High Wind in Kentucky

Events

834

Deaths

8

Injuries

66

Damage

$243 million

• Wildfire and High Wind in Kentucky, September 14, 200839 injured · $182 million · 68 kt wind · 23 eventsFrequent wind gusts from 60 to nearly 80 mph caused widespread damage in western Kentucky. The low pressure center that was the remnant of Hurricane Ike raced northeast at 40 to 50 mph across Missouri and Illinois. The center passed between Carbondale and St.
• High Wind in Kentucky, September 14, 20082 deaths · 9 injured · $300,000 · 65 kt wind · 22 eventsThe remnants of Hurricane Ike moved across the Ohio Valley on the morning and afternoon of September 14th. This system, along with an upper level trough and a surface cold front approaching the region, combined to bring very strong surface wind gusts to the area.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Kentucky, March 3 to 10, 20231 death · 1 injured · $2.8 million · EF2 · 54 eventsA strong storm system led to significant impacts. Heavy rainfall amounts of 3 to 4.5 inches produced areas of flash flooding, with numerous road closures. The heavy rain drove the Ohio River above flood stage at Uniontown.
• Flooding and High Wind in Kentucky, December 9, 20092 deaths · 3 injured · $59,000 · 56 kt wind · 40 eventsThe strong pressure gradient associated with a deep area of low pressure that moved across the Great Lakes on December 9th, brought strong and gusty winds to eastern Kentucky.
• High Wind in Kentucky, November 10, 19982 deaths · 7 injured · $42,000 · 6 eventsA strong low pressure system over the Northern Plains brought strong gradient winds to central Kentucky during the morning and early afternoon of November 10. In Louisville, one woman was killed and two injured when a mature tree fell on top of a sport utility vehicle.
• High Wind in Kentucky, September 14, 2008$54 million · 64 kt wind · 12 eventsThe remnants of hurricane Ike raced northeast through the midwest and merged with a frontal boundary across the lower Ohio Valley Sunday morning. Abundant sunshine promoted deep mixing of the atmosphere, and warm, dry air aloft translated down to the surface.
• Tornado and Flash Flooding in Kentucky, January 1 to 2, 2022$1.1 million · EF1 · 61 eventsThe second warmest December on record for Eastern Kentucky finished with a warm and moist air mass in place on New Year's Eve.
• High Wind in Kentucky, April 23, 19961 death · $25,000 · 1 eventAn 84-year-old woman was killed in Reed when her camper trailer was flipped several times by high winds. The winds peeled a tarpaper roof off a Henderson County school.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Kentucky, February 6 to 7, 2008$861,000 · EF1 · 62 eventsA strong cold front approached the region during the overnight and early morning hours of February 6th. Widespread wind damage was reported across the area, with trees and power lines blown down, and numerous reports of structural damage.
• Damaging Winds and High Wind in Kentucky, February 11, 2009$726,000 · 62 kt wind · 53 eventsA strong low pressure system moved from the Southern Plains to the Lower Great Lakes region on February 11th. An associated cold front also moved through Eastern Kentucky during the afternoon of the 11th.
• Tornado and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, October 26, 2010$417,000 · EF1 · 31 eventsOn October 26 2010, a very strong cold front with strong winds moved through the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys. A strong low level jet of 50 to 60 knots developed at 850 MB allowing for a fair amount of shear that prompted a tornado watch.
• High Wind in Kentucky, February 11, 2009$1.4 million · 63 kt wind · 22 eventsA powerful low pressure system moved northeast across central Illinois. Damaging southwest winds occurred during the day as solar heating warmed the lower atmosphere. The highest reported measured wind gust in western Kentucky was 73 mph at the Owensboro airport.
• Damaging Winds and High Wind in Kentucky, April 1, 20232 injured · $275,000 · 50 kt wind · 36 eventsAfter an intense wind storm in early March, strong to damaging winds once again struck eastern Kentucky on April 1st.
• High Wind in Kentucky, September 27, 2024$745,000 · 56 kt wind · 30 eventsThe remnants of Hurricane Helene brought widespread wind damage to much of Kentucky on Friday, September 27th. Helene initially made landfall along Florida's Big Bend region during the late evening of Thursday, September 26th as a fast-moving Category 4 hurricane.
• Damaging Winds and High Wind in Kentucky, March 9, 2006$369,000 · 90 kt wind · 44 eventsA series of upper level disturbances moved along a surface warm frontal boundary. This produced lines of severe thunderstorms that crossed Central Kentucky. Trees and power lines were downed over much of the area, in addition to reports of structural damage.
• Flood and High Wind in Kentucky, April 12 to 13, 2020$965,000 · 69 kt wind · 19 eventsA strong storm system and associated cold front approached eastern Kentucky on Easter Sunday, with rainfall beginning during the afternoon.
• Damaging Winds and High Wind in Kentucky, March 3, 2023$393,000 · 61 kt wind · 34 eventsA strong upper level storm system and intense surface low pressure moved from the Southern Plains to the Mississippi Valley during the wee morning hours of Friday, March 3rd.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Kentucky, February 28, 2017$389,000 · EF1 · 10 eventsIsolated severe thunderstorms developed across western Kentucky during the evening hours. The storms developed ahead of a cold front in a destabilizing air mass characterized by dew points in the lower to mid 60's.
• Damaging Winds and High Wind in Kentucky, February 11, 2009$119,000 · 65 kt wind · 54 eventsA strong trough exiting the Rockies lead to explosive development of surface low pressure during the day Wednesday February 11th. At dawn, low pressure near 998 mb formed over southern Missouri.
• High Wind in Kentucky, April 2, 2016$268,000 · 60 kt wind · 30 eventsThe combination of maximum daytime heating and a strong low pressure system racing across the lower Great Lakes region brought strong to damaging winds to many areas across central Kentucky.
• Flooding and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, December 11, 2021$76,000 · 50 kt wind · 54 eventsA very anomalous storm system produced winter weather across the Rockies, Upper Midwest, and Great Lakes region and severe weather across the mid-Mississippi and Ohio Valley regions.
• High Wind and Strong Wind in Kentucky, January 8 to 9, 2008$177,000 · 52 kt wind · 27 eventsA strong cold front moved east across Kentucky during the evening hours of January 8th, into the early morning hours of January 9th. Numerous reports of downed trees were received. Some minor structural damage was also reported in Perry County.
• High Wind and Strong Wind in Kentucky, November 15, 20202 injured · $210,000 · 51 kt wind · 4 eventsA strong surface low in Wisconsin deepened and ejected northeast into Canada. A convective line with damaging thunderstorms occurred as a cold front crossed the region. Afterwards in the cold advection behind the front, damaging winds also occurred.
• High Wind in Kentucky, April 30, 19973 injured · $50,000 · 52 kt wind · 22 eventsStrong southwest winds, not related to thunderstorms, gusted above 50 MPH. Peak wind gusts during the late afternoon reached 60 MPH on hilltops and southwest-facing exposures.
• High Wind and Strong Wind in Kentucky, March 30 to 31, 2022$180,000 · 52 kt wind · 18 eventsDuring the second half of March, precipitation across the region was generally minimal to nil, which allowed the forest litter and dead trees/branches to become very dry.

High Wind everywhereEvery kind of event in Kentucky

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.