Letcher County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21133 · population 21,438 · 338 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 557 records for Letcher County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 336 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (225 records). The deadliest single record is the July 28, 2022 flash flood: 3 deaths. FEMA has issued 40 declarations naming the county since 1967, 38 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
- 557on 336 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 35 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $13Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest F1
- FEMA declarations
- 40latest 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 Letcher County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 225 since 1996. 67% 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 | 225 | 125 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 4 | $117K | 12 of 118 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 143 | 96 | 1968-2025 | 0 | 0 | $452K | 83 of 118 |
| Floods | 85 | 59 | 1996-2025 | 3 | 0 | $3.6M | 42 of 118 |
| Hail | 41 | 29 | 1984-2025 | 0 | 0 | $72K | 94 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 18 | 15 | 2003-2024 | 0 | 1 | $141K | 45 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 16 | 13 | 2002-2021 | 0 | 0 | $103K | 11 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 15 | 15 | 2007-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 38 of 118 |
| Drought | 4 | 4 | 2016-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 of 118 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 67 of 118 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 2 | 2003-2018 | 0 | 0 | $588 | 9 of 118 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2009-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 36 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 1978-1983 | 0 | 0 | $8.5M | 107 of 118 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2007-2007 | 0 | 0 | $14K | 67 of 118 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2016-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 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 Letcher County had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in Letcher County from 1978 to 1983, the strongest rated F1, with 0 deaths 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 2 tornadoes whose track touched Letcher 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 Letcher County (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-06-03 | Letcher County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1978-05-12 | Letcher County | F1 14.4 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 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 Letcher County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 18, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-16 | Heavy SnowLetcher County · forecast zone Letcher | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Heavy SnowLetcher County · forecast zone Letcher | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Heavy SnowLetcher County · forecast zone Letcher | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormLetcher County · forecast zone Letcher | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-18 | Thunderstorm WindAdams, Letcher County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-12-18 | Thunderstorm WindLetcher County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-05-17 | Thunderstorm WindSackett, Letcher County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindFarraday, Letcher County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-05-13 | FloodPolly, Letcher County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-14 | HailEolia, Letcher County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-01-31 | FloodVan, Letcher County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-31 | FloodCraftsville, Letcher 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-07-28 | Flash FloodDay, Letcher County Multiple reports of flash flooding were received across the eastern half of Letcher County. Some of these reports include: 01:00 AM EST - Pictures show a car forced into a culvert pipe by flash flooding in front of the Colson Volunteer Fire Department. 05:00 AM EST - The Isom IGA is innundated to above the doorway by ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2019-01-14 | Winter WeatherLetcher County · forecast zone Letcher Freezing drizzle continued to linger behind a cold front through the 14th and into the 15th. This led to patchy icy spots on roads across portions of eastern Kentucky, most notably Letcher County. Kentucky Highway 15 was closed in Isom for a period on the morning of the 15th as an ambulance hit ice on a bridge and ... | 0 | 4 | $58K | |
| 2023-04-01 | High WindLetcher County · forecast zone Letcher At 2:55 PM EDT, a public weather station in the Jenkins community measured a wind gust of 58 mph. Only a few minutes later, around 3:00 PM, the Colson Volunteer Fire Department reported that a volunteer firefighter operating the CFD Engine #1 was injured when a tree fell off the side of the hill and struck the ... | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $20K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-08-04 | Flash FloodCountywide, Letcher County | 0 | 0 | $913K | |
| 2000-07-14 | Flash FloodCountywide, Letcher County | 0 | 0 | $514K | |
| 2020-02-06 | FloodJenkins, Letcher County | 0 | 0 | $399K | |
| 2002-07-02 | Flash FloodFleming, Letcher County | 0 | 0 | $328K | |
| 2019-01-14 | Winter WeatherLetcher County · forecast zone Letcher | 0 | 4 | $58K | |
| 2023-04-01 | High WindLetcher County · forecast zone Letcher | 50 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $20K |
| 2025-05-17 | Thunderstorm WindSackett, Letcher County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2025-12-18 | Thunderstorm WindAdams, Letcher County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
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: June 3, 1983 (tornado, Letcher 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 Letcher 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 | 53 | 132 | 28 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 15 | 51 | 43 | 25 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 37 | 33 | 8 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 15 | 12 | 1 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 8 | 3 | 7 |
| Heavy rain | – | – | – | – | 0 | 2 | 11 | 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
67% 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 82 · Feb 106 · Mar 39 · Apr 51 · May 59 · Jun 57 · Jul 50 · Aug 26 · Sep 9 · Oct 19 · Nov 16 · Dec 43 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Letcher County
FEMA's register lists 40 declarations that include Letcher County: 33 major disasters, 6 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (16) and flood (14).
| 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 |
| 2025-02-24 | 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 |
| 2024-11-26 | DR-4848 | Tropical Storm | Remnants of Hurricane Helene |
| 2023-05-09 | DR-4711 | Flood | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2022-07-29 | DR-4663 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2021-04-23 | DR-4595 | Flood | Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 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 |
| 2018-04-12 | DR-4358 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2016-11-20 | FM-5166 | Fire | Southeastern Kentucky Fire Complex |
| 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 |
| 2015-04-30 | DR-4216 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2009-05-29 | DR-1841 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding and Mudslides |
| 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 |
| 2001-08-15 | DR-1388 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1994-03-16 | DR-1018 | Snowstorm | Severe Weather, Freezing Rain, Sleet, Snw |
| 1993-03-16 | EM-3104 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 1989-10-30 | DR-846 | Flood | Severe Storms, Mudslides & Flooding |
| 1989-06-30 | DR-834 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1989-02-24 | DR-821 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1984-05-15 | DR-705 | Severe Storm | High Winds, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1982-09-29 | DR-670 | Flood | Flash Flooding |
| 1977-04-06 | DR-529 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1975-05-24 | DR-468 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1972-05-15 | DR-332 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
| 1970-02-02 | DR-282 | Flood | Heavy Snowmelt, Rains & Flooding |
| 1967-03-27 | DR-226 | 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 Letcher County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 85 flood or flash flood records for Letcher County from 1996 to 2025, on 59 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Letcher County ranks 971st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $7.7 million on 188 claims filed in Letcher County; the most in one year was 91 in 2022. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1982: 13 · 1984: 19 · 1989: 9 · 1991: 2 · 1994: 3 · 2003: 1 · 2005: 1 · 2006: 2 · 2009: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2022: 91 · 2023: 3 · 2025: 37 · 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 Letcher County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Letcher County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $16.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $43K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $15M | 2 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $68K | 18 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $197K | once in about 139 years (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Relatively Low | $3K | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $676K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $148K | 3.1 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $235K | 4.4 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 Letcher 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 Letcher CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Letcher County's FEMA declarations (CSV)40 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis