Floyd County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21071 · population 35,808 · 393 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 744 records for Floyd County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 376 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (244 records). The deadliest single record is the January 14, 2024 extreme cold/wind chill, filed for the forecast zone Floyd, which covers the county: 1 death and 1 injury. FEMA has issued 48 declarations naming the county since 1967, 46 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
- 744on 376 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 410 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $32Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest EF1
- FEMA declarations
- 48latest 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 Floyd County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 244 since 1967. 43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1967 fell in June and July. 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 | 244 | 132 | 1967-2026 | 1 | 2 | $1.4M | 62 of 118 |
| Floods | 198 | 97 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 1 | $30M | 20 of 118 |
| Winter storms | 150 | 91 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 3 | $100K | 40 of 118 |
| Hail | 90 | 50 | 1970-2025 | 0 | 0 | $18K | 48 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 15 | 15 | 2007-2024 | 1 | 1 | – | 44 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 15 | 13 | 2006-2024 | 0 | 0 | $236K | 64 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 11 | 9 | 2011-2022 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 34 of 118 |
| Heat | 8 | 8 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 of 118 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 4 | 4 | 2003-2021 | 0 | 0 | $5K | 3 of 118 |
| Drought | 3 | 3 | 2016-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 49 of 118 |
| Lightning | 3 | 3 | 2002-2022 | 0 | 1 | $65K | 28 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 1970-2011 | 0 | 2 | $203K | 111 of 118 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 57 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 Floyd County had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in Floyd County from 1970 to 2011, the strongest rated EF1, 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 2 tornadoes whose track touched Floyd County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 2, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kentucky.
Every tornado record filed for Floyd County (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-04 | Beaver, Floyd County | EF1 0.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 1970-09-09 | Floyd County | F1 | 0 | 2 | $25K 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 Floyd County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 16, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-16 | Heavy SnowFloyd County · forecast zone Floyd | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindMyrtle, Floyd County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-11 | Thunderstorm WindMartin, Floyd County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormFloyd County · forecast zone Floyd | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-26 | HailCliff, Floyd County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindLancer, Floyd County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindCliff, Floyd County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-06-26 | HailPrestonsburg, Floyd County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-26 | Thunderstorm WindWhitaker, Floyd County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-05-17 | Thunderstorm WindDema, Floyd County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindBlue Moon, Floyd County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-05-16 | Flash FloodWest Garrett, Floyd County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-01-14 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillFloyd County · forecast zone Floyd Source: https://wklw.com/kentucky-state-police-conducts-death-investigation-in-floyd-county-2/ The Kentucky State Police Pikeville Post received a call on Sunday, January 14, 2024, regarding a suspected carbon monoxide exposure in the Langley community of Floyd County. KSP troopers responded to the area. Two females ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2020-02-07 | Winter WeatherFloyd County · forecast zone Floyd Following abundant rainfall across southeast Kentucky on February 6th, colder air filtered into eastern Kentucky from February 6th into the 7th. Simultaneously, another wave of precipitation moved through the region, bringing a transition to snow for much of eastern Kentucky. The heaviest amounts of near 4 inches were ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-01-07 | Winter WeatherFloyd County · forecast zone Floyd A band of precipitation developed across the Tennessee Valley late on January 6th and moved into southeast Kentucky overnight into the 7th. A mix of rain and snow occurred, with locations in central portions of far eastern Kentucky seeing the greatest snowfall totals and associated travel impacts. Several schools were ... | 1 | 0 | $29K | |
| 2019-05-29 | Thunderstorm WindPrestonsburg, Floyd County A National Weather Service Meteorologist surveyed localized downburst winds in Prestonsburg. These winds caused sporadic damage throughout the community. The highest wind gust estimated was in downtown Prestonsburg on West Court Street where one half of the roof of a hock shop building was lifted off. This roof landed ... | 70 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $190K |
| 2010-12-03 | Winter WeatherFloyd County · forecast zone Floyd Between 6 and 730 am on December 3rd, a total of 20 weather related traffic accidents occurred within Prestonsburg city limits. Five of the 20 accidents resulted in injuries to 3 people. Most of the accidents took place primarily along access roads coming into Prestonsburg. The worst accident occurred on the Bert T. ... | 0 | 3 | $68K | |
| 1970-09-09 | TornadoFloyd County | F1 | 0 | 2 | $25K step |
| 2022-06-17 | LightningDotson, Floyd County A lightning strike caused a structure fire at a residence on Jack Arnett Branch, leading to an injury to an occupant of the home. | 0 | 1 | $61K | |
| 2001-08-03 | Flash FloodSouth Central Portion, Floyd County High water from the areas worst flash flooding in years took its toll on area roads, bridges and homes. Extensive damage resulted in the county, making it one of five in the area to be classified as a Presidentially declared disaster area. Up to 1200 homes were affected by the flash flood. All of the Left Beaver and ... | 0 | 1 | $13M |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-08-03 | Flash FloodSouth Central Portion, Floyd County | 0 | 1 | $13M | |
| 2004-06-01 | FloodFloyd County · forecast zone Floyd | 0 | 0 | $4.7M | |
| 2003-06-16 | Flash FloodDotson, Floyd County | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2002-05-02 | FloodFloyd County · forecast zone Floyd | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | |
| 2014-08-22 | Flash FloodBonanza, Floyd County | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 1998-04-18 | Flash FloodCountywide, Floyd County | 0 | 0 | $299K | |
| 2019-05-29 | Thunderstorm WindPrestonsburg, Floyd County | 70 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $190K |
| 2012-01-17 | Thunderstorm WindDotson, Floyd County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $129K |
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 $25K, in the dollars of the day) holds: September 9, 1970 (tornado, Floyd 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 Floyd 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 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 21 | 68 | 88 | 53 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 5 | 57 | 82 | 54 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 39 | 84 | 21 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 47 | 15 | 15 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 3 | 10 | 2 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 6 | 2 | 7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1967 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 71 · Feb 94 · Mar 76 · Apr 72 · May 116 · Jun 81 · Jul 91 · Aug 61 · Sep 16 · Oct 11 · Nov 6 · Dec 49 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Floyd County
FEMA's register lists 48 declarations that include Floyd County: 38 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 3 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (21) and flood (12).
| 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 |
| 2023-05-09 | DR-4711 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2023-04-10 | DR-4702 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2022-07-29 | DR-4663 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2022-02-27 | DR-4643 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides |
| 2021-04-23 | DR-4595 | Flood | Severe, Storms, 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 |
| 2019-04-17 | DR-4428 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2018-04-12 | DR-4358 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2015-08-12 | DR-4239 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslide |
| 2015-05-12 | DR-4218 | Flood | Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2015-05-01 | DR-4217 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2015-04-30 | DR-4216 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2014-09-30 | DR-4196 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2011-05-04 | DR-1976 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2007-05-25 | DR-1703 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Rockslides |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3231 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2004-06-10 | DR-1523 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, and Mudslides |
| 2003-07-02 | DR-1475 | 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 |
| 2002-04-04 | DR-1407 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2001-11-02 | FM-2386 | Fire | Ky - Eastern Fire Complex - 11/02/2001 |
| 2001-08-15 | DR-1388 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2000-11-04 | FM-2350 | Fire | Ky - Eastern District Fire Complex - 11/03/00 |
| 1999-11-20 | FM-2288 | Fire | Ky, Wildfires #001 |
| 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 |
| 1995-06-13 | DR-1055 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Severe Winds, Hail |
| 1994-03-16 | DR-1018 | Snowstorm | Severe Weather, Freezing Rain, Sleet, Snw |
The 40 most recent of 48 are listed; the CSV has every one.
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 Floyd County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 198 flood or flash flood records for Floyd County from 1996 to 2025, on 97 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Floyd County ranks 152nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $37.3 million on 2,618 claims filed in Floyd County; the most in one year was 553 in 1984. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 38 · 1979: 2 · 1980: 4 · 1981: 69 · 1982: 8 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 553 · 1985: 5 · 1987: 2 · 1989: 180 · 1990: 2 · 1991: 71 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 3 · 1994: 28 · 1995: 38 · 1996: 10 · 1997: 30 · 1998: 131 · 1999: 2 · 2000: 8 · 2001: 45 · 2002: 11 · 2003: 280 · 2004: 101 · 2005: 15 · 2006: 2 · 2007: 61 · 2008: 2 · 2009: 211 · 2010: 10 · 2011: 22 · 2012: 5 · 2013: 17 · 2014: 50 · 2015: 72 · 2016: 6 · 2017: 2 · 2018: 15 · 2019: 10 · 2020: 24 · 2021: 104 · 2022: 124 · 2023: 14 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 223 · 2026: 3; 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 Floyd County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Floyd County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $106 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively High | $102M | 3.3 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $43K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $135K | 15 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $702K | 3.6 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $209K | 51 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $563K | once in about 92 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $369K | 3.2 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $409K | once in about 738 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Floyd 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 Floyd CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Floyd County's FEMA declarations (CSV)48 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis