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Tornado in Pulaski County, Kentucky
27 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Pulaski County, Kentucky, has 27 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 21 different years.
April is the busiest month, with 11 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 10 events against 9 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.8% of the 1,497 tornado events recorded in Kentucky; its 4.1 per 100 square miles compares with 3.8 statewide.
NCEI attributes 7 deaths in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 7 at (E)F0, 13 at (E)F1, 2 at (E)F2, 3 at (E)F3, 2 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Kentucky
| Measure | Pulaski County | Kentucky | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 27 | 1,497 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 4.1 | 3.8 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 4.1 | 3.3 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 7 | 246 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | April | April | May |
By year
Seasonality
1Feb
1Mar
1Apr
11May
8Jun
1Jul
4Aug
0Sep
0Oct
0Nov
0Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
- EF0/F0
- 65–85 mph (EF0)
- EF1/F1
- 86–110 mph (EF1)
- EF2/F2
- 111–135 mph (EF2)
- EF3/F3
- 136–165 mph (EF3)
- EF4/F4
- 166–200 mph (EF4)
- EF5/F5
- over 200 mph (EF5)
- Unrated
- no rating recorded
Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).
Recorded events
All 27 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 May 2025 | Tornado | EF4 | — | — | 1 | — | County |
| 6 May 2022 | Tornado | EF1 | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 1 Jul 2015 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Mar 2013 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Jan 2013 | Tornado | EF0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Feb 2012 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 2009 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 2009 | Tornado | EF0 | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 2007 | Tornado | EF1 | $35K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 2007 | Tornado | EF1 | $15K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 May 2004 | Tornado | F1 | $300K | — | — | 4 | County |
| 5 May 2003 | Tornado | F1 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jul 2001 | Tornado | F1 | $350K | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jul 1997 | Tornado | F0 | $2K | $2K | — | — | County |
| 20 Apr 1996 | Tornado | F1 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 1995 | Tornado | F1 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 1995 | Tornado | F1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 1994 | Tornado | F1 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Jul 1987 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | — | County |
| 21 May 1983 | Tornado | F0 | $250 | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 1974 | Tornado | F3 | $2.5M | — | — | 5 | County |
| 3 Apr 1974 | Tornado | F3 | — | — | — | 5 | County |
| 3 Apr 1974 | Tornado | F3 | $2.5M | — | 6 | 30 | County |
| 27 Apr 1971 | Tornado | F4 | — | — | — | 2 | County |
| 30 May 1967 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Apr 1965 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 1963 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Pulaski County had?
27 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded tornado event in Pulaski County?
16 May 2025 (Tornado, EF4). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Pulaski County?
The tornado of 3 Apr 1974, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M.
How does Pulaski County compare with Kentucky for tornado?
4.1 events per 100 square miles against 3.8 statewide; the county holds 27 of the state's 1,497 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.