Livingston County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21139 · population 8,878 · 313 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 699 records for Livingston County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 631 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (109 records). 471 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 January 24, 2026 winter storm, filed for the forecast zone Livingston, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 29 declarations naming the county since 1975, 27 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
- 699on 631 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 210 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $55Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 13strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 29latest 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 Livingston County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 109 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 | 109 | 109 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $17M | 15 of 118 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 100 | 99 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 118 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 86 | 78 | 1963-2026 | 0 | 5 | $1.2M | 98 of 118 |
| Heat | 80 | 80 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 118 |
| Floods | 73 | 69 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $7.5M | 26 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 63 | 63 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $34K | 11 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 63 | 63 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $12M | 11 of 118 |
| Hail | 62 | 50 | 1966-2025 | 0 | 0 | $58K | 22 of 118 |
| Drought | 38 | 38 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $16M | 10 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 13 | 11 | 1970-2024 | 0 | 5 | $1.7M | 56 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 9 | 2004-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 118 |
| Wildfires | 2 | 2 | 2004-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 7 of 118 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2004-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 66 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 Livingston County had?
NOAA records 13 tornadoes in Livingston County from 1970 to 2024, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 5 injuries recorded in the county. That is 56th 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 13 tornadoes whose track touched Livingston County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 13, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 3 people, 0 of them in Livingston County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-11-17 14:05, as SPC files it | PaducahCrossed IL, KY | EF3 | 42.5 mi | 3 |
| 1970-04-24 00:55, as SPC files it | Gilbertsville | F3 | 25.4 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kentucky.
Every tornado record filed for Livingston County (13)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-05-26 | Smithland, Livingston County | EFU 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-05 | Ledbetter, Livingston County | EF0 0.29 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2019-06-23 | Vicksburg, Livingston County | EF1 0.79 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $23K |
| 2019-06-23 | Smithland, Livingston County | EF1 0.5 mi x 140 yd | 0 | 0 | $115K |
| 2018-04-03 | Burna, Livingston County | EF2 4.32 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $206K |
| 2013-11-17 | Smithland, Livingston County | EF2 12.21 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $507K |
| 2013-01-12 | Hampton, Livingston County | EF2 1.83 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $127K |
| 2006-09-22 | Bayou, Livingston County | F1 7 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $512K |
| 2003-05-04 | Birdsville, Livingston County | F1 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-04 | Birdsville, Livingston County | F1 9.6 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2002-04-28 | Joy, Livingston County | F2 10 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $66K |
| 1972-04-21 | Livingston County | F2 10.1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1970-04-24 | Livingston County | F3 4.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 5 | – |
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 Livingston 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 WindGrand Rivers, Livingston County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-04-09 | DroughtLivingston County · forecast zone Livingston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-27 | Dense FogLivingston County · forecast zone Livingston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | Dense FogLivingston County · forecast zone Livingston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Cold/Wind ChillLivingston County · forecast zone Livingston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormLivingston County · forecast zone Livingston | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Cold/Wind ChillLivingston County · forecast zone Livingston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-21 | Winter WeatherLivingston County · forecast zone Livingston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-08 | Dense FogLivingston County · forecast zone Livingston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-23 | Dense FogLivingston County · forecast zone Livingston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-23 | Dense FogLivingston County · forecast zone Livingston | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-07 | Dense FogLivingston County · forecast zone Livingston | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormLivingston County · forecast zone Livingston A major winter storm that brought Paducah's 7th largest snowstorm on record impacted western Kentucky on the 24th with light to moderate snow developing during the morning hours. After a brief lull in the evening, moderate to heavy sleet developed with a second wave that continued overnight into the morning hours of ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-20 | Cold/Wind ChillLivingston County · forecast zone Livingston A fatality occurred in a house fire on Farris St in Salem. The fire started when firewood stored near a wood-burning stove in the basement of the home caught fire. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1970-04-24 | TornadoLivingston County | F3 4.3 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 5 | – |
| 2002-01-24 | Thunderstorm WindIuka, Livingston County A site survey was conducted by National Weather Service meteorologists. It was determined that straight-line winds near 90 MPH affected a small rural area near the intersection of Highway 866 and Country Road. The damage area was about one-half mile long and 500 yards wide. Two mobile homes were moved off their ... | 78 kt wind | 0 | 3 | $123K |
| 2009-05-08 | Thunderstorm WindSmithland, Livingston County A poorly tied-down mobile home was moved several feet. An occupant of the mobile home sustained minor to moderate injuries. Two metal sheds were blown down. A number of trees were either snapped or uprooted. Several telephone poles were blown over. The microburst damage area was about one-half mile in length and width. | 70 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $83K |
| 1996-05-05 | Thunderstorm WindSmithland, Livingston County Dozens of trees were blown down. Several houses and barns were damaged. A man was injured by flying glass when high winds shattered a large plate glass window at his home. Two homes were damaged in Salem. Power was out for up to 12 hours. | 0 | 1 | $75K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-01-26 | Ice StormLivingston County · forecast zone Livingston | 0 | 0 | $15M | |
| 2008-09-14 | High WindLivingston County · forecast zone Livingston | 68 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $12M |
| 2011-05-01 | FloodBirdsville, Livingston County | 0 | 0 | $5.2M | |
| 2008-02-11 | Winter StormLivingston County · forecast zone Livingston | 0 | 0 | $2.1M | |
| 2006-09-22 | TornadoBayou, Livingston County | F1 7 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $512K |
| 2013-11-17 | TornadoSmithland, Livingston County | EF2 12.21 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $507K |
| 2019-02-11 | FloodLedbetter, Livingston County | 0 | 0 | $462K | |
| 2010-05-03 | Flash FloodIuka, Livingston County | 0 | 0 | $352K |
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: April 21, 1972 (tornado, Livingston 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 Livingston 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 | 30 | 48 | 21 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 4 | 20 | 47 | 29 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 32 | 22 | 10 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 5 | 12 | 38 z | 25 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 16 | 24 | 24 | 9 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 4 | 22 | 21 | 16 |
Heat in the 2010s: 38 records against 12 in the decade before, 38 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 Livingston 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 94 · Feb 76 · Mar 56 · Apr 85 · May 60 · Jun 46 · Jul 67 · Aug 46 · Sep 21 · Oct 37 · Nov 45 · Dec 66 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Livingston County
FEMA's register lists 29 declarations that include Livingston County: 23 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (16) and flood (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3633 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-05-23 | DR-4875 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2016-08-26 | DR-4278 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, 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 |
| 2009-02-05 | 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 |
| 2003-06-03 | DR-1471 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud and Rock Slides, and Tornadoes |
| 2001-08-15 | DR-1388 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2000-01-10 | DR-1310 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Severe Storms, Torrential Rains, and Flash 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 |
| 1991-01-29 | DR-893 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1975-03-29 | DR-461 | 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 Livingston County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 73 flood or flash flood records for Livingston County from 1996 to 2025, on 69 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Livingston County ranks 2020th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $497,000 on 24 claims filed in Livingston County; the most in one year was 10 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 1 · 2005: 2 · 2011: 10 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 6 · 2025: 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 Livingston County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Livingston County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.5 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 | $479K | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $409K | 6.7 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $640K | 4.1 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.7M | once in about 108 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $314K | 9.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.0M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $44K | 6.9 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $396K | 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 Livingston 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 Livingston CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Livingston County's FEMA declarations (CSV)29 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis