Warren County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21227 · population 134,482 · 542 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 629 records for Warren County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 361 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (318 records). The deadliest single record is the December 11, 2021 tornado: 17 deaths and 63 injuries. FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1969, 24 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
- 629on 361 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 20120 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $958Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 33strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 26latest 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 Warren County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 318 since 1955. 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 | 318 | 198 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 4 | $2.2M | 53 of 118 |
| Hail | 131 | 75 | 1965-2025 | 0 | 0 | $924M | 30 of 118 |
| Floods | 103 | 74 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $6.8M | 64 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 33 | 29 | 1957-2026 | 19 | 114 | $25M | 23 of 118 |
| Winter storms | 25 | 25 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $51K | 117 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 8 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | $27K | 95 of 118 |
| Lightning | 4 | 4 | 2007-2019 | 0 | 2 | $233K | 30 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 3 | 3 | 2016-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 116 of 118 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2014-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 51 of 118 |
| Heat | 1 | 1 | 2012-2012 | 0 | 0 | – | 73 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2008-2008 | 0 | 0 | – | 99 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 Warren County had?
NOAA records 33 tornadoes in Warren County from 1957 to 2026, the strongest rated EF3, with 19 deaths and 114 injuries recorded in the county. That is 23rd of 118 Kentucky 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 32 tornadoes whose track touched Warren County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 33: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 21 people, 19 of them in Warren County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-11 01:09, as SPC files it | Bowling Green | EF3 | 29.26 mi | 16 |
| 1974-04-03 15:45, as SPC files it | Franklin | F3 | 31.1 mi | 3 |
| 1971-04-27 19:20, as SPC files it | Rochester | F3 | 27.4 mi | 1 |
| 1991-03-22 17:50, as SPC files it | Russellville | F2 | 39 mi | 1 |
| 2021-12-11 00:47, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF3 | 28.02 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kentucky.
Every tornado record filed for Warren County (33)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-15 | Riverside, Warren County | EF1 2.22 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2024-05-26 | Guy, Warren County | EF1 14.59 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2023-12-09 | Three Spgs, Warren County | EF1 2.24 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022-01-01 | Greenwood, Warren County | EF0 0.39 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-11 | Petros, Warren County | EF3 25.7 mi x 440 yd | 17 | 63 | – |
| 2021-12-11 | Cave Hill, Warren County | EF1 6.07 mi x 1,400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-12-11 | Bowling Green A, Warren County | EF2 6.1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2020-03-03 | Alvaton, Warren County | EF2 2 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $228K |
| 2018-02-24 | Hays, Warren County | EF1 1.64 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $294K |
| 2017-03-01 | Motley, Warren County | EF1 2.63 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $301K |
| 2013-01-30 | Oakland, Warren County | EF2 2.96 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $507K |
| 2012-03-02 | Alvaton, Warren County | EF1 0.49 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $64K |
| 2010-10-26 | Mt Victor, Warren County | EF1 1.49 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $54K |
| 2009-06-11 | Sand Hill, Warren County | EF1 11.41 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2005-11-15 | Woodburn, Warren County | F1 1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $756K |
| 2000-05-24 | Bowling Green, Warren County | F0 0.1 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1998-04-16 | Bowling Green, Warren County | F1 15 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $181K |
| 1997-06-16 | Richardsville, Warren County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 1997-03-01 | Bowling Green, Warren County | F0 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1995-05-18 | Bowling-Green, Warren County | F2 5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $155K |
| 1995-05-18 | Bowling Green, Warren County | F2 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $587K |
| 1995-05-18 | Bowling-Green, Warren County | F2 2.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $271K |
| 1991-03-22 | Warren County | F2 12 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1984-07-26 | Warren County | F1 2 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1983-08-11 | Warren County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 6 | $25K step |
| 1974-04-03 | Warren County | F3 17.2 mi x 33 yd | 2 | 45 | $2.5M step |
| 1973-06-20 | Warren County | F1 0.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1973-05-10 | Warren County | F1 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1971-12-15 | Warren County | F0 0.1 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1971-04-27 | Warren County | F3 8.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1968-05-26 | Warren County | F2 | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1958-04-22 | Warren County | F1 | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1957-04-03 | Warren County | F1 | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Warren County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the February 15, 2025 flash flood ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-16 | Thunderstorm WindBowling Green, Warren County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindBowling Green, Warren County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-03-15 | TornadoRiverside, Warren County | EF1 2.22 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormWarren County · forecast zone Warren | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-18 | Thunderstorm WindThree Spgs, Warren County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-10-24 | Frost/FreezeWarren County · forecast zone Warren | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-27 | Flash FloodPlano, Warren County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-27 | Thunderstorm WindPlano, Warren County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-06-18 | Thunderstorm WindBowling Green, Warren County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindPlano, Warren County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindWoodburn, Warren County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindBowling Green A, Warren County | 51 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-11 | TornadoPetros, Warren County The National Weather Service in Louisville surveyed a tornadic supercell over the course of 6 days in Warren County which directly struck Bowling Green. The tornado first touched down in rural southwestern Warren County just south of the intersection of Wimpee Smith Road and Petros Browning Rd. It tracked to the ... | EF3 25.7 mi x 440 yd | 17 | 63 | – |
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoWarren County | F3 17.2 mi x 33 yd | 2 | 45 | $2.5M step |
| 1997-03-01 | Flash FloodCountywide, Warren County Over 2 inches of rain fell on top of 4 to 8 inch 24 hour totals resulting in widespread flash flooding with many roads water covered and closed. A 33 year old woman drowned as her minivan was swept into the Barren River. Several rescues were also made from cars trying to navigate flooded roadways. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1983-08-11 | TornadoWarren County | F1 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 6 | $25K step |
| 2008-04-11 | Thunderstorm WindBlue Level, Warren County One mobile home shifted 15 to 20 feet off foundation. Other mobile homes flipped over or were destroyed in the Petros and Browning community where three injuries occurred. Many trees were also downed. | 70 kt wind | 0 | 3 | $69K |
| 2010-05-26 | LightningBowling Green A, Warren County A 13-year old male was hit by lightning while standing next to a tree in the front yard of a friend. The boy's friend, who had gone briefly into his home, heard a loud clap of thunder, then immediately emerged to find the victim lying on the ground next to a tree where they were playing, with his hair singed. The ... | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2007-04-11 | LightningBowling Green, Warren County A person was struck by lightning in Bowling Green in Warren County. They were reported in stable condition in an area hospital. | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2000-11-09 | Thunderstorm WindBowling Green, Warren County A female was injured when the vehicle she was in was blown around by thunderstorm winds. | 66 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $129K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-04-16 | HailBowling Green, Warren County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $923M |
| 2005-11-15 | TornadoWoodburn, Warren County | F1 1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $756K |
| 1995-05-18 | TornadoBowling Green, Warren County | F2 1.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $587K |
| 2013-01-30 | TornadoOakland, Warren County | EF2 2.96 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $507K |
| 2017-03-01 | TornadoMotley, Warren County | EF1 2.63 mi x 125 yd | 0 | 0 | $301K |
| 2018-02-24 | TornadoHays, Warren County | EF1 1.64 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $294K |
| 1995-05-18 | TornadoBowling-Green, Warren County | F2 2.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $271K |
| 2020-03-03 | TornadoAlvaton, Warren County | EF2 2 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $228K |
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: April 3, 1974 (tornado, Warren County, 2 killed); March 22, 1991 (tornado, Warren 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 Warren 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 | 2 | 12 | 15 | 24 | 21 | 79 | 110 | 55 |
| Hail | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 47 | 29 | 28 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 16 | 13 | 56 | 18 |
| Tornadoes | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 3 | 12 | 6 |
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 Warren County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 32 · Feb 45 · Mar 66 · Apr 102 · May 113 · Jun 91 · Jul 84 · Aug 32 · Sep 11 · Oct 12 · Nov 20 · Dec 21 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Warren County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Warren County: 18 major disasters, 8 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (10) and tornado (4).
| 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 |
| 2025-02-16 | EM-3624 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 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 |
| 2021-12-12 | DR-4630 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2021-12-11 | EM-3575 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, and Tornadoes |
| 2021-04-23 | DR-4595 | Flood | Severe, Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2020-03-28 | DR-4497 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3469 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 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 |
| 2004-08-06 | DR-1537 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1998-04-29 | DR-1216 | 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 |
| 1994-03-16 | DR-1018 | Snowstorm | Severe Weather, Freezing Rain, Sleet, Snw |
| 1993-03-16 | EM-3104 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall & Winter Storm |
| 1975-03-29 | DR-461 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1974-04-04 | DR-420 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
| 1971-05-10 | DR-305 | Tornado | Tornado |
| 1969-07-15 | DR-265 | 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 Warren County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 103 flood or flash flood records for Warren County from 1996 to 2025, on 74 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Warren County ranks 1193rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $2.4 million on 124 claims filed in Warren County; the most in one year was 26 in 2010. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 4 · 1979: 2 · 1981: 2 · 1982: 6 · 1983: 1 · 1984: 5 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 6 · 1990: 1 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 21 · 1999: 1 · 2002: 4 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 26 · 2011: 4 · 2012: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2015: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2021: 12 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 13; 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 Warren County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Warren County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $79.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | Very High | $23M | 3.1 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively High | $10M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $1.0M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $6.2M | once in about 294 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $32M | 2.5 a year (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.8M | 6.1 modeled event-days a year |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $3.6M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.3M | 6.1 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Warren 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 Warren CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Warren County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis