Carlisle County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21039 · population 4,826 · 189 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 668 records for Carlisle County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 603 days; the most frequent are fog, smoke and funnel cloud records (98 records). 451 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the June 28, 2018 thunderstorm wind: 1 death and $53,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 27 declarations naming the county since 1973, 25 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
- 668on 603 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 13 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $52Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 6strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 27latest 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 Carlisle County most?
The most frequent records are fog, smoke and funnel cloud records: 98 since 1997. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 98 | 97 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 118 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 95 | 84 | 1967-2026 | 1 | 1 | $2.1M | 25 of 118 |
| Winter storms | 93 | 93 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $14M | 4 of 118 |
| Heat | 86 | 86 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 of 118 |
| Floods | 73 | 65 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.9M | 8 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 68 | 68 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $7.2M | 1 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 60 | 60 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $5.7M | 1 of 118 |
| Drought | 41 | 41 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $16M | 1 of 118 |
| Hail | 41 | 37 | 1974-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | 11 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 5 | 2006-2019 | 0 | 2 | $2.9M | 72 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 5 | 2003-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 28 of 118 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2009-2009 | 0 | 0 | $6K | 47 of 118 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2004-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 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 Carlisle County had?
NOAA records 6 tornadoes in Carlisle County from 2006 to 2019, the strongest rated EF2, with 0 deaths and 2 injuries recorded in the county. 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 7 tornadoes whose track touched Carlisle County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 6: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kentucky.
Every tornado record filed for Carlisle County (6)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-06-23 | Magee Spgs, Carlisle County | EF1 0.15 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2019-06-23 | Bardwell, Carlisle County | EF1 0.93 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $23K |
| 2019-03-14 | Cunningham, Carlisle County | EF1 2.22 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $23K |
| 2013-10-31 | Cunningham, Carlisle County | EF1 5.01 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $253K |
| 2011-04-23 | Bardwell, Carlisle County | EF2 4 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.6M |
| 2006-08-14 | Cunningham, Carlisle County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Carlisle County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 16, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-16 | Thunderstorm WindBardwell, Carlisle County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-04-16 | Thunderstorm WindCunningham, Carlisle County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-04-09 | DroughtCarlisle County · forecast zone Carlisle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-27 | Dense FogCarlisle County · forecast zone Carlisle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | Dense FogCarlisle County · forecast zone Carlisle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-10 | Dense FogCarlisle County · forecast zone Carlisle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Cold/Wind ChillCarlisle County · forecast zone Carlisle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormCarlisle County · forecast zone Carlisle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Cold/Wind ChillCarlisle County · forecast zone Carlisle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Dense FogCarlisle County · forecast zone Carlisle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-08 | Dense FogCarlisle County · forecast zone Carlisle | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-23 | Dense FogCarlisle County · forecast zone Carlisle | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-06-28 | Thunderstorm WindCunningham, Carlisle County Widespread wind damage occurred around the county. Numerous trees were blown down, including some trees on power lines. A tree fell on a house in Milburn and also in the Cunningham area on County Road 1054. U.S. Highway 62 between Cunningham and Bardwell was impassable due to downed trees on the road. A 67-year-old ... | 56 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $53K |
| 2011-04-23 | TornadoBardwell, Carlisle County The brunt of the damage occurred in the downtown area of Bardwell. One steel building was destroyed. Entire walls were demolished on older two-story brick buildings used as businesses. Several of the damaged buildings were deemed a total loss and were demolished. Approximately thirty large trees were uprooted, and ... | EF2 4 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.6M |
| 2002-04-20 | Thunderstorm WindBerkeley, Carlisle County Near Berkley, trees were blown down in a park near the Mississippi River. One of the trees landed on a moving car, crushing the vehicle and trapping the occupant. The person received a broken neck. Near Milburn, numerous trees and power lines were down. A house in Milburn was moderately damaged. | 52 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $25K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-23 | TornadoBardwell, Carlisle County | EF2 4 mi x 450 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.6M |
| 1994-06-11 | HailCarlisle County | 0.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2025-02-16 | FloodColumbus, Carlisle County | 0 | 0 | $950K | |
| 2000-01-03 | Flash FloodCountywide, Carlisle County | 0 | 0 | $686K | |
| 2006-03-09 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Carlisle County | 87 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $366K |
| 1997-04-30 | Thunderstorm WindBardwell, Carlisle County | 0 | 0 | $276K | |
| 2013-10-31 | TornadoCunningham, Carlisle County | EF1 5.01 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $253K |
| 2008-02-05 | Thunderstorm WindCunningham, Carlisle County | 83 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $103K |
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 Carlisle 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 4 | 18 | 41 | 35 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 31 | 22 | 14 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 9 | 25 | 41 | 18 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 5 | 13 | 41 z | 27 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 24 | 26 | 16 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 17 | 29 | 20 |
Heat in the 2010s: 41 records against 13 in the decade before, 41 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Carlisle County days with a record above.
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 Carlisle County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 78 · Feb 80 · Mar 55 · Apr 72 · May 44 · Jun 59 · Jul 70 · Aug 42 · Sep 24 · Oct 41 · Nov 41 · Dec 62 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Carlisle County
FEMA's register lists 27 declarations that include Carlisle County: 21 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (15) and flood (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2020-03-28 | DR-4497 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3469 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-04-17 | DR-4428 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2018-04-26 | DR-4361 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 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 |
| 2009-05-29 | DR-1841 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding and Mudslides |
| 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 |
| 2008-02-21 | DR-1746 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3231 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2005-02-08 | DR-1578 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Record Snow |
| 2003-06-03 | DR-1471 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud and Rock Slides, and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 1989-02-24 | DR-821 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1973-05-11 | DR-381 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
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 Carlisle County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 73 flood or flash flood records for Carlisle County from 1996 to 2025, on 65 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Carlisle County ranks 2685th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $15,000 on 3 claims filed in Carlisle County; the most in one year was 1 in 1997. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1997: 1 · 1998: 1 · 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 Carlisle County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Carlisle County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $455K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $480K | 8.7 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $2.7M | once in about 80 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $201K | 11 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $335K | 3.3 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $452K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $26K | 6.5 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $459K | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Carlisle 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
- The Kentucky recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Carlisle CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Carlisle County's FEMA declarations (CSV)27 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis