Hickman County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21105 · population 4,509 · 242 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 650 records for Hickman County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 593 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (92 records). 448 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 February 24, 2011 flash flood: 4 deaths. FEMA has issued 28 declarations naming the county since 1973, 26 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
- 650on 593 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 49 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $41Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 14strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 28latest 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 Hickman County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 92 since 1996. 68% 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 | 92 | 92 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 1 | $14M | 10 of 118 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 88 | 86 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 118 |
| Heat | 87 | 87 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 of 118 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 80 | 76 | 1974-2025 | 0 | 1 | $1.2M | 70 of 118 |
| Floods | 76 | 68 | 1996-2025 | 4 | 2 | $1.2M | 14 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 68 | 68 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $7.2M | 6 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 62 | 62 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $34K | 5 of 118 |
| Drought | 43 | 43 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $16M | 4 of 118 |
| Hail | 30 | 29 | 1974-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3K | 60 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 14 | 13 | 1961-2023 | 0 | 5 | $1.8M | 22 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 8 | 2003-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 of 118 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2002-2002 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 59 of 118 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2004-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 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 Hickman County had?
NOAA records 14 tornadoes in Hickman County from 1961 to 2023, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 5 injuries recorded in the county. That is 22nd 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 15 tornadoes whose track touched Hickman County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 14: 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, 0 of them in Hickman 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 Hickman County (14)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-08-12 | Beelerton, Hickman County | EF1 2.47 mi x 275 yd | 0 | 0 | $97K |
| 2022-04-13 | Beelerton, Hickman County | EF0 2.66 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $45K |
| 2021-12-10 | Croley, Hickman County | EF3 9.48 mi x 2,600 yd | 0 | 5 | – |
| 2021-05-04 | Oakton, Hickman County | EF1 5.25 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $381K |
| 2018-04-03 | New Cypress, Hickman County | EF1 0.32 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $35K |
| 2018-04-03 | Oakton, Hickman County | EF1 0.32 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2017-04-26 | Croley, Hickman County | EF1 6.43 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $512K |
| 2014-04-28 | Fulham, Hickman County | EF0 1.03 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2011-02-24 | Beelerton, Hickman County | EF1 2.85 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $79K |
| 2010-05-02 | Croley, Hickman County | EF2 4.56 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $406K |
| 2004-05-29 | Clinton, Hickman County | F1 5.4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-06 | Clinton, Hickman County | F1 2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1981-05-18 | Hickman County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1961-05-07 | Hickman County | F2 22.1 mi x 33 yd | 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 Hickman County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the September 24, 2025 flash flood ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtHickman County · forecast zone Hickman | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-27 | Dense FogHickman County · forecast zone Hickman | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | Dense FogHickman County · forecast zone Hickman | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Cold/Wind ChillHickman County · forecast zone Hickman | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillHickman County · forecast zone Hickman | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormHickman County · forecast zone Hickman | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Cold/Wind ChillHickman County · forecast zone Hickman | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-22 | Dense FogHickman County · forecast zone Hickman | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-08 | Dense FogHickman County · forecast zone Hickman | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-23 | Dense FogHickman County · forecast zone Hickman | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-23 | Dense FogHickman County · forecast zone Hickman | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-07 | Dense FogHickman County · forecast zone Hickman | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-02-24 | Flash FloodBeulah, Hickman County A horse-drawn buggy carrying an Amish family was washed away at a low water crossing on a rural gravel road. Four children drowned when they were swept down a swollen creek. Reports stated that up to five feet of water swept the buggy away. The two parents driving the buggy and made it to safety, along with three ... | 4 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-12-10 | TornadoCroley, Hickman 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 ... | EF3 9.48 mi x 2,600 yd | 0 | 5 | – |
| 2001-12-16 | FloodHickman County · forecast zone Hickman Numerous roads were closed across western Kentucky, mostly secondary roads. Two persons were injured in Hickman County when a motorist drove into floodwaters along U.S. Highway 51. The motorist, who was unable to see a flagman in dense fog, drove through water on the road until she was swept into a 30-foot wide ditch. ... | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2011-02-07 | Heavy SnowHickman County · forecast zone Hickman A surface low pressure system developed in the Lower Mississippi Valley, then strengthened as it moved northeast across Tennessee and Kentucky. In the upper levels of the atmosphere, a rather strong disturbance tracked northeast from eastern Arkansas toward the Lower Ohio Valley. A band of very heavy snow was produced ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 1991-09-16 | Thunderstorm WindHickman County | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09-14 | High WindHickman County · forecast zone Hickman | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $7.1M |
| 2017-04-26 | TornadoCroley, Hickman County | EF1 6.43 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $512K |
| 2006-09-22 | Flash FloodCountywide, Hickman County | 0 | 0 | $439K | |
| 2010-05-02 | TornadoCroley, Hickman County | EF2 4.56 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 0 | $406K |
| 2021-05-04 | TornadoOakton, Hickman County | EF1 5.25 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $381K |
| 2025-02-16 | FloodSouth Columbus, Hickman County | 0 | 0 | $150K | |
| 2023-08-12 | TornadoBeelerton, Hickman County | EF1 2.47 mi x 275 yd | 0 | 0 | $97K |
| 2011-02-24 | TornadoBeelerton, Hickman County | EF1 2.85 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $79K |
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: May 7, 1961 (tornado, Hickman 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 Hickman 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 | – | – | – | – | 10 | 24 | 40 | 18 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 3 | 18 | 37 | 30 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 5 | 13 | 42 z | 27 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 23 | 22 | 17 | 12 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 9 | 26 | 23 | 18 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 18 | 28 | 20 |
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 Hickman 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?
68% 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 78 · Mar 45 · Apr 68 · May 53 · Jun 43 · Jul 62 · Aug 52 · Sep 27 · Oct 37 · Nov 40 · Dec 64 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Hickman County
FEMA's register lists 28 declarations that include Hickman County: 21 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (14) and flood (4).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2020-04-24 | DR-4540 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, 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 |
| 2008-05-19 | 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 |
| 1989-02-24 | DR-821 | 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 Hickman County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 76 flood or flash flood records for Hickman County from 1996 to 2025, on 68 days, with 4 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Hickman County ranks 2262nd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $6,152 on 13 claims filed in Hickman County; the most in one year was 7 in 1983. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1981: 6 · 1983: 7; 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 Hickman County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hickman County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $8.2 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 | $488K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $4.3M | once in about 80 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $845K | 11 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $397K | 3.3 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $659K | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $170K | 11 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $28K | 6.5 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $368K | 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 Hickman 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 Hickman CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Hickman County's FEMA declarations (CSV)28 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis