Union County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21225 · population 13,662 · 343 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 777 records for Union County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 699 days; the most frequent are floods and flash floods (130 records). 499 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 deadliest single record is the February 24, 2018 flash flood: 1 death. FEMA has issued 28 declarations naming the county since 1996, 26 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
- 777on 699 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 223 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $91Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 29strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 28latest 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 Union County most?
The most frequent records are floods and flash floods: 130 since 1996. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 130 | 125 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $3.8M | 7 of 118 |
| Winter storms | 114 | 114 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $13M | 18 of 118 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 99 | 99 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 9 of 118 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 87 | 74 | 1961-2025 | 0 | 1 | $1.5M | 110 of 118 |
| Heat | 83 | 83 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 73 | 73 | 1997-2026 | 0 | 0 | $13M | 9 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 72 | 72 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $34K | 9 of 118 |
| Hail | 52 | 47 | 1974-2025 | 0 | 0 | $88K | 33 of 118 |
| Drought | 34 | 34 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $16M | 14 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 29 | 21 | 1956-2025 | 0 | 22 | $44M | 12 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 2 | 2009-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 74 of 118 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2015-2015 | 0 | 0 | $6K | 68 of 118 |
| Wildfires | 1 | 1 | 2004-2004 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 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 Union County had?
NOAA records 29 tornadoes in Union County from 1956 to 2025, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 22 injuries recorded in the county. That is 12th of 118 Kentucky counties and 306th of 3,080 U.S. counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 29 tornadoes whose track touched Union County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 29, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-16 18:16, as SPC files it | Breckinridge Center | EF3 | 9.88 mi | 0 |
| 2013-11-17 14:41, as SPC files it | Morganfield | EF3 | 14.12 mi | 0 |
| 2009-03-28 15:40, as SPC files it | Corydon | EF3 | 12.35 mi | 0 |
| 1960-06-28 23:30, as SPC files it | Morganfield | F3 | 14.2 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kentucky.
Every tornado record filed for Union County (29)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-16 | Spring Grove, Union County | EF3 9.88 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 4 | $15M |
| 2024-07-09 | Hamner, Union County | EF1 6.33 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2024-07-09 | Grove Center, Union County | EF1 3.26 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2024-05-26 | Blackburn, Union County | EF0 3.49 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2024-04-02 | Raleigh, Union County | EF2 6.84 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $470K |
| 2024-04-02 | Chapman, Union County | EF1 1.24 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $80K |
| 2024-04-02 | Sullivan, Union County | EF1 0.72 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $122K |
| 2023-03-03 | Spring Grove, Union County | EF0 3.62 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2023-03-03 | Blackburn, Union County | EF1 1.76 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $48K |
| 2023-03-03 | Sturgis Municipal Airport, Union County | EF1 6.73 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $111K |
| 2019-03-14 | Henshaw, Union County | EF1 9.86 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 1 | $69K |
| 2016-05-10 | Spring Grove, Union County | EF1 3.66 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 2014-06-04 | Sullivan, Union County | EF1 0.43 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2014-06-04 | Sturgis, Union County | EF1 1.14 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2013-11-17 | Chapman, Union County | EF3 10.31 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $633K |
| 2012-03-02 | Chapman, Union County | EF2 6.56 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2011-04-22 | Yuba, Union County | EF2 4.15 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $394K |
| 2009-03-28 | Yuba, Union County | EF1 2.15 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $83K |
| 2009-03-28 | Boxville, Union County | EF3 3.03 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $55K |
| 2003-05-06 | Boxville, Union County | F1 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $642K |
| 1999-02-27 | Morganfield, Union County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $354K |
| 1985-03-29 | Union County | F0 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1985-03-29 | Union County | F0 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-06-02 | Union County | F1 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1973-04-19 | Union County | F2 0.5 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1962-05-26 | Union County | F0 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1960-06-28 | Union County | F3 7.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 12 | $2.5M step |
| 1959-02-10 | Union County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1956-04-03 | Union County | F0 | 0 | 1 | $3K 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 Union County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 2, 2026 strong wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-25 | Dense FogUnion County · forecast zone Union | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-02 | Strong WindUnion County · forecast zone Union | 40 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-02-19 | Dense FogUnion County · forecast zone Union | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-15 | Dense FogUnion County · forecast zone Union | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Cold/Wind ChillUnion County · forecast zone Union | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-25 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillUnion County · forecast zone Union | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormUnion County · forecast zone Union | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-23 | Cold/Wind ChillUnion County · forecast zone Union | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-21 | Winter WeatherUnion County · forecast zone Union | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-14 | Strong WindUnion County · forecast zone Union | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-01-08 | Strong WindUnion County · forecast zone Union | 35 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-11-23 | Dense FogUnion County · forecast zone Union | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-02-24 | Flash FloodHitesville, Union County A water rescue was conducted near Mason Creek on Highway 359. A vehicle was swept off the roadway by the flash flood. Fire department dive team members recovered the body of the victim from the submerged car. The 77-year-old victim was a local farmer. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-01-20 | Winter WeatherUnion County · forecast zone Union An upper level disturbance moved east across the Plains to the Mississippi Valley. The associated surface low pressure system gradually took shape over eastern Kentucky. Widespread snowfall from 2 to 4 inches blanketed most of western Kentucky. Amounts were locally higher in the Owensboro area, which received 4 to 5 ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1960-06-28 | TornadoUnion County | F3 7.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 12 | $2.5M step |
| 2025-05-16 | TornadoSpring Grove, Union County An EF-3 tornado with peak winds of 155 mph impacted the south side of Morganfield, KY, on the evening of May 16, 2025. The tornado began along Bunger Road where ground scouring of newly-planted crops was seen. Moving east, the tornado intensified, doing EF-3 damage to several homes on Highway 130, Robinson Road, US ... | EF3 9.88 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 4 | $15M |
| 1999-02-27 | TornadoMorganfield, Union County Three mobile homes in a mobile home park were destroyed, and 3 others received major damage. Several garages and small storage buildings were destroyed. Two occupants of one of the mobile homes were hospitalized for cuts, bruises, and torn ligaments. Top winds were estimated near 110 MPH. | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 2 | $354K |
| 2024-04-02 | TornadoSullivan, Union County An EF-1 tornado struck near the community of Sullivan in southern Union County during the early morning hours. The tornado began near the intersection of US Hwy 60 and Sullivan Road, where a large farm outbuilding was severely damaged. After passing through a farm field, the tornado did roof damage to two homes on ... | EF1 0.72 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $122K |
| 2019-03-14 | TornadoHenshaw, Union County The tornado touched down on Highway 109 in western Union County, where a semi truck and trailer was blown over. The driver sustained minor injuries. Where the tornado crossed Highway 947 a couple miles northwest of Morganfield, a Ford Taurus sedan was picked up and flipped onto its roof. The car was moved ... | EF1 9.86 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 1 | $69K |
| 2012-03-02 | TornadoChapman, Union County The tornado touched down about 2 and 1/2 miles southeast of Uniontown and tracked east to about 5 miles west of Corydon. The tornado blew the roof off a home, destroyed a grain bin and a barn, blew down several trees and power poles, and produced mostly minor damage to a few homes and other structures. An elderly man ... | EF2 6.56 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | – |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-05-16 | TornadoSpring Grove, Union County | EF3 9.88 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 4 | $15M |
| 2008-09-14 | High WindUnion County · forecast zone Union | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $13M |
| 2009-01-26 | Ice StormUnion County · forecast zone Union | 0 | 0 | $12M | |
| 2011-05-01 | FloodUniontown, Union County | 0 | 0 | $1.3M | |
| 2005-11-14 | Flash FloodCountywide, Union County | 0 | 0 | $756K | |
| 2003-05-06 | TornadoBoxville, Union County | F1 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $642K |
| 2013-11-17 | TornadoChapman, Union County | EF3 10.31 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $633K |
| 2024-04-02 | TornadoRaleigh, Union County | EF2 6.84 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $470K |
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 $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: June 28, 1960 (tornado, Union 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 Union 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 17 | 37 | 52 | 24 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 11 | 33 | 50 | 20 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | – | – | – | – | 3 | 18 | 48 | 30 |
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 19 | 14 | 14 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 5 | 13 | 37 | 28 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 16 | 29 | 25 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Union County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 91 · Feb 95 · Mar 92 · Apr 86 · May 66 · Jun 58 · Jul 70 · Aug 39 · Sep 23 · Oct 35 · Nov 51 · Dec 71 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Union County
FEMA's register lists 28 declarations that include Union County: 22 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (17) and snowstorm (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3633 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-05-23 | DR-4875 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2025-04-24 | 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 |
| 2024-05-22 | DR-4782 | 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 |
| 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 |
| 2018-04-26 | DR-4361 | Flood | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2016-08-26 | DR-4278 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2015-04-30 | DR-4216 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, 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 |
| 2008-10-09 | DR-1802 | Severe Storm | Severe Wind Storm Associated With Tropical Depression Ike |
| 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 |
| 2003-06-03 | DR-1471 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mud and Rock Slides, and Tornadoes |
| 2002-05-07 | DR-1414 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1997-03-04 | DR-1163 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 1996-01-13 | DR-1089 | Snowstorm | Blizzard of 96 |
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 Union County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 130 flood or flash flood records for Union County from 1996 to 2025, on 125 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Union County ranks 2181st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $358,000 on 16 claims filed in Union County; the most in one year was 6 in 2011. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1999: 2 · 2002: 2 · 2005: 1 · 2011: 6 · 2013: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2025: 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 Union County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Union County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $10.6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $505K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $871K | 5.4 modeled event-days a year |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $867K | 4.4 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $3.3M | once in about 133 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $466K | 8.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $61K | 7.2 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $195K | 3 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $632K | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Union 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
- Floods in KentuckyThe state's floods and flash floods, 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 Union CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Union County's FEMA declarations (CSV)28 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis