Menifee County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21165 · population 6,070 · 204 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 334 records for Menifee County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 224 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (124 records). The deadliest single record is the March 2, 2012 tornado: 3 deaths, 30 injuries and $2.6 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 32 declarations naming the county since 1993, 30 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on May 29, 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
- 334on 224 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 331 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $14Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 6strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 32latest 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 Menifee County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 124 since 1990. 43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1990 fell in June and July. 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 | 124 | 82 | 1990-2026 | 0 | 0 | $751K | 40 of 118 |
| Winter storms | 75 | 62 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $4K | 24 of 118 |
| Floods | 60 | 41 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $9.9M | 34 of 118 |
| Hail | 36 | 20 | 1982-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 77 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 12 | 12 | 2007-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 35 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 12 | 11 | 2001-2024 | 0 | 0 | $66K | 36 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 6 | 1990-2012 | 3 | 30 | $3.2M | 65 of 118 |
| Drought | 2 | 2 | 2016-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 40 of 118 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 60 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2010-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 62 of 118 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2021-2021 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 118 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2004-2004 | 0 | 1 | – | 51 of 118 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 44 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 Menifee County had?
NOAA records 6 tornadoes in Menifee County from 1990 to 2012, the strongest rated EF3, with 3 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 6 tornadoes whose track touched Menifee County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 6, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 10 people, 3 of them in Menifee County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-03-02 16:39, as SPC files it | West LibertyCrossed KY, WV | EF3 | 84.99 mi | 10 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kentucky.
Every tornado record filed for Menifee County (6)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-03-02 | Mariba, Menifee County | EF3 7.44 mi x 500 yd | 3 | 30 | $2.6M |
| 2011-04-09 | Pomeroyton, Menifee County | EF0 0.25 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2008-02-06 | Denniston, Menifee County | EF0 4.03 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 1997-03-02 | Frenchburg, Menifee County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-03-01 | Frenchburg, Menifee County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 1990-06-02 | Menifee County | F1 2 mi x 50 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 Menifee County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 16, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindKorea, Menifee County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormMenifee County · forecast zone Menifee | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-19 | Heavy SnowMenifee County · forecast zone Menifee | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-05 | Winter StormMenifee County · forecast zone Menifee | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-07-30 | Flash FloodFrenchburg, Menifee County | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | |
| 2018-09-09 | Flash FloodDenniston, Menifee County | 0 | 0 | $646K | |
| 2018-07-05 | Thunderstorm WindFrenchburg, Menifee County | 96 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-03-02 | TornadoMariba, Menifee County | EF3 7.44 mi x 500 yd | 3 | 30 | $2.6M |
| 2011-04-09 | TornadoPomeroyton, Menifee County | EF0 0.25 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2008-02-06 | TornadoDenniston, Menifee County | EF0 4.03 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 2004-08-04 | Thunderstorm WindFrenchburg, Menifee County | 75 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2004-06-12 | LightningPomeroyton, Menifee County | 0 | 1 | – |
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 | TornadoMariba, Menifee County A storm damage survey team from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Jackson, Kentucky confirmed that an EF-3 tornado occurred in Menifee County on March 2, 2012. The tornado touched down on Tarr Ridge about 2 miles southwest of Mariba at 539 pm EST. The tornado then tracked east-northeast crossing highway ... | EF3 7.44 mi x 500 yd | 3 | 30 | $2.6M |
| 2004-06-12 | LightningPomeroyton, Menifee County An elderly man was riding a horse and was struck by lightning while under a tree. | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-05-31 | FloodMenifee County · forecast zone Menifee | 0 | 0 | $3.1M | |
| 2021-07-30 | Flash FloodFrenchburg, Menifee County | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | |
| 1997-03-01 | Flash FloodFrenchburg, Menifee County | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 2018-09-09 | Flash FloodDenniston, Menifee County | 0 | 0 | $646K | |
| 2008-02-06 | TornadoDenniston, Menifee County | EF0 4.03 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $69K |
| 2011-04-09 | TornadoPomeroyton, Menifee County | EF0 0.25 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 1997-03-01 | TornadoFrenchburg, Menifee County | F0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 2, 1990 (tornado, Menifee 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 Menifee 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 | 0 | 10 | 40 | 47 | 27 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 18 | 42 | 12 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 5 | 22 | 17 | 16 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 12 | 1 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1990 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 36 · Feb 37 · Mar 34 · Apr 26 · May 29 · Jun 39 · Jul 47 · Aug 30 · Sep 16 · Oct 11 · Nov 8 · Dec 21 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Menifee County
FEMA's register lists 32 declarations that include Menifee County: 25 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (17) and snowstorm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-29 | DR-4913 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3633 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-05-23 | DR-4875 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2025-04-03 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 2021-04-23 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 2012-03-06 | DR-4057 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds 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 |
| 2009-02-05 | 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 |
| 2003-03-14 | DR-1454 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice and Snow Storms, Heavy Rain, Flooding, Tornadoes, and Mud and |
| 2002-04-04 | DR-1407 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2001-08-15 | DR-1388 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms 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 |
| 1994-03-16 | DR-1018 | Snowstorm | Severe Weather, Freezing Rain, Sleet, Snw |
| 1993-03-16 | EM-3104 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
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 Menifee County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 60 flood or flash flood records for Menifee County from 1996 to 2023, on 41 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Menifee County ranks 2155th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.0 million on 17 claims filed in Menifee County; the most in one year was 11 in 2021. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2018: 5 · 2021: 11 · 2023: 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 Menifee County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Menifee County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.4 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 Low | $17K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $201K | 4.6 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $51K | once in about 526 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Very Low | $22K | 15 a year (modeled) |
| Avalanche | Very Low | $44 | once in about 100 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $2.6M | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $30K | once in about 611 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $63K | 2.7 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Menifee 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 Menifee CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Menifee County's FEMA declarations (CSV)32 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis