Montgomery County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21173 · population 28,088 · 197 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 431 records for Montgomery County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 284 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (201 records). The deadliest single record is the May 5, 1996 flash flood: 1 death, 1 injury and $19,000 in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1974, 22 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
- 431on 284 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 19 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $19Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 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 Montgomery County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 201 since 1963. 58% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1963 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 | 201 | 117 | 1963-2025 | 0 | 0 | $11M | 11 of 118 |
| Floods | 77 | 53 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 1 | $4.7M | 16 of 118 |
| Winter storms | 65 | 59 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $28K | 27 of 118 |
| Hail | 38 | 26 | 1982-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 37 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 16 | 15 | 2000-2024 | 0 | 0 | $409K | 25 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 12 | 12 | 2007-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 of 118 |
| Heat | 7 | 7 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 of 118 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 6 | 4 | 2010-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 3 | 2011-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1956-1977 | 0 | 8 | $3.0M | 89 of 118 |
| Drought | 2 | 2 | 2016-2016 | 0 | 0 | – | 38 of 118 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 0 | 0 | $2K | 50 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 Montgomery County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Montgomery County from 1956 to 1977, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 8 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 Montgomery County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 19:05, as SPC files it | Jeffersonville | F3 | 4.9 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kentucky.
Every tornado record filed for Montgomery County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-06-30 | Montgomery County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 6 | $250K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Montgomery County | F3 4.9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $250K step |
| 1956-07-13 | Montgomery County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K 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 Montgomery County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 16, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormMontgomery County · forecast zone Montgomery | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindEwington, Montgomery County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindLucky Stop, Montgomery County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindBean, Montgomery County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-04-29 | Thunderstorm WindCamargo, Montgomery County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-04-29 | Thunderstorm WindJudy, Montgomery County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2025-04-29 | Thunderstorm WindSpencer, Montgomery County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-04-29 | Thunderstorm WindEwington, Montgomery County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-04-04 | Flash FloodMt Sterling, Montgomery County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-05 | Winter StormMontgomery County · forecast zone Montgomery | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-04-02 | Thunderstorm WindReynoldsville, Montgomery County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2018-09-09 | FloodEwington, Montgomery County | 0 | 0 | $881K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-05-05 | Flash FloodMt Sterling, Montgomery County A 10 year old boy fell into Hinkston Creek, which had swelled to 12 feet in heavy rain, and was swept in a storm drain. The boy was killed, and an attempted rescuer was also slightly injured. Many of the country roads lost the blacktop surface in the flooding, and part of Old Stepstone Road near Mt. Sterling was ... | 1 | 1 | $19K | |
| 1977-06-30 | TornadoMontgomery County | F1 0.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 6 | $250K step |
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoMontgomery County | F3 4.9 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 2 | $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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-05-18 | Thunderstorm WindMt. Sterling, Montgomery County | 0 | 0 | $9.7M | |
| 2018-09-09 | FloodEwington, Montgomery County | 0 | 0 | $881K | |
| 1997-03-01 | Flash FloodMt Sterling, Montgomery County | 0 | 0 | $423K | |
| 2013-04-11 | Thunderstorm WindCamargo, Montgomery County | 83 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $127K |
| 1996-05-05 | Flash FloodMt Sterling, Montgomery County | 1 | 1 | $19K | |
| 2025-04-29 | Thunderstorm WindSpencer, Montgomery County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-04-29 | Thunderstorm WindJudy, Montgomery County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2025-04-29 | Thunderstorm WindCamargo, Montgomery County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
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 30, 1977 (tornado, Montgomery County); April 3, 1974 (tornado, Montgomery 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 Montgomery 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 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 41 | 80 | 55 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 6 | 30 | 33 | 8 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 17 | 29 | 15 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 14 | 3 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| Extreme cold | – | – | – | – | 0 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
58% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1963 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 34 · Feb 36 · Mar 33 · Apr 48 · May 40 · Jun 58 · Jul 84 · Aug 40 · Sep 13 · Oct 15 · Nov 8 · Dec 22 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Montgomery County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Montgomery County: 17 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (10) and severe ice storm (3).
| 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 |
| 2025-02-16 | EM-3624 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2024-11-26 | DR-4848 | Tropical Storm | Remnants of Hurricane Helene |
| 2021-03-31 | DR-4592 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms, 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 |
| 2012-03-06 | DR-4057 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds 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 |
| 2003-07-02 | DR-1475 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud and Rock Slides, and Tornadoes |
| 2002-04-04 | DR-1407 | 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 |
| 1995-06-13 | DR-1055 | Tornado | Tornadoes, Severe Winds, Hail |
| 1994-03-16 | DR-1018 | Snowstorm | Severe Weather, Freezing Rain, Sleet, Snw |
| 1993-03-16 | EM-3104 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 1989-02-24 | DR-821 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1974-04-04 | DR-420 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
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 Montgomery County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 77 flood or flash flood records for Montgomery County from 1996 to 2025, on 53 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Montgomery County ranks 1449th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.9 million on 75 claims filed in Montgomery County; the most in one year was 12 in 2018. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1989: 1 · 1996: 3 · 1997: 6 · 1998: 2 · 2001: 3 · 2002: 6 · 2003: 5 · 2004: 2 · 2006: 9 · 2008: 1 · 2009: 4 · 2010: 11 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2018: 12 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2022: 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 Montgomery County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Montgomery County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $844K | 5 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $106K | 15 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $318K | 51 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.3M | once in about 14 years (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $272K | 3.1 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $6.2M | 1.9 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $57K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $243K | 2.8 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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Montgomery County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis