Tornado Risk in Kentucky

All Kentucky counties ranked by FEMA National Risk Index tornado score

Tornado risk — violently rotating columns of air capable of catastrophic local damage — is rated for 120 of 120 Kentucky counties in FEMA's National Risk Index. Jefferson County carries the state's highest tornado score at 99.7, with $80M in expected annual tornado losses.

6 Kentucky counties are rated High or Very High for tornado, and expected annual losses from tornado total roughly $333M statewide. The full ranking below links to each county's complete 18-hazard risk profile.

County Rankings — Tornado

#CountyTornado ScoreRatingAnn. Freq.Ann. Loss
1 Jefferson County
99.7
Very High 0.28 / yr $80M
2 Fayette County
98.0
High 0.15 / yr $24M
3 Warren County
93.1
High 0.42 / yr $10M
4 Kenton County
91.7
High 0.10 / yr $10M
5 Boone County
91.6
High 0.18 / yr $12M
6 Christian County
91.2
High 0.62 / yr $8M
7 Daviess County
88.9
Medium 0.35 / yr $6M
8 Bullitt County
88.6
Medium 0.21 / yr $10M
9 Shelby County
87.8
Medium 0.26 / yr $6M
10 McCracken County
85.7
Medium 0.23 / yr $5M
11 Oldham County
85.5
Medium 0.14 / yr $8M
12 Barren County
85.4
Medium 0.34 / yr $4M
13 Madison County
85.3
Medium 0.20 / yr $6M
14 Franklin County
84.9
Medium 0.14 / yr $6M
15 Hardin County
84.2
Medium 0.45 / yr $5M
16 Laurel County
83.5
Medium 0.15 / yr $4M
17 Pulaski County
83.0
Medium 0.31 / yr $4M
18 Scott County
80.5
Medium 0.16 / yr $4M
19 Campbell County
80.0
Medium 0.10 / yr $5M
20 Hopkins County
79.6
Medium 0.45 / yr $3M
21 Calloway County
79.3
Medium 0.35 / yr $3M
22 Boyle County
76.4
Medium 0.11 / yr $3M
23 Meade County
75.9
Medium 0.24 / yr $3M
24 Woodford County
73.2
Medium 0.12 / yr $3M
25 Grayson County
70.8
Medium 0.35 / yr $2M
26 Graves County
70.6
Medium 0.49 / yr $2M
27 Trigg County
69.7
Medium 0.41 / yr $2M
28 Allen County
69.5
Medium 0.26 / yr $2M
29 Jessamine County
69.3
Medium 0.08 / yr $4M
30 Nelson County
69.1
Medium 0.29 / yr $3M
31 Mercer County
69.1
Medium 0.16 / yr $2M
32 Taylor County
68.9
Medium 0.16 / yr $2M
33 Clark County
68.0
Medium 0.11 / yr $3M
34 Logan County
67.7
Medium 0.46 / yr $2M
35 Adair County
65.7
Medium 0.23 / yr $2M
36 Grant County
64.4
Low 0.16 / yr $2M
37 Anderson County
64.2
Low 0.13 / yr $3M
38 Russell County
64.1
Low 0.15 / yr $1M
39 Whitley County
64.0
Low 0.15 / yr $2M
40 Hart County
63.8
Low 0.27 / yr $2M
41 Ohio County
63.7
Low 0.45 / yr $2M
42 Harrison County
63.3
Low 0.18 / yr $2M
43 Breckinridge County
62.8
Low 0.44 / yr $2M
44 Marion County
61.9
Low 0.21 / yr $2M
45 Knox County
61.4
Low 0.12 / yr $1M
46 Casey County
61.4
Low 0.25 / yr $1M
47 Caldwell County
61.2
Low 0.29 / yr $1M
48 Marshall County
60.8
Low 0.29 / yr $2M
49 Bourbon County
59.0
Low 0.14 / yr $1M
50 Mason County
57.9
Low 0.11 / yr $1M
51 Carroll County
57.8
Low 0.09 / yr $1M
52 Garrard County
57.6
Low 0.11 / yr $1M
53 Spencer County
56.7
Low 0.13 / yr $3M
54 Henderson County
56.5
Low 0.34 / yr $1M
55 Simpson County
55.4
Low 0.19 / yr $1M
56 Todd County
55.1
Low 0.32 / yr $2M
57 Muhlenberg County
54.6
Low 0.39 / yr $1M
58 Fleming County
54.2
Low 0.15 / yr $940K
59 Montgomery County
53.8
Low 0.07 / yr $1M
60 Monroe County
53.4
Low 0.22 / yr $890K
61 Washington County
53.3
Low 0.19 / yr $1M
62 Trimble County
52.6
Low 0.11 / yr $1M
63 Pendleton County
51.8
Low 0.17 / yr $1M
64 Boyd County
51.3
Low 0.03 / yr $1M
65 Owen County
50.6
Low 0.23 / yr $1M
66 Fulton County
50.3
Low 0.20 / yr $815K
67 Henry County
50.2
Low 0.19 / yr $1M
68 Livingston County
49.1
Low 0.29 / yr $1M
69 Rockcastle County
48.9
Low 0.14 / yr $797K
70 Metcalfe County
48.7
Low 0.19 / yr $706K
71 McCreary County
48.2
Low 0.19 / yr $659K
72 Lyon County
48.0
Low 0.22 / yr $856K
73 Crittenden County
47.7
Low 0.31 / yr $848K
74 Gallatin County
46.7
Low 0.07 / yr $956K
75 Clinton County
46.2
Low 0.11 / yr $743K
76 Green County
46.1
Low 0.18 / yr $810K
77 Butler County
45.6
Low 0.34 / yr $959K
78 Wayne County
43.4
Low 0.23 / yr $638K
79 Bell County
41.6
Low 0.10 / yr $641K
80 Greenup County
41.5
Low 0.11 / yr $841K
81 Hickman County
41.4
Low 0.22 / yr $659K
82 Clay County
41.3
Low 0.14 / yr $547K
83 Rowan County
41.3
Low 0.08 / yr $767K
84 Edmonson County
40.9
Low 0.21 / yr $966K
85 Carter County
40.2
Low 0.12 / yr $715K
86 Webster County
39.7
Low 0.27 / yr $816K
87 Lincoln County
39.6
Low 0.16 / yr $671K
88 Harlan County
39.5
Low 0.11 / yr $588K
89 Union County
38.7
Low 0.29 / yr $632K
90 Cumberland County
38.4
Low 0.17 / yr $475K
91 Estill County
37.8
Low 0.09 / yr $528K
92 McLean County
37.6
Low 0.19 / yr $567K
93 Powell County
37.1
Low 0.06 / yr $501K
94 Larue County
36.3
Low 0.17 / yr $868K
95 Lewis County
35.7
Low 0.18 / yr $512K
96 Nicholas County
35.7
Low 0.09 / yr $445K
97 Floyd County
35.6
Low 0.06 / yr $488K
98 Hancock County
34.4
Low 0.15 / yr $538K
99 Perry County
33.9
Low 0.08 / yr $537K
100 Bath County
32.6
Low 0.10 / yr $517K
101 Bracken County
31.9
Low 0.12 / yr $598K
102 Jackson County
31.8
Low 0.12 / yr $436K
103 Ballard County
31.7
Low 0.24 / yr $503K
104 Johnson County
30.5
Low 0.04 / yr $365K
105 Carlisle County
30.5
Low 0.17 / yr $459K
106 Morgan County
29.6
Low 0.09 / yr $442K
107 Letcher County
27.8
Low 0.06 / yr $292K
108 Breathitt County
27.5
Low 0.11 / yr $263K
109 Elliott County
24.1
Very Low 0.06 / yr $210K
110 Lee County
23.4
Very Low 0.07 / yr $247K
111 Magoffin County
22.1
Very Low 0.06 / yr $201K
112 Leslie County
22.0
Very Low 0.10 / yr $201K
113 Martin County
21.9
Very Low 0.03 / yr $152K
114 Wolfe County
21.4
Very Low 0.05 / yr $147K
115 Robertson County
21.2
Very Low 0.05 / yr $180K
116 Lawrence County
20.5
Very Low 0.07 / yr $188K
117 Menifee County
19.8
Very Low 0.06 / yr $224K
118 Pike County
19.6
Very Low 0.09 / yr $158K
119 Knott County
19.5
Very Low 0.06 / yr $152K
120 Owsley County
15.8
Very Low 0.06 / yr $106K

120 Kentucky counties with measurable tornado risk. See the national tornado ranking or all Kentucky counties by overall risk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Kentucky county has the highest tornado risk?

Jefferson County has the highest FEMA tornado risk score in Kentucky at 99.7 (Very High), with $80M in expected annual losses and about 0.28 events per year.

How many Kentucky counties face significant tornado risk?

120 Kentucky counties record measurable tornado risk in FEMA's National Risk Index; 6 of them are rated High or Very High.

Other Hazards in Kentucky

Avalanche Cold Wave Drought Earthquake Hail Heat Wave Hurricane Ice Storm Riverine Flood Landslide Lightning Strong Wind Wildfire Winter Weather