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Kentucky · County tornado history

Grayson County, Kentucky tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 15 tornadoes in Grayson County, Kentucky from 1950 through 2024, about one every 5.0 years. That ranks it 33 of 120 counties in Kentucky with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF4 on December 10, 2021.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
15
Since 2000
9
Strongest
EF4, December 10, 2021
Most recent
EF4, December 10, 2021
Peak month
April (7)
Per 1,000 sq mi
29
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Grayson County

April has brought the most, 7 of 15. About 53% touched down between 3 pm and 9 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 27% of the total, a sign of the cool-season storms common in the South.

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 2
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 4
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 3
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 4
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Grayson County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
December 10, 2021 EF4 (the Mayfield tornado) 168.5 mi 2,600 yd 57 515
April 3, 1974 F4 14 mi 150 yd 2
January 21, 1959 F3 6.6 mi 10 yd 3
May 23, 2000 F3 6 mi 100 yd 16
April 21, 1972 F3 1 mi 10 yd 4
May 7, 1961 F3 58 mi 880 yd 3
February 29, 2012 EF2 2 mi 200 yd 1
March 29, 1989 F2 7 mi 50 yd
April 26, 2011 EF2 3 mi 440 yd
January 24, 1964 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Grayson County was the Mayfield tornado, an EF4 on December 10, 2021. It killed 57 people and injured 515 along its 168.5-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
December 10, 2021 EF4 (the Mayfield tornado) 168.5 mi 2,600 yd 57 515
March 25, 2021 EF0 1 mi 40 yd
April 3, 2018 EF1 0.5 mi 100 yd
February 29, 2012 EF2 2 mi 200 yd 1
April 26, 2011 EF0 0.3 mi 60 yd
April 26, 2011 EF2 3 mi 440 yd
April 4, 2011 EF1 1 mi 200 yd
April 4, 2011 EF1 3.4 mi 125 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Grayson County as relatively moderate, with a score of 71 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.35 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,069,206 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Grayson County had?

15 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 9 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Grayson County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF4 on December 10, 2021. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Grayson County?

An EF4 on December 10, 2021, the Mayfield tornado, with a 168.5-mile path.

When is tornado season in Grayson County?

April has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.