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Kentucky · County tornado history

Green County, Kentucky tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 11 tornadoes in Green County, Kentucky from 1950 through 2024, about one every 6.8 years. That ranks it 52 of 120 counties in Kentucky with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on December 11, 2021.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
11
Since 2000
5
Strongest
F4, April 3, 1974
Most recent
EF2, December 11, 2021
Peak month
April (6)
Per 1,000 sq mi
39
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

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 Green County

April has brought the most, 6 of 11. About 55% 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 18% 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) 1
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 4
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 0
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 Green County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 27, 1971 F4 14.1 mi 100 yd 6 58
April 3, 1974 F4 20.2 mi 10 yd 56
December 11, 2021 EF2 23.8 mi 528 yd 1
April 11, 1972 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
March 28, 1997 F2 3 mi 300 yd
February 24, 2018 EF2 1.3 mi 100 yd
May 14, 1995 F1 1 mi 300 yd
April 27, 2011 EF1 3.1 mi 150 yd
July 13, 2015 EF1 1.1 mi 50 yd
April 5, 2017 EF1 0.8 mi 250 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Green County was an F4 on April 27, 1971. It killed 6 people and injured 58 along its 14.1-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
December 11, 2021 EF2 23.8 mi 528 yd 1
February 24, 2018 EF2 1.3 mi 100 yd
April 5, 2017 EF1 0.8 mi 250 yd
July 13, 2015 EF1 1.1 mi 50 yd
April 27, 2011 EF1 3.1 mi 150 yd
March 28, 1997 F2 3 mi 300 yd
April 20, 1996 F0 3 mi 100 yd
May 14, 1995 F1 1 mi 300 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 Green County as relatively low, with a score of 46 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.18 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $809,852 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 Green County had?

11 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 5 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Green County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on December 11, 2021. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Green County?

An F4 on April 3, 1974, with a 20.2-mile path.

When is tornado season in Green 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.