Magoffin County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21153 · population 11,613 · 308 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 433 records for Magoffin County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 291 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (170 records). The most damaging was the March 2, 2012 tornado ($32.1 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 49 declarations naming the county since 1967, 47 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
- 433on 291 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 033 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $43Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 49latest 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 Magoffin County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 170 since 1983. 42% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1983 fell in May and June. 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 | 170 | 116 | 1983-2025 | 0 | 0 | $491K | 48 of 118 |
| Winter storms | 83 | 64 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 3 | $14K | 43 of 118 |
| Floods | 71 | 46 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $10M | 57 of 118 |
| Hail | 63 | 52 | 1983-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 15 | 11 | 2004-2023 | 0 | 0 | $62K | 58 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 13 | 13 | 2007-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 40 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 8 | 8 | 2009-2020 | 0 | 0 | $156K | 29 of 118 |
| Drought | 4 | 4 | 2016-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 2001-2023 | 0 | 30 | $32M | 100 of 118 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 66 of 118 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 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 Magoffin County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Magoffin County from 2001 to 2023, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 30 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Magoffin County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people, 0 of them in Magoffin County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-03-02 17:50, as SPC files it | Salyersville to WarfieldCrossed KY, WV | EF3 | 49.04 mi | 2 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kentucky.
Every tornado record filed for Magoffin County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-05-16 | Foraker, Magoffin County | EF1 0.67 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2012-03-02 | Cutuno, Magoffin County | EF3 17.92 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 30 | $32M |
| 2001-07-08 | Salyersville, Magoffin County | F0 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Magoffin County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 27, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormMagoffin County · forecast zone Magoffin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindDuco, Magoffin County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindBradley, Magoffin County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindSublett, Magoffin County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2025-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindEdna, Magoffin County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-04-29 | Thunderstorm WindHendricks, Magoffin County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-04-14 | HailForaker, Magoffin County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-04 | Flash FloodForaker, Magoffin County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-03 | FloodBradley, Magoffin County | 0 | 0 | $25K | |
| 2025-01-10 | Heavy SnowMagoffin County · forecast zone Magoffin | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2023-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindForaker, Magoffin County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $969 |
| 2023-05-16 | TornadoForaker, Magoffin County | EF1 0.67 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-03-02 | TornadoCutuno, Magoffin County A storm damage survey team from the National Weather Service in Jackson, Kentucky confirmed a tornado moved across Magoffin County during the evening hours of March 2, 2012. The tornado crossed from Wolfe County into Magoffin County at approximately 651 pm EST and rapidly intensified. The tornado crossed the Mountain ... | EF3 17.92 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 30 | $32M |
| 2010-02-15 | Winter WeatherMagoffin County · forecast zone Magoffin Two to three inches of snow fell throughout the county. Most roads were slick resulting in several accidents during the morning. | 0 | 3 | $14K |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-03-02 | TornadoCutuno, Magoffin County | EF3 17.92 mi x 1,320 yd | 0 | 30 | $32M |
| 2004-06-01 | FloodMagoffin County · forecast zone Magoffin | 0 | 0 | $3.9M | |
| 2003-02-15 | FloodMagoffin County · forecast zone Magoffin | 0 | 0 | $1.2M | |
| 1996-06-08 | Flash FloodSalyersville, Magoffin County | 0 | 0 | $941K | |
| 2019-02-23 | Flash FloodSalyersville, Magoffin County | 0 | 0 | $289K | |
| 2025-04-03 | FloodBradley, Magoffin County | 0 | 0 | $25K | |
| 2023-05-16 | TornadoForaker, Magoffin County | EF1 0.67 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2013-06-09 | Thunderstorm WindCyrus, Magoffin County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
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 Magoffin 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 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 52 | 56 | 42 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 7 | 26 | 37 | 13 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 5 | 26 | 30 | 10 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 27 | 19 | 2 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 3 | 9 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
42% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1983 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 44 · Feb 55 · Mar 26 · Apr 42 · May 71 · Jun 62 · Jul 48 · Aug 26 · Sep 11 · Oct 14 · Nov 10 · Dec 24 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Magoffin County
FEMA's register lists 49 declarations that include Magoffin County: 40 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (21) and flood (13).
| 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 |
| 2024-11-26 | 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 |
| 2021-03-31 | DR-4592 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms, 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 |
| 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 |
| 2015-05-01 | DR-4217 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2015-04-30 | DR-4216 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2012-03-06 | DR-4057 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and Flooding |
| 2011-07-25 | DR-4008 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2001-11-02 | FM-2386 | Fire | Ky - Eastern Fire Complex - 11/02/2001 |
| 2000-11-04 | FM-2350 | Fire | Ky - Eastern District Fire Complex - 11/03/00 |
| 1998-04-29 | DR-1216 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes,and Flooding |
| 1998-03-03 | DR-1207 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1997-03-04 | DR-1163 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1089 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 |
| 1995-06-13 | DR-1055 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Severe Winds, Hail |
| 1994-03-16 | DR-1018 | Snowstorm | Severe Weather, Freezing Rain, Sleet, Snw |
The 40 most recent of 49 are listed; the CSV has every one.
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 Magoffin County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 71 flood or flash flood records for Magoffin County from 1996 to 2025, on 46 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Magoffin County ranks 812th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.8 million on 260 claims filed in Magoffin County; the most in one year was 57 in 1981. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 20 · 1979: 1 · 1981: 57 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 38 · 1989: 2 · 1990: 4 · 1991: 5 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 1 · 1994: 1 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 1 · 2003: 8 · 2004: 44 · 2005: 6 · 2009: 19 · 2012: 2 · 2015: 3 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 3 · 2019: 10 · 2021: 12 · 2022: 9 · 2023: 2 · 2025: 8; 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 Magoffin County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Magoffin County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.8 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 | $34K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $356K | once in about 97 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.4M | 1.6 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $39K | 16 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $210K | 4.1 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $73K | 51 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $111K | once in about 691 years (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $17K | once in about 48 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Magoffin 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 Magoffin CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Magoffin County's FEMA declarations (CSV)49 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis