Robertson County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21201 · population 2,193 · 100 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 131 records for Robertson County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 119 days; the most frequent are winter storm records (47 records). 69 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 most damaging was the March 1, 1997 flash flood ($919,000 in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1993, 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
- 131on 119 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $2.9Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 2strongest 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 Robertson County most?
The most frequent records are winter storm records: 47 since 1996. 57% of its winter storm records since 1996 fell in January and February. Census land area gives no figure for Robertson County under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter storms | 47 | 47 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $376K | – |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 34 | 32 | 1959-2022 | 0 | 0 | $384K | – |
| Floods | 17 | 14 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.0M | – |
| Hail | 13 | 9 | 1989-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Heat | 7 | 7 | 1999-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 7 | 2000-2024 | 0 | 0 | $387K | – |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | $699K | – |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 2 | 1974-2020 | 0 | 0 | $29K | – |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2015-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
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 Robertson County had?
NOAA records 2 tornadoes in Robertson County from 1974 to 2020, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 0 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 2 tornadoes whose track touched Robertson County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 2, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 17:55, as SPC files it | Cynthiana | F3 | 19.3 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kentucky.
Every tornado record filed for Robertson County (2)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-08 | Mt Olivet, Robertson County | EF0 1.03 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 1974-04-03 | Robertson County | F3 2.3 mi x 33 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 Robertson County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 24, 2026 flash flood ($60,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-24 | FloodPiqua, Robertson County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-24 | Flash FloodPiqua, Robertson County | 0 | 0 | $60K | |
| 2026-05-24 | Flash FloodKentontown, Robertson County | 0 | 0 | $5K | |
| 2026-02-03 | Winter StormRobertson County · forecast zone Robertson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormRobertson County · forecast zone Robertson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-01 | Winter WeatherRobertson County · forecast zone Robertson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-05 | Winter StormRobertson County · forecast zone Robertson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-04-08 | TornadoMt Olivet, Robertson County | EF0 1.03 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2008-09-14 | High WindHarrison County and Robertson County · forecast zone Robertson | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $376K |
| 2008-06-03 | Thunderstorm WindAbigail, Robertson County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $55K |
| 2007-04-06 | Frost/FreezeHarrison County and Robertson County · forecast zone Robertson | 0 | 0 | $662K | |
| 1997-03-01 | Flash FloodCountywide, Robertson County | 0 | 0 | $919K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997-03-01 | Flash FloodCountywide, Robertson County | 0 | 0 | $919K | |
| 2008-09-14 | High WindHarrison County and Robertson County · forecast zone Robertson | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $376K |
| 2026-05-24 | Flash FloodPiqua, Robertson County | 0 | 0 | $60K | |
| 2008-06-03 | Thunderstorm WindAbigail, Robertson County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $55K |
| 2020-04-08 | TornadoMt Olivet, Robertson County | EF0 1.03 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2026-05-24 | Flash FloodKentontown, Robertson County | 0 | 0 | $5K |
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 Robertson 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 | – | – | – | – | 5 | 13 | 23 | 6 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 2 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 8 | 2 | 6 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
57% 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 16 · Feb 19 · Mar 17 · Apr 11 · May 18 · Jun 10 · Jul 11 · Aug 6 · Sep 2 · Oct 3 · Nov 3 · Dec 15 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Robertson County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Robertson County: 17 major disasters, 7 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (13) and snowstorm (3).
| 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 |
| 2023-04-10 | DR-4702 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, 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 |
| 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 |
| 2005-02-08 | DR-1578 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storm and Record Snow |
| 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 |
| 2000-02-28 | DR-1320 | 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 |
| 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.
FEMA's modeled risk for Robertson County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Robertson County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $1.2 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 Low | $123K | 4.4 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Very Low | $584 | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $40K | once in about 645 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Very Low | $180K | once in about 19 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | $47K | 6.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Drought | Very Low | $612 | 2.5 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Very Low | $6K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $2K | once in about 87 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Robertson 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 Robertson CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Robertson County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis