Barren County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21009 · population 44,465 · 487 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 381 records for Barren County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 235 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (218 records). The deadliest single record is the April 16, 1998 tornado: 2 deaths, 9 injuries and $18.1 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1993, 20 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on May 29, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 381on 235 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 757 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $63Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 21strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Barren County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 218 since 1968. The rank column places the county among Kentucky's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 218 | 144 | 1968-2026 | 0 | 5 | $6.0M | 79 of 118 |
| Hail | 57 | 40 | 1960-2025 | 0 | 0 | $563K | 98 of 118 |
| Floods | 44 | 33 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $44K | 110 of 118 |
| Winter storms | 27 | 26 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 115 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 21 | 20 | 1974-2025 | 3 | 52 | $57M | 42 of 118 |
| Lightning | 6 | 5 | 2000-2022 | 1 | 0 | $162K | 18 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 4 | 2016-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 108 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 3 | 1996-2023 | 1 | 0 | $94K | 110 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 98 of 118 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Barren County had?
NOAA records 21 tornadoes in Barren County from 1974 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 3 deaths and 52 injuries recorded in the county. That is 42nd of 118 Kentucky counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 21 tornadoes whose track touched Barren County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 21, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 6 people, 3 of them in Barren County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 15:45, as SPC files it | Franklin | F3 | 31.1 mi | 3 |
| 1998-04-16 14:35, as SPC files it | Bowling Green to Glasgow | F3 | 48 mi | 2 |
| 1979-03-31 16:25, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 12.7 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kentucky.
Every tornado record filed for Barren County (21)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-03 | Griderville, Barren County | EF2 4.89 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2024-05-26 | Cooktown, Barren County | EF1 7.49 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-01-01 | Oil City, Barren County | EF1 10.57 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-11 | Bon Ayr, Barren County | EF2 8.92 mi x 900 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-02-24 | Merry Oaks, Barren County | EF1 0.28 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $35K |
| 2016-08-20 | Bristletown, Barren County | EF0 1.58 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $123K |
| 2013-01-30 | Rocky Hill, Barren County | EF1 0.34 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-06-11 | Merry Oaks, Barren County | EF1 5.83 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-05-08 | Hiseville, Barren County | EF1 1.48 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $55K |
| 2008-01-10 | Bon Ayr, Barren County | EF1 3.07 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $822K |
| 2006-04-07 | Temple Hill, Barren County | F2 5.4 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 4 | $2.0M |
| 1998-04-16 | Glasgow, Barren County | F3 22 mi x 200 yd | 2 | 9 | $18M |
| 1997-01-24 | Glasgow, Barren County | F2 5 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 2 | $3.3M |
| 1996-05-28 | Lucas, Barren County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1996-04-20 | Hiseville, Barren County | F1 3 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $75K |
| 1996-04-20 | Goodnight, Barren County | F1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $28K |
| 1991-04-09 | Barren County | F2 0.5 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 3 | $2.5M step |
| 1979-03-31 | Barren County | F3 12.7 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 19 | $2.5M step |
| 1976-03-20 | Barren County | F1 | 0 | 10 | $250K step |
| 1975-03-12 | Barren County | F0 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Barren County | F3 4.7 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Barren County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 3, 2025 tornado (1 injury).
A tornado tracked across northern Barren County during the early morning hours on Thursday, April 3rd. The tornado was on the ground for just under five miles and about five minutes, tracking from the southwest to the northeast. The tornado peaked at EF2 intensity with maximum winds of 120 mph and had a maximum width of approximately 400 yards. The tornado first touched down along Jack Turner Road, approximately three and a half miles east-southeast of Cave City. An older wooden barn was completely destroyed; given the construction of the barn, a more conservative wind estimate of 105 mph was given for this damage. The tornado then tracked over open farmland for about one mile before causing damage to several structures along Spillman Road. Parts of the roof were taken off of several barns, and additional damage to a mobile home was noted. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1258705)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-28 | Flash FloodSlick Rock, Barren County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindGlasgow, Barren County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormBarren County · forecast zone Barren | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-18 | Thunderstorm WindBear Wallow, Barren County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-10-24 | Frost/FreezeBarren County · forecast zone Barren | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindDry Fork, Barren County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindTracy, Barren County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindCoral Hill, Barren County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindRailton, Barren County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindCave City, Barren County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-16 | HailGoodnight, Barren County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-05 | Thunderstorm WindTracy, Barren County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-04-16 | TornadoGlasgow, Barren County A series of three tornadoes cut a long path of destruction across south central Kentucky during the late afternoon and early evening of April 16. Three people were killed, two in Barren county and one in Metcalfe, as the tornadoes moved through. A 78 year old man was killed by fallen debris from his house in Wisdom ... | F3 22 mi x 200 yd | 2 | 9 | $18M |
| 1979-03-31 | TornadoBarren County | F3 12.7 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 19 | $2.5M step |
| 2013-10-31 | Strong WindBarren County · forecast zone Barren Strong gradient winds felled a large limb of a pecan tree near Hays, KY, killing an elderly woman who was harvesting pecans at the time. A nearby Kentucky Mesonet site clocked winds gusting to 40 mph at the time. | 35 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2010-05-02 | Flash FloodDry Fork, Barren County Flash flooding caused flooding on portions of Dover Church Road. One fatality occurred when a person reportedly got out of her vehicle, was overcome by flood waters and was swept away. F27VE. | 1 | 0 | $20K | |
| 2010-01-07 | Winter WeatherBarren County · forecast zone Barren A one vehicle accident claimed the life of the driver. The driver lost control of his vehicle on icy roads and hit a tree. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2000-06-27 | LightningGlasgow, Barren County A 30 year old male was struck by lightning and killed. The body was found at 0007 EST on June 27. The exact time of death was unknown, but the time of occurrence was earlier during the storms on the evening of June 26. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1976-03-20 | TornadoBarren County | F1 | 0 | 10 | $250K step |
| 2006-04-07 | TornadoTemple Hill, Barren County Fifteen to 20 homes were destroyed, mainly in the Temple Hill area. Another dozen or so homes, along with barns and outbuildings, sustained heavy damage. Four people in the area were treated for minor injuries. The tornado formed about a mile northeast of Temple Hill just south of Barbour Road. Numerous trees were ... | F2 5.4 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 4 | $2.0M |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-04-16 | TornadoGlasgow, Barren County | F3 22 mi x 200 yd | 2 | 9 | $18M |
| 1997-01-24 | TornadoGlasgow, Barren County | F2 5 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 2 | $3.3M |
| 2003-08-04 | Thunderstorm WindAustin, Barren County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2.4M |
| 2006-04-07 | TornadoTemple Hill, Barren County | F2 5.4 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 4 | $2.0M |
| 2008-01-10 | TornadoBon Ayr, Barren County | EF1 3.07 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $822K |
| 2002-11-10 | Thunderstorm WindBon Ayr, Barren County | 85 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $766K |
| 1995-05-18 | HailGlascow, Barren County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $484K |
| 2008-01-10 | Thunderstorm WindPark City, Barren County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $480K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 31, 1979 (tornado, Barren County, 1 killed); April 9, 1991 (tornado, Barren County); April 3, 1974 (tornado, Barren County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Barren County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 66 | 79 | 36 |
| Hail | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 21 | 15 | 6 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 6 | 4 | 21 | 13 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 4 | 12 | 7 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Barren County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 39 · Feb 17 · Mar 47 · Apr 57 · May 53 · Jun 57 · Jul 56 · Aug 16 · Sep 11 · Oct 11 · Nov 8 · Dec 9 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Barren County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Barren County: 15 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and snowstorm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-29 | DR-4913 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3633 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-05-23 | DR-4875 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2025-04-24 | DR-4864 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2025-04-03 | EM-3626 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2025-02-24 | DR-4860 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2025-02-16 | EM-3624 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2024-07-23 | DR-4804 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2023-04-10 | DR-4702 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2021-12-12 | DR-4630 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2020-03-28 | DR-4497 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3469 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2010-05-11 | DR-1912 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes |
| 2009-02-05 | DR-1818 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding |
| 2009-01-28 | EM-3302 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3231 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2004-08-06 | DR-1537 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1998-04-29 | DR-1216 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes,and Flooding |
| 1997-03-04 | DR-1163 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1089 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 |
| 1994-03-16 | DR-1018 | Snowstorm | Severe Weather, Freezing Rain, Sleet, Snw |
| 1993-03-16 | EM-3104 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Barren County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 44 flood or flash flood records for Barren County from 1996 to 2026, on 33 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Barren County ranks 2075th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $193,000 on 21 claims filed in Barren County; the most in one year was 8 in 1981. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 2 · 1981: 8 · 1984: 3 · 1985: 1 · 1994: 1 · 1998: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 2; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Barren County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Barren County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $19.7 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $1.4M | 5.9 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.2M | 3 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $3.9M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $159K | 6.8 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $514K | 55 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $241K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.8M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $973K | once in about 376 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Barren County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in KentuckyEvery Kentucky tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in KentuckyThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Kentucky recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Barren CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Barren County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis