Fulton County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21075 · population 6,515 · 206 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 685 records for Fulton County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 615 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (94 records). 453 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 December 10, 2021 tornado: 1 death and 5 injuries. FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1973, 24 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
- 685on 615 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 419 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $49Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 15strongest EF4
- FEMA declarations
- 26latest 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 Fulton County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 94 since 1996. 69% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 94 | 94 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 1 | $14M | 6 of 118 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 93 | 80 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 4 | $1.3M | 46 of 118 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 89 | 87 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 118 |
| Heat | 88 | 88 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 3 | – | 2 of 118 |
| Floods | 75 | 67 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $5.8M | 11 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 70 | 70 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 4 | $9.4M | 3 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 62 | 62 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $34K | 2 of 118 |
| Hail | 48 | 40 | 1959-2025 | 0 | 0 | $93K | 12 of 118 |
| Drought | 43 | 43 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $16M | 2 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 13 | 1962-2025 | 1 | 7 | $2.6M | 10 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 7 | 7 | 2003-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 118 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2004-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 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 Fulton County had?
NOAA records 15 tornadoes in Fulton County from 1962 to 2025, the strongest rated EF4, with 1 death and 7 injuries recorded in the county. That is 10th of 118 Kentucky counties and 269th of 3,080 U.S. 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 16 tornadoes whose track touched Fulton County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 15: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 57 people, 1 of them in Fulton County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-10 20:54, as SPC files it | Mayfield to HartfordCrossed KY, TN | EF4 | 168.53 mi | 57 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kentucky.
Every tornado record filed for Fulton County (15)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-11-18 | Dodd, Fulton County | EF1 5.64 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| 2023-08-12 | Hickman, Fulton County | EF1 1.25 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
| 2022-02-22 | Cayce, Fulton County | EF0 0.69 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2021-12-10 | State Line, Fulton County | EF4 10.17 mi x 2,000 yd | 1 | 5 | – |
| 2021-05-04 | Jordan, Fulton County | EF2 6.06 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $338K |
| 2017-03-09 | Hickman, Fulton County | EF2 7.3 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2017-03-09 | Sassafras Ridge, Fulton County | EF1 8.73 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $301K |
| 2014-06-07 | Tyler, Fulton County | EF1 3.02 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2014-04-28 | Jordan, Fulton County | EF1 2.24 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $37K |
| 2011-02-24 | Hickman, Fulton County | EF0 1.11 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 2011-02-24 | Riceville, Fulton County | EF1 1.45 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2010-05-02 | Jordan, Fulton County | EF1 7.9 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $47K |
| 1973-04-19 | Fulton County | F2 35.4 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1964-01-24 | Fulton County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 2 | $3K step |
| 1962-07-08 | Fulton County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $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 Fulton County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 16, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-16 | Thunderstorm WindFulton County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-04-16 | Thunderstorm WindHickman, Fulton County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtFulton County · forecast zone Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-27 | Dense FogFulton County · forecast zone Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-17 | Strong WindFulton County · forecast zone Fulton | 36 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-02-15 | Dense FogFulton County · forecast zone Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Cold/Wind ChillFulton County · forecast zone Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillFulton County · forecast zone Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormFulton County · forecast zone Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Cold/Wind ChillFulton County · forecast zone Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Dense FogFulton County · forecast zone Fulton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-08 | Dense FogFulton County · forecast zone Fulton | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-10 | TornadoState Line, Fulton County This historic EF-4 tornado was associated with a very long-track supercell that originally formed over eastern Arkansas. The supercell produced a nearly continuous tornado damage path from northeast Arkansas across western Tennessee and western Kentucky. The starting point of this particular tornado was in northwest ... | EF4 10.17 mi x 2,000 yd | 1 | 5 | – |
| 2022-12-22 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillFulton County · forecast zone Fulton A powerful cold front swept through the region, with wind chills dropping to 20 to 30 below zero. These were the coldest wind chills observed in over 25 years across the region. Paducah, KY dropped down to a -21 wind chill, which was the coldest since February 3, 1996. The most extreme wind chills were from the ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-03-01 | FloodHickman, Fulton County Moderate flooding continued on the Mississippi River from late February. At New Madrid, Missouri, the river crested at 41.4 feet on March 5, well above the flood stage of 34 feet. A Hickman city police officer perished after attempting to drive through a flooded area on the night of March 2. The 45-year-old male was ... | 1 | 0 | $118K | |
| 2015-03-04 | Winter StormFulton County · forecast zone Fulton A major winter storm dumped 6 to 18 inches of snow across western Kentucky. The Kentucky governor declared a state of emergency for the second time in less than a month. Snowfall amounts were lowest in the Henderson and Owensboro areas, where 6 to 8 inches was reported. The highest amounts were from 15 to 18 inches in ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2005-07-21 | HeatFulton County · forecast zone Fulton Several days of excessive heat and humidity caused a significant increase in heat-related illnesses. A 46-year-old construction worker from Livingston County suffered a heart attack in which heat was a factor, but heat was not the direct cause of death. The heat index peaked around 110 degrees each afternoon, and ... | 0 | 3 | – | |
| 1997-04-30 | High WindFulton County · forecast zone Fulton Strong southwest winds, not related to thunderstorms, gusted above 50 MPH. Peak wind gusts during the late afternoon reached 60 MPH on hilltops and southwest-facing exposures. The wind contributed to the collapse of a building under construction in Powderly, which is in Muhlenberg County about 30 miles northeast of ... | 0 | 3 | $92K | |
| 2009-07-15 | Thunderstorm WindHickman, Fulton County A microburst struck the town of Hickman, where the roof was blown off a restaurant. Rainfall then caused extensive damage to parts of the restaurant. Two customers were injured while rushing to escape (indirect injuries). Debris from the restaurant damaged a second home immediately east of the business. A block to the ... | 70 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $124K |
| 1995-07-04 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Fulton County | 0 | 2 | $145K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09-14 | High WindFulton County · forecast zone Fulton | 55 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $9.0M |
| 2023-08-04 | Flash FloodCayce, Fulton County | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2017-03-09 | TornadoHickman, Fulton County | EF2 7.3 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2006-09-23 | Flash FloodCountywide, Fulton County | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 2021-05-04 | TornadoJordan, Fulton County | EF2 6.06 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $338K |
| 2017-03-09 | TornadoSassafras Ridge, Fulton County | EF1 8.73 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $301K |
| 1995-07-04 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Fulton County | 0 | 2 | $145K | |
| 2011-05-25 | Thunderstorm WindFulton Airport, Fulton County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $131K |
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: July 8, 1962 (tornado, Fulton County); April 19, 1973 (tornado, Fulton 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 Fulton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 12 | 25 | 40 | 17 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 21 | 22 | 14 | 18 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 3 | 17 | 37 | 32 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 5 | 13 | 42 z | 28 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 13 | 24 | 19 | 19 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 19 | 28 | 21 |
Heat in the 2010s: 42 records against 13 in the decade before, 42 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 Fulton 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?
69% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 81 · Feb 81 · Mar 52 · Apr 75 · May 49 · Jun 35 · Jul 76 · Aug 52 · Sep 27 · Oct 37 · Nov 49 · Dec 71 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Fulton County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Fulton County: 19 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (10) and flood (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 |
| 2025-02-16 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2009-05-29 | 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 |
| 2008-05-19 | DR-1757 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Mudslides, and Landslides |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3231 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2005-02-08 | DR-1578 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Record Snow |
| 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 |
| 1991-01-29 | DR-893 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1975-03-29 | DR-461 | 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 Fulton County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 75 flood or flash flood records for Fulton County from 1996 to 2025, on 67 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Fulton County ranks 2003rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $591,000 on 25 claims filed in Fulton County; the most in one year was 8 in 2006. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1984: 4 · 2003: 3 · 2006: 8 · 2010: 1 · 2013: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2023: 5 · 2024: 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 Fulton County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Fulton County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.6 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 | $534K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $4.7M | once in about 61 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $766K | 11 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $419K | 3.1 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $256K | 11 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $815K | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $35K | 6.4 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $381K | about once 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 Fulton 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
- Winter storms in KentuckyThe state's winter storm records, 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 Fulton CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Fulton County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis