Grant County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21081 · population 24,887 · 258 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 320 records for Grant County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 248 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (129 records). The deadliest single record is the September 26, 1976 tornado: 1 death. FEMA has issued 18 declarations naming the county since 1996, 16 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
- 320on 248 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 11 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $10Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 8strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 18latest 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 Grant County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 129 since 1968. 45% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1968 fell in July and August. 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 | 129 | 92 | 1968-2026 | 0 | 1 | $695K | 58 of 118 |
| Winter storms | 75 | 75 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $376K | 28 of 118 |
| Floods | 46 | 36 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | 62 of 118 |
| Hail | 40 | 31 | 1968-2024 | 0 | 0 | $11K | 57 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 9 | 1996-2024 | 0 | 0 | $4.0M | 59 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 8 | 6 | 1976-2026 | 1 | 0 | $2.5M | 81 of 118 |
| Heat | 7 | 7 | 1999-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 40 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $699K | 100 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 2011-2015 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 53 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 Grant County had?
NOAA records 8 tornadoes in Grant County from 1976 to 2026, the strongest rated EF3, with 1 death and 0 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 8 tornadoes whose track touched Grant County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 8, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 5 people, 1 of them in Grant County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-03-02 15:23, as SPC files it | Crittenden | EF4 | 9.85 mi | 4 |
| 1976-09-26 18:30, as SPC files it | Crittenden | F1 | 1 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kentucky.
Every tornado record filed for Grant County (8)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | Delia, Grant County | EF1 6.38 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K |
| 2023-01-12 | Dry Ridge, Grant County | EF0 0.27 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $145K |
| 2020-04-08 | Dry Ridge, Grant County | EF0 3.01 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2020-04-08 | Jericho, Grant County | EF1 2.4 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| 2012-03-02 | Crittenden, Grant County | EF3 1.33 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 0 | $643K |
| 2011-04-23 | Northcutt, Grant County | EF1 1.47 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 2011-04-23 | Folsom, Grant County | EF0 1.14 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 1976-09-26 | Grant County | F1 1 mi x 120 yd | 1 | 0 | $250K 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 Grant County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 18, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindWilliamstown, Grant County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindWilliamstown, Grant County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-06-18 | TornadoDelia, Grant County | EF1 6.38 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K |
| 2026-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindMt Zion, Grant County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindDry Ridge, Grant County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2026-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindElliston, Grant County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-28 | Thunderstorm WindDry Ridge, Grant County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2026-02-03 | Winter StormGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-28 | Thunderstorm WindMt Zion, Grant County | 45 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-12-13 | Winter WeatherGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-01 | Winter StormGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976-09-26 | TornadoGrant County | F1 1 mi x 120 yd | 1 | 0 | $250K step |
| 2023-07-01 | Thunderstorm WindTwin Bridges, Grant County A home was damaged and one person suffered minor injuries. | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $10K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09-14 | High WindGrant County · forecast zone Grant | 58 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4.0M |
| 2026-06-18 | TornadoDelia, Grant County | EF1 6.38 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K |
| 2023-01-12 | TornadoDry Ridge, Grant County | EF0 0.27 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $145K |
| 2011-04-23 | TornadoNorthcutt, Grant County | EF1 1.47 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 2011-04-23 | TornadoFolsom, Grant County | EF0 1.14 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $33K |
| 2026-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindWilliamstown, Grant County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2020-04-08 | TornadoDry Ridge, Grant County | EF0 3.01 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2023-07-01 | Thunderstorm WindTwin Bridges, Grant County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $10K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: September 26, 1976 (tornado, Grant County, 1 killed).
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 Grant 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 | 5 | 19 | 29 | 37 | 35 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 12 | 40 z | 17 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 23 | 15 | 5 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 13 | 2 |
Winter storms in the 2010s: 40 records against 12 in the decade before, 40 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 Grant 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?
45% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1968 fell in July and August. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 31 · Feb 28 · Mar 30 · Apr 45 · May 34 · Jun 28 · Jul 53 · Aug 29 · Sep 9 · Oct 7 · Nov 7 · Dec 19 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Grant County
FEMA's register lists 18 declarations that include Grant County: 12 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (8) and biological (2).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3633 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2012-03-06 | DR-4057 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3231 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2005-02-08 | DR-1578 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Record Snow |
| 2003-03-14 | DR-1454 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice and Snow Storms, Heavy Rain, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Mud and |
| 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 Grant County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 46 flood or flash flood records for Grant County from 1996 to 2023, on 36 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Grant County ranks 2685th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $4,500 on 3 claims filed in Grant County; the most in one year was 1 in 1980. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1980: 1 · 1984: 1 · 2026: 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 Grant County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Grant County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $372K | 51 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $757K | 5.1 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $2.3M | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $288K | 6.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $653K | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $48K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $2K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $161K | once in about 582 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Grant 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 Grant CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Grant County's FEMA declarations (CSV)18 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis