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Kentucky · County tornado history

Henderson County, Kentucky tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 27 tornadoes in Henderson County, Kentucky from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.8 years. That ranks it 12 of 120 counties in Kentucky with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on March 3, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
27
Since 2000
17
Strongest
EF3, November 17, 2013
Most recent
EF1, March 3, 2023
Peak month
March (7)
Per 1,000 sq mi
57
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 Henderson County

March has brought the most, 7 of 27. About 52% touched down between 1 pm and 7 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

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) 6
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 9
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 5
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
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 Henderson County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
November 6, 2005 F3 41.3 mi 500 yd 24 238
April 3, 1956 F3 22.9 mi 223 yd 1 2
June 28, 1960 F3 14.2 mi 10 yd 12
March 28, 2009 EF3 12.3 mi 400 yd 2
November 17, 2013 EF3 14.1 mi 200 yd
April 11, 1979 F2 36 mi 200 yd 5
May 31, 1982 F2 16 mi 33 yd 4
April 22, 2011 EF2 15.5 mi 300 yd 2
March 28, 2020 EF2 5.1 mi 575 yd 2
December 11, 1967 F2 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 Henderson County was an F3 on November 6, 2005. It killed 24 people and injured 238 along its 41.3-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 3, 2023 EF1 2.1 mi 125 yd
March 28, 2020 EF2 5.1 mi 575 yd 2
March 28, 2020 EF2 16.8 mi 500 yd
March 14, 2019 EF0 1.2 mi 100 yd
March 14, 2019 EF0 1.2 mi 100 yd
February 7, 2019 EF1 1.4 mi 30 yd
April 25, 2015 EF0 0.8 mi 275 yd
August 17, 2014 EF1 1.6 mi 60 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 Henderson County as relatively low, with a score of 56 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.34 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,383,469 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 Henderson County had?

27 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 17 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Henderson County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on March 3, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Henderson County?

An EF3 on November 17, 2013, with a 14.1-mile path.

When is tornado season in Henderson County?

March 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.