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Webster County, Kentucky severe weather history spans 217 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 37.3% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,338 nationally and #81 in Kentucky.
217
Recorded events
2
Direct deaths
40
Direct injuries
$29.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Webster County, Kentucky severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Webster County, Kentucky severe weather history averages 3.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 72 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 22 events fall before 1990 and 195 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Webster County, Kentucky record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $25.0M 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 Webster County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 81 | 0 | $2.4M | 74 | 1960–2025 |
| Hail | 53 | 0 | $11K | 2.5 | 1982–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 24 | 1 | $180K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 22 | 1 | $25.0M | F3 | 1956–2019 |
| Flood | 20 | 0 | $1.5M | 0 | 2001–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 8 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2015 |
| Funnel Cloud | 6 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2004–2019 |
| Lightning | 3 | 0 | $100K | 0 | 2009–2012 |
Decade by decade
Webster County, Kentucky severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
23 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 16 touched down inside it and 7 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956-04-03 | EF3 | 1 | 2 | 22.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2005-11-06 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 11.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2002-04-28 | EF3 | 0 | 26 | 22.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2000-01-03 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 24.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-22 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 15.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 2007-10-18 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 10.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-05-04 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 10.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1979-04-11 | EF2 | 0 | 5 | 36.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1967-12-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 12.1 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Webster County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1956 | Tornado | 1 | 2 | $25K | |
| Mar 10, 2006 | Flash Flood | SLAUGHTERS | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| Apr 28, 2002 | Tornado | PROVIDENCE | 0 | 26 | $15.0M |
| Oct 19, 2007 | Tornado | DIXON | 0 | 5 | $2.5M |
| Apr 23, 2011 | Tornado | TILDEN | 0 | 2 | $500K |
| May 7, 1967 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K | |
| Apr 23, 2011 | Lightning | SHELTON | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 5, 2003 | Tornado | CLAY | 0 | 1 | $1.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A 46-year-old female drowned while attempting to cross floodwaters on Kentucky 138. The victim was swept away after she got out of her car, which was partially moved off the road. Her body was found three-tenths of a mile from her car.
The tornado crossed southern Webster County, producing major damage as it paralleled Highway 120 through Providence. About two dozen persons were injured, and they were transported by ambulance to regional hospitals. One person was critically injured. The tornado produced F-3 damage in Providence, then weakened to an F-2 tornado just east of the city limits. The tornado struck a mobile home park in Providence, destroying 16 of the 20 mobile homes there. About 10 permanent homes were destroyed, and about 100 more homes were damaged.
Three residences were destroyed, and ten others were damaged. Four of the damaged residences were deemed uninhabitable. Six chicken houses were destroyed. A rehabilitation center for troubled young adults received about 2 million dollars in damage. Four persons were seriously injured, and a fifth person received minor injuries. One of the injuries occurred when the tornado picked up a vehicle and tossed it. The occupant of the vehicle was ejected. The other four injuries occurred at a modular home on Kentucky 494. The modular home was nearly obliterated, with debris blown across nearby fields. The home's steel frame was thrown about 300 feet. All four occupants were seriously injured, including broken vertebrae and a punctured lung. Numerous roads were blocked by downed trees. Peak winds were estimated at 135 mph. The average path width was 250 yards.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
12,842
Population (ACS)
$113K
Median home value
24
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 |
| Apr 10, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES | DR |
| Mar 28, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Webster County, Kentucky?
217 events are on record between 1956 and 2025, causing 2 direct deaths and $29.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Webster County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 81 recorded events — 37.3% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Webster County?
23 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 Webster County?
24 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Webster County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Webster County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Webster County as very low risk, placing it in the 29 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Webster 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
- Wayne County 311
- Whitley County 477
- Washington County 163
- Wolfe County 289
- Warren County 583
- Woodford County 177
Cite this page
“Webster County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/webster-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.