Lightning in Kentucky

Events

239

Deaths

21

Injuries

61

Damage

$8.8 million

• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Kentucky, December 10 to 11, 202119 deaths · 96 injured · $10,000 · EF3 · 54 eventsStrong southern winds brought warm temperatures and plenty of moisture into an environment of strong wind shear ahead of an advancing cold front.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Kentucky, April 2 to 6, 20254 deaths · 3 injured · $30,000 · EF3 · 122 eventsOn the night of April 2nd, 2025, a cold front approached the lower Ohio Valley. Along and ahead of the cold front, numerous supercells developed over southern Illinois and western Kentucky.
• Tornado and Flash Flooding in Kentucky, May 1 to 16, 20104 deaths · 1 injured · $5.8 million · EF0 · 86 eventsA stalled cold front over the Mississippi Valley spawned thunderstorms producing heavy rain from northern Mississippi through middle Tennessee and central Kentucky into southern Indiana.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in Kentucky, August 22, 20032 deaths · 1 injured · $3.4 million · 80 kt wind · 48 eventsThunderstorms crossed central Kentucky during the afternoon and evening hours of Friday August 22. They produced heavy rains and high winds over the area, with some reports of structural damage.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, July 19 to 20, 20122 deaths · 1 injured · $777,000 · 1.75 in hail · 64 eventsDuring the early morning hours on July 19th, a convective system moved southeast across southern Ohio and eastern Kentucky. This left behind an outflow boundary that extended from near Madison, Indiana southeast through the Kentucky Bluegrass.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Kentucky, May 27 to 28, 20048 injured · $11 million · F3 · 30 eventsNumerous trees and power lines were downed.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in Kentucky, May 25 to 26, 20062 deaths · $100,000 · 2 in hail · 59 eventsMany trees were downed in the vicinity of the Yellowbank Wildlife Management Area due to straight line winds. The damage area was roughly one quarter mile wide and a mile long. All the trees fell in the same general direction, east southeastward.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in Kentucky, August 21, 20132 deaths · 3 injured · $79,000 · 1.75 in hail · 11 eventsA well defined and progressive nearly cutoff low was positioned over east central Indiana during the afternoon of August 21st.
• Damaging Wind and Lightning Strike in Kentucky, August 24, 20002 deaths · $25,000 · 60 kt wind · 2 eventsTrees and power lines were downed by thunderstorm winds. Some of the trees were blown on to power lines.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Kentucky, June 23, 20191 death · $1.9 million · EF1 · 31 eventsClusters of thunderstorms formed over western Kentucky early in the afternoon. Several of these storms produced large hail or damaging wind.
• Tornadoes and Hail in Kentucky, April 4, 20119 injured · $3.0 million · EF2 · 15 eventsThunderstorms gradually intensified along and ahead of a cold front from Arkansas into western Kentucky.
• Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, June 28 to 30, 20201 death · 1 injured · $310,000 · 55 kt wind · 42 eventsDuring a time without any major weather systems moving through the region, a moist atmosphere with differential heating and remaining outflows from earlier thunderstorms was enough for thunderstorms and heavy rain to develop across central Kentucky.
• Flash Flooding and Lightning Strike in Kentucky, July 27, 20101 death · 2 injured · $932,000 · 3 eventsA very moist atmosphere with precipitable water values of 2.2 inches was in place across the region. With ample daytime heating thunderstorms developed during the afternoon hours.
• Tornado and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, May 26 to 27, 20241 injured · $1.6 million · EF1 · 116 eventsOn the morning of May 26, a stationary front had set up along the Ohio River just north of the state. During the course of the day, this front slowly lifted northward as a warm front, as a low pressure system began to develop and take shape just west of the state.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Kentucky, July 20, 2018$1.1 million · EF1 · 110 eventsRounds of severe storms hammered southern Indiana and central Kentucky on Friday, July 20, 2018, bringing very large hail, wind damage, heavy rain, and 4 confirmed tornadoes.
• Flood and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, July 10, 20131 death · $79,000 · 65 kt wind · 22 eventsA very humid airmass with dewpoints well into the lower 70s was in place over the Lower Ohio Valley during the late morning and early afternoon on July 10th.
• Lightning Strike and Heavy Rain in Kentucky, August 31, 20181 death · $200,000 · 2 eventsScattered showers and storms developed in the afternoon over central Kentucky. This weather was triggered by an upper level shortwave pushing in from the southwest and a weak surface boundary over south central Kentucky that was drifting northward.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Kentucky, April 22 to 23, 20113 injured · $903,000 · EF2 · 10 eventsBands and clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms produced isolated reports of damaging winds and tornadoes. A fast-moving upper level trough tracked east-northeastward from the central Plains into the upper Midwest.
• Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, July 26, 20121 death · 1 injured · $30,000 · 65 kt wind · 27 eventsScattered strong storms developed during the afternoon of July 26th. These storms, developing in an environment of strong instability and dry air aloft, produced scattered wind damage which was most concentrated in the Bluegrass Region.
• Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Kentucky, June 17, 20221 injured · $578,000 · 63 kt wind · 120 eventsA stationary front was located north of the state heading into the day on June 17th, before transitioning to a slow moving cold front that continued to near the state throughout the day.
• Flash Flooding and Hail in Kentucky, August 4, 2009$45 million · 61 kt wind · 37 eventsTwo rounds of severe weather moved through central Kentucky on August 4th. The first produced torrential rainfall in the Louisville Metro area with up to seven inches of rain falling in around two hours time.
• Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Kentucky, June 26, 2018$1.3 million · EF1 · 65 eventsOn the second day of heavy rain across central Kentucky, a quasi-stationary boundary was draped across the area. Training storms across south central KY in the morning resulted in significant flash flooding.
• Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Kentucky, August 16, 20121 death · $27,000 · 60 kt wind · 7 eventsA lengthy squall line that developed across southern Indiana crossed the Ohio River during the evening hours of August 16th. For the most part, this line was sub-severe. However, a few damaging wind gusts developed across the Louisville metropolitan area.
• Hail and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, August 25, 20231 death · $15,000 · 50 kt wind · 16 eventsAside from far eastern Kentucky (roughly US-23 and eastward) where showers and storms lingered through much of the morning, the combination of dew points in the mid 70s to lower 80s and temperatures climbing well into the 80s and lower 90s led to an oppressively muggy and highly…
• Tornadoes and Hail in Kentucky, September 25, 2011$330,000 · EF2 · 11 eventsA surface low pressure center moved northeast from eastern Arkansas, passing across northwest Tennessee and into western Kentucky. A closed 500 mb low was centered over the Mid-Mississippi Valley.

Lightning 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.