Lexington, KY Tornado History — 78 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Lexington, KY had?
Lexington has had 78 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 6 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Lexington?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Lexington was an EF1 on October 19, 2025.
When is tornado season in Lexington?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Lexington, with 21 on record. April through June account for 43 of the 78 tornadoes on record near Lexington.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Lexington
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 28 total, averaging 1.4 per year over this window.
Preliminary tornado reports near Lexington since December 29, 2025
This is a preliminary report, not confirmed tornadoes. It has not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and is 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Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete.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.
NWS Storm Survey and video evidence found EF-0 tornado damage from a brief touchdown in southeast Bourbon County off Oldson Road. (LMK)
Within 25 miles of Lexington. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.
What storm spotters reported near Lexington
3 local storm reports have been filed within 25 miles of Lexington and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on May 3, 2025 and the most recent on October 19, 2025. They are already counted in the Lexington totals above; quoted below is the narrative each reporting office filed at the time.
An EF 1 tornado touched down briefly west of Nicholasville. It was 20 yards wide with a max wind speed of 90 mph and a length of 0.65 miles. (LMK)
Corrects previous tornado report from 1 N Burgin for time. NWS Storm Survey found an EF1 tornado with max winds of 100 mph occurred east of Harrodsburg KY near Burgin. (LMK)
A non supercell EF0 tornado with estimated winds of 80 mph and width of 30 yards occurred near Peaks Mill. The tornado was on the ground 1.04 miles and for 4 minutes. (LMK)
Source: National Weather Service and trained-spotter local storm reports, relayed by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Lexington
12 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Lexington since 1950, across 3 events. 284 injuries have been reported across all events. 1974 was the deadliest year on record near Lexington.
The deadliest single event was an F4 on April 3, 1974, which caused 7 fatalities along a 31.9-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Lexington
What the record shows near Lexington
The 2020s are the busiest decade on record so far near Lexington, with 15 of the 78 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles. The Lexington record runs from the 1950s to today.
Of the tornadoes rated near Lexington, 53 reached EF0 or EF1 and 25 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Lexington is rated EF4, of which 2 are logged.
Across the last 20 years Lexington has averaged 1.4 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 28 in total. 2021 was the busiest of them with 5, and 9 of those years passed with none at all.