Tornadoes · United States · Kentucky
Tornadoes in Laurel County, Kentucky
20 tornadoes have crossed Laurel County since 1950, 25th of the 120 counties in Kentucky with a tornado on record, an average of one every 3.8 years. They have killed 31 people and injured 138. 1 was rated F4 or EF4 and above.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The United States rated tornadoes on Ted Fujita’s F scale until 31 January 2007 and on the Enhanced Fujita scale after it. Both run from 0 to 5, and both rate the damage rather than measure the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
Now
- Tornadoes
- 20
- Deaths
- 31
- Injuries
- 138
- F4 and above
- 1
- Worst on record
- EF4, May 16, 2025
The deadliest in Laurel County
The strongest
- EF4 London tornado, KentuckyMay 16, 2025
- F3, Pulaski, Laurel and Rockcastle counties, KentuckyApril 3, 1974
- F3, Laurel County, KentuckyJune 29, 1973
- F2, Laurel and Clay counties, KentuckyApril 3, 1974
- F2, Jackson and Laurel counties, KentuckyJune 1, 1954
- EF2, Laurel County, KentuckyMarch 2, 2012
- F2, Laurel County, KentuckyJune 2, 2001
- F2, Laurel County, KentuckyMay 6, 1984
- F2, Laurel County, KentuckyMay 18, 1995
- F2, Laurel County, KentuckyOctober 1, 1977
Every year with a tornado
The 17 years of the 76 in the record with a tornado in Laurel County. Each year links to every tornado in Kentucky that year.
Every tornado that crossed Laurel County
20 tornadoes, newest first.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2025 | 9:27 PM CDT | EF4 | London tornado | 60.1 | 1,700 | 18 | ||
| March 2, 2012 | 7:04 PM EST | EF2 | Laurel | 7.2 | 310 | 6 | 40 | $5.0 million |
| November 14, 2007 | 4:28 PM EST | EF1 | Laurel | 2.0 | 200 | $75,000 | ||
| April 3, 2007 | 9:28 PM EDT | EF1 | Laurel | 1.8 | 50 | $150,000 | ||
| May 17, 2002 | 5:49 PM EDT | F0 | Laurel | 0.6 | 50 | $60,000 | ||
| July 4, 2001 | 2:11 PM EDT | F1 | Pulaski | 24.0 | 75 | $350,000 | ||
| June 2, 2001 | 6:02 PM EDT | F2 | Laurel | 7.0 | 100 | 10 | $17 million | |
| March 28, 1997 | 10:30 PM EST | F0 | Laurel | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| May 18, 1995 | 6:10 PM EDT | F2 | Laurel | 3.0 | 300 | $500,000 to $5 million | ||
| June 4, 1993 | 12:30 AM EDT | F1 | Laurel | 1.0 | 30 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| June 22, 1990 | 6:53 PM EDT | F1 | Laurel | 12.0 | 50 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| May 6, 1984 | 5:20 AM EDT | F2 | Laurel | 5.0 | 50 | 8 | $500,000 to $5 million | |
| April 3, 1982 | 5:00 AM EST | F1 | Laurel | 1.0 | 27 | $5,000 to $50,000 | ||
| April 8, 1980 | 3:15 PM EST | F1 | Laurel | 2.7 | 60 | $50,000 to $500,000 | ||
| October 1, 1977 | 2:10 PM EDT | F2 | Laurel | 2.0 | 400 | 16 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| April 3, 1974 | 9:55 PM EDT | F2 | Laurel | 19.8 | 10 | 22 | $500,000 to $5 million | |
| April 3, 1974 | 8:55 PM EDT | F3 | Pulaski | 22.3 | 10 | 7 | 40 | $500,000 to $5 million |
| June 29, 1973 | 4:29 PM EDT | F3 | Laurel | 0.5 | 100 | 2 | $50,000 to $500,000 | |
| July 15, 1956 | 4:00 PM GMT-4 | F0 | Laurel | 2.7 | 10 | under $50 | ||
| June 1, 1954 | 11:00 AM GMT-4 | F2 | Jackson | 16.4 | 67 | $50,000 to $500,000 |
Nearby
Warnings in force in Laurel CountyThe forecast for Laurel CountyThe live radar over Laurel CountyEvery county in Kentucky
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.