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Pendleton County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 218 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 56.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,332 nationally and #80 in Kentucky.
218
Recorded events
5
Direct deaths
358
Direct injuries
$38.7M
Property damage
The record
What the Pendleton County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Pendleton County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 3.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 82 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 14 events fall before 1990 and 204 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Pendleton County, Kentucky record is tornado, responsible for 4 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $27.6M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Pendleton County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 123 | 0 | $827K | 78 | 1959–2026 |
| Flood | 33 | 0 | $22K | 0 | 2008–2025 |
| Hail | 27 | 0 | $10K | 2.75 | 1968–2024 |
| Flash Flood | 24 | 0 | $10.3M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 9 | 4 | $27.6M | F4 | 1956–2020 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2005 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2013–2013 |
Decade by decade
Pendleton County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
9 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968-04-23 | EF4 | 6 | 364 | 78.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-03-02 | EF3 | 3 | 13 | 20.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1996-05-08 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-07-19 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 21.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2020-04-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 19.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2015-12-23 | EF1 | 0 | 3 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-23 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1989-11-15 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-06-04 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Pendleton County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 23, 1968 | Tornado | 4 | 350 | $25.0M | |
| Jun 14, 2005 | Lightning | PEACH GROVE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Dec 24, 2015 | Tornado | GREENWOOD | 0 | 3 | $120K |
| May 8, 1996 | Tornado | BUTLER | 0 | 2 | $75K |
| Nov 15, 1989 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $25K | |
| Nov 9, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 1 | $50K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A weakening supercell tracked from near Louisville across Owen and Grant counties before collapsing over Pendleton county. The storm left a 3 mile long path of damage which ranged from 25 feet to nearly 100 yards wide. Two homes received significant damage and a barn was completely destroyed. Within the path of the storm, numerous trees and limbs were downed. Most of the damage was estimated to occur from 60 to 75 mph winds with gusts as high as 90 mph.
Just north of Peach Grove, a tornado touched down on the west side of State Route 10, ripping the siding off portions of a house and damaging a garage door. On the other side of State Route 10, extensive damage took place to a residence. Two old barns and two garages had severe structural damage on the property. The garage door on the standalone garage was blown inward, with a back door blown out into the yard behind the structure. Tools inside this garage were also blown out of the back of the structure and strewn throughout the yard. Next to the garage, a metal trailer was cleanly picked up. In addition, an interior door frame was blown into the kitchen of the residence, and numerous trees were uprooted and broken throughout the area.
The Bethel Church had half of its roof torn off. Only the trusses were left on the half of the roof that was lost. Some people are concerned the historic building may be well beyond repair. In addition a large tree was knocked over in the adjacent cemetery.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
14,723
Population (ACS)
$160K
Median home value
22
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 16, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, AND LANDSLIDES | EM |
| Mar 28, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Pendleton County, Kentucky?
218 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 5 direct deaths and $38.7M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Pendleton County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 123 recorded events — 56.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Pendleton County?
9 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 6 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Pendleton County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Pendleton County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Pendleton County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Pendleton County as very low risk, placing it in the 30 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Pendleton 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
- Owsley County 193
- Perry County 387
- Owen County 238
- Pike County 741
- Oldham County 326
- Powell County 380
Cite this page
“Pendleton County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/pendleton-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.