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Powell County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 380 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 52.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,334 nationally and #20 in Kentucky.
380
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
4
Direct injuries
$6.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Powell County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Powell County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 5.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 152 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 6 events fall before 1990 and 374 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Powell County, Kentucky record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $3.8M 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 Powell County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 201 | 1 | $617K | 75 | 1983–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 62 | 0 | $3.8M | 0 | 1996–2022 |
| Hail | 53 | 0 | $0 | 2 | 1955–2023 |
| Flood | 42 | 0 | $33K | 0 | 2008–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 10 | 0 | $80K | 0 | 2010–2022 |
| Tornado | 7 | 0 | $2.1M | F2 | 1978–2004 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $26K | 0 | 2014–2017 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2009 |
Decade by decade
Powell County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
7 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 6 touched down inside it and 1 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-03-16 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 8.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1978-08-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-03-01 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-07-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 2004-05-30 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-03-02 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1990-05-21 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Powell County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | NATURAL BRIDGE | 1 | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | Lightning | CLAY CITY | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| Jun 17, 1997 | Flash Flood | STANTON | 0 | 1 | $3.3M |
| Mar 16, 1982 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A dead tree fell onto a tent at a campsite at the Middlefork campground, killing one person inside the tent and critically injuring a second person. No other tree damage was noted by first responders except for the dead tree.
Fire Rescue, Dispatch, and an NWS Employee reported numerous roads and locations inundated by flowing flood waters. Multiple locations along Kentucky Highway 11 in Slade experienced half a foot or more of flowing water as vehicles became submerged in water near Little Abner's Motel, Miguel's Restaurant, and the Go Time convenience store off the Mountain Parkway exit in Slade. A swift water rescue was performed near See on High Rock Road as two people were trapped in a vehicle. Dispatch reported houses surrounded by water near Rogers Chapel, leading to numerous water rescues.
The county Emergency Manager relayed a report of a mudslide on North Bend Road (Kentucky Highway 615) northeast of Stanton. This slide fell onto a two story house, causing the second floor to collapse into the first floor. An elderly 90 year old woman was trapped for a period of time, but was unscathed after being rescued by emergency crews. The portion of North Bend Road near the house was closed for safety precautions until the 20th.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
13,038
Population (ACS)
$141K
Median home value
35
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 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
- Stanton 145
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Powell County, Kentucky?
380 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $6.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Powell County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 201 recorded events — 52.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Powell County?
7 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 Powell County?
35 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Powell County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Powell County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Powell County as very low risk, placing it in the 31 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Powell 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
- Pike County 741
- Pulaski County 760
- Perry County 387
- Robertson County 59
- Pendleton County 218
- Rockcastle County 331
Cite this page
“Powell County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/powell-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.