Kentucky sees a moderate amount of severe weather each year, with 1,423 confirmed tornadoes, 6,335 hailstorm events and 18,675 damaging-wind events recorded by the National Weather Service since 1950., and averages 19 tornadoes per year over the 75-year record. Kentucky sits inside Dixie Alley, the south-eastern severe-weather corridor known for fast-moving and frequently overnight tornadoes. The interactive map below plots every significant severe-weather event in Kentucky from the official NOAA Storm Events Database (1950 through September 2025).
Use the map to find your county, click any marker for the date, magnitude, and casualty details of that event, and switch between tornadoes, hail and wind using the chips. For the national view across all 50 states, see our NOAA Storm Reports interactive map. For tornado tracks specifically, see the US Tornado Tracks map; for hail size and frequency, the US Hailstorms map.
Kentucky Severe Weather by the Numbers (1950–2025)
- 1,423 tornadoes recorded between 1950 and 2025
- 444 violent tornadoes rated F2/EF2 or stronger
- 3 confirmed F5/EF5 tornadoes on record — the maximum rating on the Fujita and Enhanced Fujita scales
- 223 direct tornado deaths and 3,761 direct injuries
- 6,335 hailstorm events recorded by the NWS
- 18,675 damaging-wind events on record
- 19 tornadoes per year on average across the 75-year record
- April is the peak severe-weather month, accounting for roughly 24.8% of Kentucky tornadoes
- 470 total direct deaths from all severe-weather event types tracked by the NWS
When Kentucky Severe Weather Happens
Kentucky tornado activity is heavily concentrated in spring. March, April, May and June account for 64% of all Kentucky tornadoes, with April alone responsible for roughly 24.8%.
- April: 353 tornadoes (24.8%) — peak month
- May: 254 tornadoes (17.8%)
- March: 159 tornadoes (11.2%)
- June: 149 tornadoes (10.5%)
- February: 89 tornadoes (6.3%)
- July: 86 tornadoes (6%)
Top 10 Kentucky Counties by Tornado Frequency
Tornado activity in Kentucky is geographically broad, but a handful of counties have logged many times the state average. The combination of population density (more spotters and damage reports), county land area and local climatology drives the rankings below.
| County | Tornadoes since 1950 |
|---|---|
| Christian | 55 |
| Calloway | 43 |
| Graves | 38 |
| Jefferson | 32 |
| Warren | 32 |
| Daviess | 31 |
| Henderson | 28 |
| McCracken | 28 |
| Union | 28 |
| Hardin | 27 |
The Deadliest Tornadoes in Kentucky History
Kentucky has lost 223 lives to tornadoes since the National Weather Service began systematic tornado record-keeping in 1950. The single deadliest event killed 31 people in Meade County in 1974, rated F5 on the Fujita scale.
| Date | Location | Rating | Direct deaths | Direct injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 3, 1974 | Meade County | F5 | 31 | 257 |
| December 10, 2021 | Graves County (near Baltimore) | EF4 | 24 | 210 |
| December 11, 2021 | Warren County (near Petros) | EF3 | 16 | 63 |
| December 10, 2021 | Hopkins County (near Dawson Spgs) | EF4 | 15 | 200 |
| December 10, 2021 | Muhlenberg County (near Earles) | EF4 | 11 | 25 |
| April 3, 1974 | Clinton County | F4 | 8 | 63 |
| April 3, 1974 | Madison County | F4 | 7 | 20 |
| April 27, 1971 | Adair County | F4 | 6 | 58 |
| April 3, 1974 | Pulaski County | F3 | 6 | 30 |
| March 2, 2012 | Morgan County (near Artville) | EF3 | 6 | 80 |
Kentucky Tornado Strength Distribution
Most Kentucky tornadoes are weak: roughly 69% are rated F0/EF0 or F1/EF1. Violent tornadoes (F2+/EF2+) account for around 31.4% of rated tornadoes in the state. Kentucky is one of the few states with a confirmed F5 or EF5 tornado on record.
- F0/EF0 (weak): 347 tornadoes — 24.6% of rated events
- F1/EF1: 622 tornadoes — 44% of rated events
- F2/EF2 (strong): 276 tornadoes — 19.5% of rated events
- F3/EF3: 120 tornadoes — 8.5% of rated events
- F4/EF4 (violent): 45 tornadoes — 3.2% of rated events
- F5/EF5 (incredible): 3 tornadoes — 0.2% of rated events
Record-Setting Severe Weather in Kentucky
Largest hailstone: 5.00 inches in diameter, observed in Harlan County on April 23, 1968. The three largest hailstones on record in Kentucky measured 5.00″, 4.50″, 4.50″.
Highest measured wind gust: 89 knots (102 mph) recorded in Boyd County near Princess on April 2, 2024. Most damaging-wind events in Kentucky are estimated rather than measured because anemometers are sparse across the rural areas where supercells most often produce destructive thunderstorm winds.
How Kentucky Compares Nationally
Kentucky ranks 23rd nationally for tornado frequency, in the middle of the pack of US states by severe-weather activity.
- Tornadoes (top 5): Texas (9,908), Kansas (4,890), Oklahoma (4,856), Florida (3,779), Iowa (3,417).
- Kentucky tornado total: 1,423 — ranked 23rd nationally.
- Kentucky hail total: 6,335 hail events on record since 1950.
- Kentucky wind total: 18,675 damaging-wind events on record since 1950.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tornadoes does Kentucky have on average per year?
Kentucky averages 19 tornadoes per year over the 1950–2025 period. Counts vary widely year to year, but the long-term mean over 75 years of NWS records is a reliable benchmark for typical activity.
What was the deadliest tornado in Kentucky history?
The April 3, 1974 tornado, rated F5 on the Fujita scale, killed 31 people and injured 257 in Meade County. It remains the single deadliest tornado in the Kentucky modern record.
Where in Kentucky are tornadoes most common?
The single county with the most tornadoes on record is Christian County with 55 events. The three most active counties overall are Christian, Calloway, Graves.
How does Kentucky compare to its neighbors?
Kentucky shares a severe-weather climate with Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois. Severe storms regularly cross state lines, so the same supercells, hail cores and wind events often appear in Kentucky’s neighbors’ records on the same date.
How recent is the data on this map?
The map and statistics on this page are pulled from NOAA’s official Storm Events Database, which currently runs from January 1950 through September 2025. New records typically appear in the database within 30–90 days of the event date, once damage surveys and ratings are complete.
Compare Kentucky to Neighboring States
Severe weather doesn’t stop at state lines. The same supercell systems that produce Kentucky tornadoes regularly cross into neighboring states. Compare Kentucky’s storm history to its land neighbors:
- Indiana severe storm history — ranked 16th nationally, Great Lakes severe-weather and lake-effect winters
- Ohio severe storm history — ranked 22nd nationally, Great Lakes severe-weather and lake-effect winters
- West Virginia severe storm history — ranked 38th nationally
- Virginia severe storm history — ranked 27th nationally
- Tennessee severe storm history — ranked 21st nationally, Dixie Alley state with frequent overnight tornadoes
- Missouri severe storm history — ranked 10th nationally, Dixie Alley state with frequent overnight tornadoes
- Illinois severe storm history — ranked 6th nationally, Great Lakes severe-weather and lake-effect winters
Explore the national NOAA Storm Reports map · US Tornado Tracks map · US Hailstorms map
