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Tornado in Union County, Kentucky
29 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.
Union County, Kentucky, has 29 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 18 different years.
March is the busiest month, with 9 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 19 events against 2 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.9% of the 1,497 tornado events recorded in Kentucky; its 8.5 per 100 square miles compares with 3.8 statewide.
By rating: 6 at (E)F0, 15 at (E)F1, 4 at (E)F2, 4 at (E)F3, 0 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Kentucky
| Measure | Union County | Kentucky | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 29 | 1,497 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 8.5 | 3.8 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 21.4 | 3.3 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 246 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | March | April | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
2Mar
9Apr
6May
5Jun
4Jul
2Aug
0Sep
0Oct
0Nov
1Dec
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 29 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 | EF3 | $15M | $100K | — | 4 | County |
| 9 Jul 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $8K | $4K | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $20K | $5K | — | — | County |
| 26 May 2024 | Tornado | EF0 | $2K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2024 | Tornado | EF2 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $130K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 2 Apr 2024 | Tornado | EF1 | $85K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | $115K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Mar 2019 | Tornado | EF1 | $60K | — | — | 1 | County |
| 10 May 2016 | Tornado | EF1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 2014 | Tornado | EF1 | $20K | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 2014 | Tornado | EF1 | $4K | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Nov 2013 | Tornado | EF3 | $500K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Mar 2012 | Tornado | EF2 | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 22 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF2 | $300K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Mar 2009 | Tornado | EF3 | $40K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Mar 2009 | Tornado | EF1 | $60K | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 2003 | Tornado | F1 | $400K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Feb 1999 | Tornado | F1 | $200K | — | — | 2 | County |
| 29 Mar 1985 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Mar 1985 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 1973 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 1973 | Tornado | F2 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 26 May 1962 | Tornado | F0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Jun 1960 | Tornado | F3 | $2.5M | — | — | 12 | County |
| 10 Feb 1959 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 1956 | Tornado | F0 | $3K | — | — | 1 | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Union County had?
29 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 Union County?
16 May 2025 (Tornado, EF3). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Union County?
The tornado of 16 May 2025, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $15M and crop damage at $100K.
How does Union County compare with Kentucky for tornado?
8.5 events per 100 square miles against 3.8 statewide; the county holds 29 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.