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Pulaski County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 760 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 60.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #328 nationally and #2 in Kentucky.
760
Recorded events
7
Direct deaths
65
Direct injuries
$16.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Pulaski County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Pulaski County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 11.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 238 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 57 events fall before 1990 and 703 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Pulaski County, Kentucky record is tornado, responsible for 7 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $7.2M 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 Pulaski County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 459 | 0 | $3.5M | 70 | 1957–2026 |
| Hail | 150 | 0 | $5.0M | 4.5 | 1960–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 57 | 0 | $246K | 0 | 1996–2022 |
| Flood | 33 | 0 | $40K | 0 | 2010–2023 |
| Tornado | 26 | 7 | $7.2M | F4 | 1963–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 20 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2009–2024 |
| Funnel Cloud | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2004–2012 |
| Lightning | 7 | 0 | $125K | 0 | 1996–2020 |
Decade by decade
Pulaski County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
25 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 19 touched down inside it and 6 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 |
| 1971-04-27 | EF4 | 2 | 72 | 13.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF3 | 7 | 40 | 22.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF3 | 2 | 45 | 13.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 18.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 28.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1967-05-30 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1965-04-25 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2022-05-06 | EF1 | 0 | 2 | 3.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-03-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Pulaski County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 6 | 30 | $2.5M | |
| May 17, 2025 | Tornado | INGLE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 9, 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 5 | $0 | |
| Apr 9, 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 5 | $0 | |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $0 | |
| May 27, 2004 | Tornado | SOMERSET | 0 | 4 | $300K |
| Aug 11, 2003 | Lightning | SOMERSET | 0 | 3 | $40K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
During the evening of May 1st, a severe thunderstorm moved southeast across much of Pulaski county. A large swath of golfball to softball size hail pounded much of the county causing considerable damage to numerous homes and automobiles. Downed trees due to strong winds were reported in Eubank.
Thunderstorm winds damaged many homes throughout the southern and central portion of the county. Especially hard hit was the Parkers Mill area where 50 to 70 homes received structural damage according to the Public Safety Officer of the county. Winds were estimated to be 80 to 100 miles an hour. Also trees and power lines were down througout the county.
Over 20 homes and 4 barns were damaged or destroyed. Children were in a mobile home which had blown over on Kentucky Highway 1247, but were able to get out before emergency workers arrived. Damage extended from Kentucky Highway 635 near the northwestern county line to Price and Cave Springs roads, east of Science Hill. The tornado also knocked down numerous trees and power lines.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
65,897
Population (ACS)
$167K
Median home value
25
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
- Somerset 164
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Pulaski County, Kentucky?
760 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 7 direct deaths and $16.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Pulaski County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 459 recorded events — 60.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Pulaski County?
25 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 19 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Pulaski County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Pulaski County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Pulaski County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Pulaski County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 79 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Pulaski 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
- Powell County 380
- Robertson County 59
- Pike County 741
- Rockcastle County 331
- Perry County 387
- Rowan County 278
Cite this page
“Pulaski County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/pulaski-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.