Lyon County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21143 · population 8,663 · 214 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 573 records for Lyon County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 540 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (104 records). 427 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 2, 2024 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Lyon, which covers the county: 2 deaths and $47,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1996, 20 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
- 573on 540 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 619 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $45Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 15strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 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 Lyon County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 104 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 | 104 | 104 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 3 | $16M | 5 of 118 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 80 | 79 | 1997-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 5 of 118 |
| Heat | 73 | 73 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 2 | – | 6 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 65 | 64 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $73K | 3 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 61 | 61 | 1997-2025 | 1 | 0 | $9.8M | 5 of 118 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 60 | 58 | 1979-2026 | 0 | 3 | $4.8M | 92 of 118 |
| Drought | 41 | 41 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $12M | 3 of 118 |
| Floods | 36 | 32 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $407K | 56 of 118 |
| Hail | 25 | 25 | 1985-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 62 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 15 | 14 | 1970-2025 | 1 | 11 | $1.8M | 8 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 8 | 2006-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 12 of 118 |
| Wildfires | 4 | 4 | 2000-2012 | 0 | 0 | $20K | 1 of 118 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2004-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 54 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 Lyon County had?
NOAA records 15 tornadoes in Lyon County from 1970 to 2025, the strongest rated EF3, with 1 death and 11 injuries recorded in the county. That is 8th of 118 Kentucky counties and 240th 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 14 tornadoes whose track touched Lyon 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 5 people, 1 of them in Lyon County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-11-17 14:05, as SPC files it | PaducahCrossed IL, KY | EF3 | 42.5 mi | 3 |
| 2024-05-26 19:01, as SPC files it | Eddyville to Dawson Springs | EF3 | 34.14 mi | 1 |
| 2005-11-15 13:45, as SPC files it | Benton | F3 | 44 mi | 1 |
| 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 Lyon County (15)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-16 | Confederate, Lyon County | EF1 0.83 mi x 210 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 2024-05-26 | Kuttawa, Lyon County | EF2 3.32 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $169K |
| 2023-07-01 | Eureka, Lyon County | EF0 1.32 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $194K |
| 2022-04-13 | Mont, Lyon County | EF1 2.83 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2021-12-10 | Eureka, Lyon County | EF3 15.09 mi x 2,100 yd | 1 | 5 | – |
| 2019-06-21 | Mont, Lyon County | EF1 1.47 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $58K |
| 2018-07-31 | Mont, Lyon County | EF0 1.04 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2016-05-10 | Mont, Lyon County | EF0 0.05 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2013-11-17 | Kuttawa, Lyon County | EF1 5.8 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2011-04-25 | Kuttawa, Lyon County | EF1 3.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $197K |
| 2011-04-25 | Eddyville, Lyon County | EF1 7.08 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $131K |
| 2009-06-16 | Eureka, Lyon County | EF1 0.34 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 0 | $96K |
| 2009-04-10 | Saratoga, Lyon County | EF1 0.34 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 1 | $96K |
| 2005-11-15 | Kuttawa, Lyon County | F2 14.5 mi x 275 yd | 0 | 0 | $756K |
| 1970-04-24 | Lyon County | F3 12.4 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 5 | – |
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 Lyon County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 16, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($25,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-25 | Dense FogLyon County · forecast zone Lyon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-16 | Thunderstorm WindKuttawa, Lyon County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2026-04-16 | Thunderstorm WindConfederate, Lyon County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-09 | DroughtLyon County · forecast zone Lyon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-27 | Dense FogLyon County · forecast zone Lyon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | Dense FogLyon County · forecast zone Lyon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Cold/Wind ChillLyon County · forecast zone Lyon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillLyon County · forecast zone Lyon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormLyon County · forecast zone Lyon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Cold/Wind ChillLyon County · forecast zone Lyon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-21 | Winter WeatherLyon County · forecast zone Lyon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-08 | Dense FogLyon County · forecast zone Lyon | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-12-02 | Winter WeatherLyon County · forecast zone Lyon A weak clipper system caused a brief period of light snow during the afternoon hours on the 2nd. Temperatures had initially been around 32 degrees, but dropped into the 20s later that day and evening. While snow accumulations between a coating to one inch were confined to mainly grassy and elevated surfaces, slick ... | 2 | 0 | $47K | |
| 2021-12-10 | TornadoEureka, Lyon 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 15.09 mi x 2,100 yd | 1 | 5 | – |
| 2011-01-25 | Heavy SnowLyon County · forecast zone Lyon An upper level storm system moved from western Arkansas across Tennessee. Moisture spread northward from the system, starting as light rain or mixed rain and snow in places south and east of Paducah. As colder air filtered in from the northwest, a transition from rain to snow occurred. The snow continued overnight, ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2011-02-10 | Freezing FogLyon County · forecast zone Lyon A large area of snow occurred along and to the east of a well-defined surface low pressure trough. East of the surface trough, northeasterly surface winds kept cold air in place. Warmer air moving in aloft created conditions favorable for heavy snow. The heaviest snow occurred just ahead of a disturbance in the mid ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2007-04-11 | Strong WindLyon County · forecast zone Lyon Strong winds occurred in the wake of a cold front trailing south from intense low pressure over west central Illinois. A wind gust to 49 MPH was measured at the National Weather Service office in Paducah. At Calvert City, about 20 miles east of Paducah, an unofficial measurement of 52 MPH was recorded. Numerous tree ... | 43 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $1K |
| 1970-04-24 | TornadoLyon County | F3 12.4 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 5 | – |
| 2017-03-01 | Thunderstorm WindEddyville, Lyon County Significant damage occurred at the Kentucky State Penitentiary. Three staff members at the penitentiary were injured by flying glass, debris, and equipment picked up by the wind. Their injuries were not life threatening. The roof was blown off the prison gym. The resident of a mobile home in Eddyville estimated winds ... | 65 kt wind | 0 | 3 | $60K |
| 2016-02-14 | Winter StormLyon County · forecast zone Lyon A winter storm system brought a wide range of precipitation amounts and snowfall amounts to western Kentucky on Valentine's Day. The Pennyrile region of western Kentucky received the most snow, averaging from 3 to 6 inches. Most of the remainder of western Kentucky received 1 to 3 inches. The snow fell very heavily ... | 0 | 2 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-09-14 | High WindLyon County · forecast zone Lyon | 68 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $9.6M |
| 2022-07-17 | Thunderstorm WindKuttawa, Lyon County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3.0M |
| 2008-02-11 | Winter StormLyon County · forecast zone Lyon | 0 | 0 | $685K | |
| 2020-03-02 | Thunderstorm WindKuttawa, Lyon County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $570K |
| 2006-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindEddyville, Lyon County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $220K |
| 2011-04-25 | TornadoKuttawa, Lyon County | EF1 3.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $197K |
| 2023-07-01 | TornadoEureka, Lyon County | EF0 1.32 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $194K |
| 2024-05-26 | TornadoKuttawa, Lyon County | EF2 3.32 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $169K |
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 Lyon 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 | – | – | – | – | 9 | 30 | 44 | 21 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 4 | 16 | 39 | 21 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 5 | 10 | 35 z | 23 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 4 | 22 | 21 | 18 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 19 | 23 | 17 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 15 |
Heat in the 2010s: 35 records against 10 in the decade before, 35 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 Lyon 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?
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 78 · Feb 69 · Mar 42 · Apr 58 · May 39 · Jun 31 · Jul 63 · Aug 42 · Sep 16 · Oct 31 · Nov 43 · Dec 61 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Lyon County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Lyon County: 15 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and snowstorm (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 |
| 2025-02-16 | 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 |
| 2020-03-28 | DR-4497 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3469 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2016-08-26 | DR-4278 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2015-04-30 | DR-4216 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, 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 |
| 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 |
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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Lyon County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lyon County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.0 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 | $579K | 1.6 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $1.2M | 4.3 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $375K | 6.6 modeled event-days a year |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $1.5M | once in about 136 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $856K | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $44K | 6.9 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $226K | 9.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $382K | 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 Lyon 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 Lyon CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Lyon County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis