Daviess County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21059 · population 103,266 · 458 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 1,057 records for Daviess County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 810 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (206 records). The deadliest single record is the January 15, 2015 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Daviess, which covers the county: 1 death and 2 injuries. FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1996, 17 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
- 1,057on 810 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 5104 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $253Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 31strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 19latest 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 Daviess County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 206 since 1955. 42% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in May and June. 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 | 206 | 171 | 1955-2025 | 0 | 5 | $9.5M | 50 of 118 |
| Hail | 148 | 105 | 1971-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | 7 of 118 |
| Winter storms | 133 | 122 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 2 | $24M | 32 of 118 |
| Floods | 131 | 117 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 1 | $30M | 18 of 118 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 108 | 104 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 of 118 |
| Heat | 77 | 77 | 1997-2025 | 1 | 43 | – | 17 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 76 | 74 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 17 | $26M | 17 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 72 | 72 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $5.7M | 18 of 118 |
| Drought | 33 | 33 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $16M | 21 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 31 | 20 | 1952-2024 | 0 | 36 | $138M | 36 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 29 | 28 | 2003-2015 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 4 of 118 |
| Lightning | 12 | 12 | 1996-2016 | 0 | 0 | $288K | 4 of 118 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2004-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 27 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 Daviess County had?
NOAA records 31 tornadoes in Daviess County from 1952 to 2024, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 36 injuries recorded in the county. That is 36th 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 33 tornadoes whose track touched Daviess County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 31: 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.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-10-18 19:09, as SPC files it | Owensboro | EF3 | 6.99 mi | 0 |
| 2000-01-03 16:06, as SPC files it | Owensboro | F3 | 7 mi | 0 |
| 1952-12-09 15:00, as SPC files it | OwensboroCrossed IN, KY | F3 | 35 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kentucky.
Every tornado record filed for Daviess County (31)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-08 | Rome, Daviess County | EF1 0.86 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $28K |
| 2024-05-08 | St Joseph, Daviess County | EF0 3.11 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $42K |
| 2024-05-08 | St Joseph, Daviess County | EF0 2.66 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $52K |
| 2018-09-08 | Yelvington, Daviess County | EF1 0.44 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2018-09-08 | Sorgho, Daviess County | EF0 0.62 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2018-09-08 | Stanley, Daviess County | EF1 2.23 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $129K |
| 2016-04-27 | Doyle, Daviess County | EF1 2.86 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $92K |
| 2016-04-27 | Pettit, Daviess County | EF0 4.16 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $123K |
| 2016-03-31 | Sutherland, Daviess County | EF1 2.97 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $123K |
| 2012-03-02 | Brownwood Manor, Daviess County | EF0 0.25 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-22 | Stanley, Daviess County | EF0 0.2 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2009-06-11 | Thurston, Daviess County | EF0 0.22 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-06-11 | Newman, Daviess County | EF0 1.69 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2009-03-28 | Owensboro, Daviess County | EF0 0.2 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2007-10-18 | St Joseph, Daviess County | EF2 10.64 mi x 360 yd | 0 | 4 | $996K |
| 2007-10-18 | Gatewood, Daviess County | EF0 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2007-10-18 | Owensboro, Daviess County | EF1 2 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 0 | $71K |
| 2007-10-18 | Thurston, Daviess County | EF2 7.5 mi x 180 yd | 0 | 0 | $71K |
| 2007-10-18 | Owensboro, Daviess County | EF3 6.99 mi x 360 yd | 0 | 8 | $16M |
| 2006-09-22 | Whitesville, Daviess County | F1 4 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $110K |
| 2005-11-15 | Utica, Daviess County | F0 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-05-30 | Masonville, Daviess County | F0 0.1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-04 | St Joseph, Daviess County | F2 0.2 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 2 | $120K |
| 2000-01-03 | Rome, Daviess County | F3 7 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 18 | $110M |
| 1989-05-19 | Daviess County | F2 8 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1989-05-19 | Daviess County | F2 3.3 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1989-05-05 | Daviess County | F2 1 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1984-03-15 | Daviess County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-05-31 | Daviess County | F2 4 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1958-04-24 | Daviess County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $30 step |
| 1952-12-09 | Daviess County | F3 25.2 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 3 | – |
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 Daviess County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 2, 2026 strong wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-27 | HailOwensboro Airport, Daviess County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-27 | HailMaple Mt, Daviess County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-04-25 | Dense FogDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-02 | Strong WindDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess | 36 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-02-27 | Dense FogDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-19 | Dense FogDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | Dense FogDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess | 0 | 0 | $25K | |
| 2026-01-23 | Cold/Wind ChillDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-21 | Winter WeatherDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess | 0 | 0 | $25K | |
| 2025-11-24 | Dense FogDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-01-15 | Winter WeatherDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess Across most of western Kentucky, one to two inches of snow fell during the morning hours. Lesser amounts of one-half inch or less occurred along the Tennessee border from Murray to Hopkinsville. The snow fell in bands oriented from west to east. The heaviest band extended from Bardwell (in Carlisle County) east across ... | 1 | 2 | – | |
| 2024-01-30 | Winter WeatherDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess Early morning on the 30th a frontal passage approached Northwest Kentucky from the northwest. Southerly winds around 5-10 mph ahead of the front tended to lift temperatures above freezing ahead of the fronts' approach in locations further west. Northwest Kentucky, however, had cooler early AM low temperatures of ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-01-16 | Cold/Wind ChillDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess The Daviess County Coroner reported that a homeless woman (58f) living in her car passed away on the 17th due to exposure to cold weather. Temperatures were frigid on the 17th, with an early morning low of 1 in Owensboro with wind chills bottoming out at -11. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-07-03 | Flash FloodMoseleyville, Daviess County A series of thunderstorms produced rainfall rates estimated by radar up to three inches in two hours. A car was swept off Highway 140 West by rapidly flowing floodwater. The vehicle was found about two hours later, submerged in a deep ditch with rapidly flowing water. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Just ... | 1 | 0 | $25K | |
| 1998-06-22 | HeatDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess Temperatures exceeded 90 degrees for at least 7 consecutive days. High humidity resulted in excessive heat indicies approaching 110 degrees. Heat was blamed for the death of a 47-year-old Daviess County man who was mowing the lawn during the late afternoon. Demand for electricity approached or equalled record demands ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2010-08-09 | Excessive HeatDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess A strong and very persistent high in the upper levels of the atmosphere was responsible for seven consecutive days of heat indices at or above 105 degrees. The high was centered over the Lower Ohio Valley for the first few days of the heat wave, then it shifted slightly southward and weakened. The summer as a whole ... | 0 | 29 | – | |
| 2000-01-03 | TornadoRome, Daviess County The tornado first touched down near the community of Rome, just southwest of Owensboro, and entered the city near the southern boundary of Owensboro Airport. The tornado tracked northeast through the heart of Owensboro before dissipating on the east side of town. Peak winds were estimated at 180 MPH. Since the tornado ... | F3 7 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 18 | $110M |
| 2008-09-14 | High WindDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess Frequent wind gusts from 60 to nearly 80 mph caused widespread damage in western Kentucky. The low pressure center that was the remnant of Hurricane Ike raced northeast at 40 to 50 mph across Missouri and Illinois. The center passed between Carbondale and St. Louis on its way toward the northeastern states. The rapid ... | 63 kt wind | 0 | 17 | $26M |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01-03 | TornadoRome, Daviess County | F3 7 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 18 | $110M |
| 2008-09-14 | High WindDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess | 63 kt wind | 0 | 17 | $26M |
| 2009-01-26 | Ice StormDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess | 0 | 0 | $24M | |
| 1997-03-01 | FloodDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess | 0 | 0 | $18M | |
| 2007-10-18 | TornadoOwensboro, Daviess County | EF3 6.99 mi x 360 yd | 0 | 8 | $16M |
| 2011-05-01 | FloodOwensboro, Daviess County | 0 | 0 | $6.6M | |
| 2004-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Daviess County | 104 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4.7M |
| 2004-09-22 | FloodDaviess County · forecast zone Daviess | 0 | 0 | $3.1M |
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: May 31, 1982 (tornado, Daviess 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 Daviess 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 | 1 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 25 | 51 | 53 | 30 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 51 | 41 | 27 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 14 | 43 | 54 | 22 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 16 | 42 | 50 | 23 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 5 | 23 | 51 | 29 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 5 | 14 | 34 | 24 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
42% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1955 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 102 · Feb 91 · Mar 99 · Apr 111 · May 125 · Jun 108 · Jul 116 · Aug 66 · Sep 51 · Oct 55 · Nov 50 · Dec 83 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Daviess County
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Daviess County: 13 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (10) and biological (2).
| 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 |
| 2025-02-16 | 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 |
| 2020-03-28 | DR-4497 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3469 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016-08-26 | DR-4278 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2015-05-12 | DR-4218 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2011-05-04 | DR-1976 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2004-08-06 | DR-1537 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2004-06-10 | DR-1523 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 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 |
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 Daviess County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 131 flood or flash flood records for Daviess County from 1996 to 2025, on 117 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Daviess County ranks 706th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3.6 million on 327 claims filed in Daviess County; the most in one year was 89 in 1997. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 2 · 1979: 2 · 1980: 15 · 1981: 8 · 1982: 1 · 1983: 22 · 1984: 5 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 1 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 2 · 1995: 4 · 1997: 89 · 1998: 3 · 2000: 2 · 2001: 2 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 1 · 2004: 2 · 2005: 2 · 2006: 6 · 2007: 3 · 2008: 14 · 2009: 7 · 2010: 5 · 2011: 33 · 2013: 4 · 2014: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2016: 9 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 16 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 14 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 31 · 2026: 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 Daviess County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Daviess County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $69.8 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 | Very High | $1.8M | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $2.9M | 5 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively High | $533K | 8.2 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $17M | once in about 186 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | $1.8M | 3.1 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $3.1M | 8.2 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $6.4M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $33M | 3.9 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 Daviess 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 Daviess CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Daviess County's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis