Boyle County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21021 · population 30,559 · 180 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 220 records for Boyle County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 177 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (101 records). The deadliest single record is the April 3, 1974 tornado: 1 death and 33 injuries. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1974, 19 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on January 24, 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
- 220on 177 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 145 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $8.5Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 12strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 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 Boyle County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 101 since 1957. 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 | 101 | 87 | 1957-2024 | 0 | 2 | $221K | 21 of 118 |
| Hail | 39 | 28 | 1975-2025 | 0 | 0 | $196K | 25 of 118 |
| Winter storms | 31 | 31 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | 57 of 118 |
| Floods | 24 | 18 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | 90 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 12 | 8 | 1971-2025 | 1 | 43 | $5.0M | 35 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 6 | 6 | 2006-2024 | 0 | 0 | $13K | 63 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 5 | 5 | 2016-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 60 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2018-2018 | 0 | 0 | – | 76 of 118 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | $7K | 44 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 Boyle County had?
NOAA records 12 tornadoes in Boyle County from 1971 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 1 death and 43 injuries recorded in the county. That is 35th 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 12 tornadoes whose track touched Boyle County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 12, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 1 of them in Boyle County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 17:35, as SPC files it | Danville | F3 | 21.1 mi | 1 |
| 2025-05-30 04:49, as SPC files it | Perryville | EF2 | 5.51 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kentucky.
Every tornado record filed for Boyle County (12)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-30 | Craintown, Boyle County | EF1 3.72 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-01-12 | Wells Lndg, Boyle County | EF1 0.84 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-11 | Danville Goodall Arp, Boyle County | EF1 5.19 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-11 | Clifton, Boyle County | EF1 0.87 mi x 950 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-11 | Danville, Boyle County | EF1 3.63 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-11 | Shelby City, Boyle County | EF2 0.63 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2018-04-03 | West Needmore, Boyle County | EF1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $294K |
| 1980-07-02 | Boyle County | F1 5.6 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1976-04-21 | Boyle County | F1 0.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Boyle County | F2 3.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 10 | $250K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Boyle County | F3 8.7 mi x 33 yd | 1 | 33 | – |
| 1971-05-06 | Boyle County | F1 30.2 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K 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 Boyle County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 3, 2018 tornado ($294,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
A small tornado touched down from a supercell thunderstorm on top of a tall hill along Highway 1822 and quickly destroyed one large barn used to store hay, severely damaging another medium sized barn, and destroyed fencing. The tornado did some damage to a grain silo along with some tree damage. An antique horse sled was picked up and moved about 10 feet. The tornado briefly lifted in a valley before striking a residence on the east side of Highway 1822 and lifting the roof off a family residence. Insulation from the roof was thrown eastward and also rotated back and covered the back of the house. Further east on Webster Rd, another one story family residence sustained significant roof, gutter, and siding damage. The owners hoop barn was pushed in violently. There were pine trees snapped. …
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 738820)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormBoyle County · forecast zone Boyle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-11 | Heavy SnowBoyle County · forecast zone Boyle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-24 | Frost/FreezeBoyle County · forecast zone Boyle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-15 | FloodLittle Needmore, Boyle County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-30 | TornadoCraintown, Boyle County | EF1 3.72 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-16 | HailAlum Spgs, Boyle County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-02-11 | Heavy SnowBoyle County · forecast zone Boyle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-05 | Winter StormBoyle County · forecast zone Boyle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-01-12 | TornadoWells Lndg, Boyle County | EF1 0.84 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-11 | TornadoDanville Goodall Arp, Boyle County | EF1 5.19 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-11 | TornadoClifton, Boyle County | EF1 0.87 mi x 950 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-11 | TornadoDanville, Boyle County | EF1 3.63 mi x 400 yd | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoBoyle County | F3 8.7 mi x 33 yd | 1 | 33 | – |
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoBoyle County | F2 3.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 10 | $250K step |
| 1990-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindBoyle County | 0 | 2 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-07-19 | Flash FloodCountywide, Boyle County | 0 | 0 | $1.7M | |
| 2003-02-15 | Ice StormBoyle County · forecast zone Boyle | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2018-04-03 | TornadoWest Needmore, Boyle County | EF1 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $294K |
| 2015-04-25 | HailWells Lndg, Boyle County | 2.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $100K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 3, 1974 (tornado, Boyle County); May 6, 1971 (tornado, Boyle County); April 21, 1976 (tornado, Boyle 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 Boyle 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 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 17 | 12 | 15 | 29 | 15 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 1 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 5 | 14 | 9 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 6 | 2 | 11 | 5 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
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 Boyle County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 15 · Feb 18 · Mar 22 · Apr 27 · May 34 · Jun 31 · Jul 26 · Aug 18 · Sep 5 · Oct 3 · Nov 4 · Dec 17 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Boyle County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Boyle County: 14 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (9) and snowstorm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3633 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-04-03 | EM-3626 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2025-02-16 | EM-3624 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2023-04-10 | DR-4702 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2021-03-31 | DR-4592 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2020-03-28 | DR-4497 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3469 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2015-04-30 | DR-4216 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 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 |
| 2004-06-10 | DR-1523 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2003-06-03 | DR-1471 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud and Rock Slides, and Tornadoes |
| 2002-05-07 | DR-1414 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1998-03-03 | DR-1207 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 1974-04-04 | DR-420 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
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 Boyle County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 24 flood or flash flood records for Boyle County from 1996 to 2025, on 18 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Boyle County ranks 2212th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $169,000 on 15 claims filed in Boyle County; the most in one year was 3 in 2018. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1984: 1 · 1992: 1 · 1996: 1 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2023: 1; 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 Boyle County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Boyle County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $12.7 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 Moderate | $1.3M | 7.2 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $3.2M | once in about 9 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $105K | 9.9 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $158K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $739K | once in about 466 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $518K | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $239K | 53 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $925K | 1 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Boyle 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 Boyle CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Boyle County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis