Wayne County, Kentucky
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 21231 · population 19,533 · 458 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 406 records for Wayne County, Kentucky from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 266 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (212 records). The deadliest day on its record was April 3, 1974: tornado records filed for Wayne County that day count 4 deaths across 2 records. FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1972, 24 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides” on September 1, 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
- 406on 266 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 562 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $168Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 9strongest F4
- 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 Wayne County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 212 since 1970. 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 | 212 | 141 | 1970-2026 | 0 | 3 | $1.1M | 74 of 118 |
| Hail | 55 | 34 | 1968-2025 | 0 | 1 | $72K | 110 of 118 |
| Winter storms | 49 | 42 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $21K | 94 of 118 |
| Floods | 30 | 27 | 1997-2024 | 0 | 0 | $69K | 115 of 118 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 15 | 2003-2025 | 0 | 0 | $159K | 65 of 118 |
| Extreme cold | 12 | 12 | 2007-2020 | 1 | 0 | – | 65 of 118 |
| Tornadoes | 9 | 5 | 1974-2021 | 4 | 58 | $167M | 98 of 118 |
| Heat | 7 | 7 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | – | 53 of 118 |
| Heavy rain | 4 | 4 | 2009-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 65 of 118 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 4 | 4 | 2004-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 of 118 |
| Drought | 3 | 3 | 2016-2019 | 0 | 0 | – | 55 of 118 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2019-2019 | 0 | 0 | $87K | 77 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 Wayne County had?
NOAA records 9 tornadoes in Wayne County from 1974 to 2021, the strongest rated F4, with 4 deaths and 58 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 9 tornadoes whose track touched Wayne County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 9, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 17 people, 4 of them in Wayne County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 17:40, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F4 | 38.4 mi | 10 |
| 1974-04-03 19:30, as SPC files it | ByrdstownCrossed KY, TN | F4 | 11 mi | 5 |
| 1974-04-03 19:50, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 13.9 mi | 2 |
| 1974-04-03 21:00, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F4 | 16.1 mi | 0 |
| 1974-04-03 18:05, as SPC files it | Burnside | F3 | 18 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Kentucky.
Every tornado record filed for Wayne County (9)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-02-28 | Cabell, Wayne County | EF1 0.06 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $44K |
| 2010-05-02 | Betsey, Wayne County | EF2 0.25 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $68K |
| 2008-04-11 | Wait, Wayne County | EF2 7.31 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.1M |
| 1998-04-16 | Mt Pisgah, Wayne County | F2 3.6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $27K |
| 1974-04-03 | Wayne County | F4 16.7 mi x 33 yd | 2 | 17 | – |
| 1974-04-03 | Wayne County | F3 14.4 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | $25M step |
| 1974-04-03 | Wayne County | F4 3.6 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1974-04-03 | Wayne County | F4 3.8 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1974-04-03 | Wayne County | F3 8.8 mi x 33 yd | 2 | 40 | $2.5M 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 Wayne County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 16, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindMonticello Wayne Arp, Wayne County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindSlat, Wayne County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-14 | Funnel CloudBetsey, Wayne County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-20 | HailCooper, Wayne County | 0.88 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindCedarcrest, Wayne County | 51 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindMonticello, Wayne County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindParnell, Wayne County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindMonticello, Wayne County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $56K |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindMonticello Wayne Arp, Wayne County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-05-08 | HailMonticello, Wayne County | 1.50 in hail | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2025-05-08 | HailDelta, Wayne County | 1.75 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoWayne County | F3 8.8 mi x 33 yd | 2 | 40 | $2.5M step |
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoWayne County | F4 16.7 mi x 33 yd | 2 | 17 | – |
| 2015-02-19 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillWayne County · forecast zone Wayne Wayne County Coroner said 70-year-old Tensley Couch died Thursday afternoon in the snow outside of his home in the Jabez community. His cause of death is believed to be cold weather and exertion. The coroner said Couch came home from the store and when his truck became stuck about 150 feet from his home, he tried to ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1989-11-15 | Thunderstorm WindWayne County | 0 | 2 | – | |
| 2008-04-11 | TornadoWait, Wayne County An EF2 tornado with maximum winds near 130 mph entered Wayne County from Clinton County along Pleasant Ridge Road. The tornado maintained a continuous 7 mile track east northeast before lifting 1.5 miles southwest of Monticello near Furnace Mountain. | EF2 7.31 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.1M |
| 2002-04-28 | HailMonticello, Wayne County Windows were busted from large hail. | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 1 | $820 |
| 1987-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindWayne County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-04-11 | TornadoWait, Wayne County | EF2 7.31 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 1 | $2.1M |
| 2010-05-02 | TornadoBetsey, Wayne County | EF2 0.25 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $68K |
| 2025-05-16 | Thunderstorm WindMonticello, Wayne County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $56K |
| 2025-05-08 | HailSpann, Wayne County | 2.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2021-02-28 | TornadoCabell, Wayne County | EF1 0.06 mi x 60 yd | 0 | 0 | $44K |
| 2003-05-11 | Thunderstorm WindMt Pisgah, Wayne County | 100 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $40K |
| 1998-04-16 | TornadoMt Pisgah, Wayne County | F2 3.6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $27K |
| 2004-07-13 | Thunderstorm WindMonticello, Wayne County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $23K |
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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 3, 1974 (tornado, Wayne 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 Wayne 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 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 56 | 70 | 57 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 14 | 9 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 13 | 25 | 7 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 5 | 15 | 9 | 1 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| 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?
Records by month in Wayne County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 44 · Feb 33 · Mar 25 · Apr 54 · May 64 · Jun 57 · Jul 47 · Aug 29 · Sep 9 · Oct 11 · Nov 9 · Dec 24 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Wayne County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Wayne County: 20 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (13) and snowstorm (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | DR-4937 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2026-05-29 | DR-4913 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3633 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-05-23 | DR-4875 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2025-04-03 | 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 |
| 2024-07-23 | 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 |
| 2021-03-31 | 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 |
| 2019-04-17 | DR-4428 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2015-04-30 | DR-4216 | Snowstorm | Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2010-05-11 | DR-1912 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Mudslides, and Tornadoes |
| 2005-09-10 | EM-3231 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina |
| 2004-08-06 | DR-1537 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2002-04-04 | DR-1407 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1998-03-03 | DR-1207 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 1991-01-29 | DR-893 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1984-05-15 | DR-705 | Severe Storm | High Winds, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1974-04-04 | DR-420 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
| 1972-05-15 | DR-332 | Flood | Heavy Rains & 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 Wayne County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 30 flood or flash flood records for Wayne County from 1997 to 2024, on 27 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Wayne County ranks 2830th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $3,107 on 1 claim filed in Wayne County; the most in one year was 1 in 2021. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2021: 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 Wayne County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wayne County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively High | $5.0M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $142K | 12 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $218K | 55 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $389K | 5.5 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $12K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $328K | 3 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.4M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $638K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Wayne 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 Wayne CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Wayne County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis