Kentucky Tornado History — 1,225 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes does Kentucky get per year?
Kentucky has had 1,225 tornadoes on record since 1950, including 97 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes — averaging about 16.1 per year since 1950 (about 32.0 per year over the last decade). Counts come from the NOAA Storm Prediction Center archive for Kentucky. The 36 cities below report tornadoes within their own search radius, so those figures overlap each other and do not sum to the state total.
When was the most recent tornado in Kentucky?
The most recent confirmed tornado in our Kentucky dataset was an EF0 tornado on December 19, 2025. Confirmed records are complete through December 29, 2025; more recent preliminary reports are listed below.
When is tornado season in Kentucky?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes in Kentucky, with 288 on record since 1950. Tornadoes can occur any time of year, but spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most US states.
Kentucky at a Glance
Notable Tornadoes in Kentucky
31 preliminary tornado reports in Kentucky since December 29, 2025
These are 31 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are not counted in the confirmed totals above.
Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.
Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.
Showing the 10 most recent of 31 preliminary reports.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.