Morgan County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21175 · population 13,682 · 381 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 543 records for Morgan County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 326 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (241 records). The deadliest single record is the March 2, 2012 tornado: 6 deaths, 80 injuries and $96.4 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 34 declarations naming the county since 1978, 32 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
- 543on 326 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 683 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $106Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 5strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 34latest 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 Morgan County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 241 since 1970. 54% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1970 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 | 241 | 149 | 1970-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 44 of 118 |
| Winter storms | 114 | 78 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1K | 46 of 118 |
| Floods | 75 | 51 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $7.6M | 67 of 118 |
| Hail | 53 | 34 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $7K | 89 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 15 | 2006-2024 | 0 | 0 | $70K | 50 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 13 | 13 | 2007-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 48 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 9 | 7 | 2009-2022 | 0 | 0 | $11K | 43 of 118 |
| Heat | 6 | 6 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 52 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 5 | 5 | 1972-2012 | 6 | 83 | $97M | 94 of 118 |
| Drought | 3 | 3 | 2016-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 47 of 118 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 2 | 2004-2018 | 0 | 0 | $7K | 13 of 118 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2009-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 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 Morgan County had?
NOAA records 5 tornadoes in Morgan County from 1972 to 2012, the strongest rated EF3, with 6 deaths and 83 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 5 tornadoes whose track touched Morgan County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 5, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 10 people, 6 of them in Morgan 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 Morgan County (5)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-03-02 | Artville, Morgan County | EF3 25.56 mi x 1,580 yd | 6 | 80 | $96M |
| 2012-02-29 | Mize, Morgan County | EF2 6.32 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $129K |
| 2009-06-14 | Relief, Morgan County | EF1 1.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $48K |
| 1990-06-02 | Morgan County | F1 6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1972-09-29 | Morgan County | F2 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 3 | $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 Morgan County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 20, 2025 thunderstorm wind.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormMorgan County · forecast zone Morgan | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindIndex, Morgan County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $300 |
| 2025-04-30 | HailGreear, Morgan County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-03 | Flash FloodPanama, Morgan County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-03 | Thunderstorm WindIndex, Morgan County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-01-31 | FloodWrigley, Morgan County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-10 | Heavy SnowMorgan County · forecast zone Morgan | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-05 | Winter StormMorgan County · forecast zone Morgan | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-04-08 | HailMoon, Morgan County | 3.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2015-04-08 | HailMoon, Morgan County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2012-03-02 | TornadoArtville, Morgan County | EF3 25.56 mi x 1,580 yd | 6 | 80 | $96M |
| 2012-03-02 | HailWest Liberty, Morgan County | 2.50 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-03-02 | TornadoArtville, Morgan County A storm damage survey team from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Jackson, Kentucky confirmed that an EF-3 tornado tracked from Menifee County into Morgan County on March 2, 2012. The tornado entered Morgan County at around 546 pm EST, just to the northwest of Ezel, and tracked east-northeast making a ... | EF3 25.56 mi x 1,580 yd | 6 | 80 | $96M |
| 1972-09-29 | TornadoMorgan County | F2 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 3 | $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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-03-02 | TornadoArtville, Morgan County | EF3 25.56 mi x 1,580 yd | 6 | 80 | $96M |
| 1997-03-01 | Flash FloodCrockett, Morgan County | 0 | 0 | $276K | |
| 2009-06-14 | TornadoRelief, Morgan County | EF1 1.5 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $48K |
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, Morgan 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 Morgan 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 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 74 | 101 | 42 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 6 | 45 | 49 | 14 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 27 | 26 | 18 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 22 | 25 | 2 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 7 | 6 | 7 |
| 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?
54% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1970 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 48 · Feb 69 · Mar 38 · Apr 49 · May 57 · Jun 81 · Jul 89 · Aug 26 · Sep 22 · Oct 18 · Nov 20 · Dec 26 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Morgan County
FEMA's register lists 34 declarations that include Morgan County: 27 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (16) and flood (6).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2011-05-04 | 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 |
| 2008-02-21 | DR-1746 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 1989-02-24 | DR-821 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1978-12-12 | DR-568 | 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 Morgan County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 75 flood or flash flood records for Morgan County from 1996 to 2025, on 51 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Morgan County ranks 1669th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.1 million on 49 claims filed in Morgan County; the most in one year was 8 in 2021. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1981: 2 · 1982: 3 · 1984: 1 · 1997: 1 · 2003: 5 · 2004: 4 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 8 · 2022: 5 · 2023: 7 · 2025: 5; 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 Morgan County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Morgan County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.8 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 | $45K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $162K | once in about 332 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $5.1M | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $48K | 15 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $111K | 50 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $282K | 4.1 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $442K | once in about 11 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $181K | 2.5 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 Morgan 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 Morgan CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Morgan County's FEMA declarations (CSV)34 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis