manager report that the steeple at the First Baptist Church in East Bernstadt was blown off the roof. A peak wind gust of 60 to 65 mph was estimated due to the exposure of the steeple, and the lack of any other damage in the vicinity.
NWS Storm Survey, along with pictures on social media, show multiple downed trees, shingle damage, and downed power lines along Hawk Creek, Found Hubbard, and PL Hubbard Roads due to straight line winds. Peak gusts were estimated between 65 and 70 mph.
An amateur radio operator and dispatch reported wind damage from Keavy through London and up to McWhorter. A roof barn was damaged in Keavy as a tree was split in half. In McWhorter, a large tree was blown down at the intersection of Kentucky Highways 638 and 578, while power poles were blown down along Harris Karr Road in London.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Laurel County, Kentucky?
343 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Laurel County between 1964 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Laurel County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Laurel County measured 78.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Laurel County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Laurel County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/laurel-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.