Breckinridge County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21027 · population 20,420 · 570 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 403 records for Breckinridge County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 266 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (208 records). The deadliest single record is the April 28, 2002 tornado: 1 death, 7 injuries and $1.2 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 28 declarations naming the county since 1974, 26 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
- 403on 266 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 422 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $22Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 25strongest F5
- FEMA declarations
- 28latest 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 Breckinridge County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 208 since 1970. 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 | 208 | 138 | 1970-2026 | 0 | 2 | $1.5M | 102 of 118 |
| Hail | 80 | 50 | 1986-2025 | 0 | 0 | $26K | 91 of 118 |
| Floods | 43 | 36 | 1996-2024 | 1 | 0 | $1.9M | 112 of 118 |
| Winter storms | 36 | 36 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 0 | $7K | 110 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 20 | 1974-2026 | 1 | 20 | $18M | 57 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 5 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $6K | 104 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 4 | 4 | 2016-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 111 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2011-2011 | 0 | 0 | – | 101 of 118 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2018-2018 | 0 | 0 | $235K | 80 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 Breckinridge County had?
NOAA records 25 tornadoes in Breckinridge County from 1974 to 2026, the strongest rated F5, with 1 death and 20 injuries recorded in the county. That is 57th 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 18 tornadoes whose track touched Breckinridge County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 25: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 32 people, 1 of them in Breckinridge County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 14:20, as SPC files it | BrandenburgCrossed IN, KY | F5 | 32 mi | 31 |
| 2002-04-28 02:05, as SPC files it | Cloverport to IrvingtonCrossed IN, KY | F2 | 32.3 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kentucky.
Every tornado record filed for Breckinridge County (25)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-21 | Clifton Mills, Breckinridge County | EF1 1.15 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | Mystic, Breckinridge County | EF0 0.92 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | Centerview, Breckinridge County | EF1 0.28 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | Centerview, Breckinridge County | EF1 0.28 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | Madrid, Breckinridge County | EF1 0.13 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-30 | Harned, Breckinridge County | EF1 2.55 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-03-14 | Raymond, Breckinridge County | EF0 0.46 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-03-18 | Rosetta, Breckinridge County | EF0 2.6 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-10 | Falls Of Rough, Breckinridge County | EF1 1.51 mi x 1,200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-10 | Falls Of Rough, Breckinridge County | EF1 2.14 mi x 1,200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-10 | Graysville, Breckinridge County | EF1 0.4 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $123K |
| 2012-03-02 | Cloverport, Breckinridge County | EF2 10.02 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $193K |
| 2011-06-19 | Locust Hill, Breckinridge County | EF0 0.1 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2011-06-19 | Harned, Breckinridge County | EF2 1 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $66K |
| 2011-04-19 | Mystic, Breckinridge County | EF0 4.74 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-05-21 | Big Spg, Breckinridge County | EF1 1.1 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 2009-10-09 | Hardinsburg, Breckinridge County | EF0 0.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-10-18 | Rosetta, Breckinridge County | EF2 3.05 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $427K |
| 2004-06-12 | Hardinsburg, Breckinridge County | F0 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $156K |
| 2003-05-08 | Holt, Breckinridge County | F0 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-04-28 | Cloverport, Breckinridge County | F2 19 mi x 150 yd | 1 | 7 | $1.2M |
| 1995-05-18 | New Bethel, Breckinridge County | F2 1 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $968K |
| 1990-06-06 | Breckinridge County | F0 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1979-05-30 | Breckinridge County | F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Breckinridge County | F5 17.1 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 13 | $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 Breckinridge County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the January 5, 2025 winter storm (1 death).
Heavy snow accumulation of 4 to 6 inches occurred across northern portions of Breckinridge County. Significant ice accumulation of 0.25 to 0.35 inches occurred county-wide.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1233044)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindAxtel, Breckinridge County | 53 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | TornadoClifton Mills, Breckinridge County | EF1 1.15 mi x 70 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-21 | TornadoMystic, Breckinridge County | EF0 0.92 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | TornadoCenterview, Breckinridge County | EF1 0.28 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | TornadoCenterview, Breckinridge County | EF1 0.28 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | TornadoMadrid, Breckinridge County | EF1 0.13 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormBreckinridge County · forecast zone Breckinridge | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-10-24 | Frost/FreezeBreckinridge County · forecast zone Breckinridge | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindHardinsburg Airport, Breckinridge County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-16 | HailRosetta, Breckinridge County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-30 | TornadoHarned, Breckinridge County | EF1 2.55 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-03-19 | HailIrvington, Breckinridge County | 1.00 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-04-28 | TornadoCloverport, Breckinridge County The tornado crossed into central Breckinridge County from Perry County, IN. The tornado lifted periodically as it crossed eastern Breckinridge County, and reached the Irvington area around 0325 EST. A 52 year old male was killed in a mobile home in Irvington. Seven people were injured. A few homes were destroyed and ... | F2 19 mi x 150 yd | 1 | 7 | $1.2M |
| 2025-01-05 | Winter StormBreckinridge County · forecast zone Breckinridge Heavy snow accumulation of 4 to 6 inches occurred across northern portions of Breckinridge County. Significant ice accumulation of 0.25 to 0.35 inches occurred county-wide. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-12-23 | Winter WeatherBreckinridge County · forecast zone Breckinridge Icy roads lead to a fatality on Kentucky Hwy 86 near Garfield. A teenager who had stopped with her father to help another motorist was killed by a hit and run driver on the icy roadway. | 1 | 0 | $7K | |
| 2006-05-25 | Flash FloodIrvington, Breckinridge County Fast flowing waters swept a car off Dents Bridge Road into Sinking Creek near Irvington. Two adults escaped from the car, but were unable to rescue a child strapped in a car seat before the car was swept away. | 1 | 0 | $15K | |
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoBreckinridge County | F5 17.1 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 13 | $2.5M step |
| 2016-03-31 | Thunderstorm WindHarned, Breckinridge County An amateur radio operator reported trailers flipped over at Nancy Butler Trailer Park. | 52 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $37K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-04-28 | TornadoCloverport, Breckinridge County | F2 19 mi x 150 yd | 1 | 7 | $1.2M |
| 2007-10-18 | TornadoRosetta, Breckinridge County | EF2 3.05 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $427K |
| 2006-03-09 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Breckinridge County | 90 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $220K |
| 2012-03-02 | TornadoCloverport, Breckinridge County | EF2 10.02 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $193K |
| 2004-06-12 | TornadoHardinsburg, Breckinridge County | F0 0.8 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $156K |
| 2004-07-13 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Breckinridge County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $156K |
| 2016-05-10 | TornadoGraysville, Breckinridge County | EF1 0.4 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $123K |
| 2011-06-19 | TornadoHarned, Breckinridge County | EF2 1 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $66K |
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: April 3, 1974 (tornado, Breckinridge 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 Breckinridge 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 | 0 | 7 | 16 | 21 | 49 | 76 | 39 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 27 | 32 | 11 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 15 | 15 | 6 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 8 | 16 | 8 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 10 |
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 Breckinridge County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 38 · Feb 28 · Mar 42 · Apr 55 · May 77 · Jun 61 · Jul 40 · Aug 20 · Sep 9 · Oct 6 · Nov 8 · Dec 19 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Breckinridge County
FEMA's register lists 28 declarations that include Breckinridge County: 21 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (15) and tornado (5).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3633 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 2021-12-11 | EM-3575 | 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 |
| 2011-05-04 | DR-1976 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2008-10-09 | DR-1802 | Severe Storm | Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3231 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2005-02-08 | DR-1578 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Record Snow |
| 2004-08-06 | DR-1537 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2003-03-14 | DR-1454 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice and Snow Storms, Heavy Rain, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Mud and |
| 2002-05-07 | DR-1414 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 2000-01-10 | DR-1310 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Severe Storms, Torrential Rains, and Flash Flooding |
| 1997-03-04 | DR-1163 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1089 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 |
| 1995-06-13 | DR-1055 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Severe Winds, Hail |
| 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 Breckinridge County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 43 flood or flash flood records for Breckinridge County from 1996 to 2024, on 36 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Breckinridge County ranks 1960th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $325,000 on 27 claims filed in Breckinridge County; the most in one year was 7 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 3 · 1997: 4 · 2002: 3 · 2004: 3 · 2005: 1 · 2011: 7 · 2015: 2 · 2018: 3 · 2025: 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 Breckinridge County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Breckinridge County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $788K | 3.4 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $323K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $836K | 6.2 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $671K | once in about 341 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.9M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.1M | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $313K | 5.9 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $52K | 8.1 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 Breckinridge 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 Breckinridge CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Breckinridge County's FEMA declarations (CSV)28 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis