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Kentucky · County tornado history

Pendleton County, Kentucky tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 9 tornadoes in Pendleton County, Kentucky from 1950 through 2024, about one every 8.3 years. That ranks it 69 of 120 counties in Kentucky with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on April 8, 2020.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
9
Since 2000
5
Strongest
F4, April 23, 1968
Most recent
EF1, April 8, 2020
Peak month
April (3)
Per 1,000 sq mi
32
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 Pendleton County

April has brought the most, 3 of 9. About 78% touched down between 12 pm and 6 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) 1
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 4
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 2
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
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 Pendleton County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 23, 1968 F4 78.7 mi 550 yd 6 364
March 2, 2012 EF3 20.4 mi 440 yd 3 13
May 8, 1996 F2 2 mi 200 yd 2
July 19, 1956 F2 21.4 mi 10 yd
December 23, 2015 EF1 3.8 mi 420 yd 3
November 15, 1989 F1 0.2 mi 200 yd 2
April 23, 2011 EF1 4.3 mi 50 yd
April 8, 2020 EF1 19.2 mi 400 yd
June 4, 2008 EF0 0.2 mi 25 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Pendleton County was an F4 on April 23, 1968. It killed 6 people and injured 364 along its 78.7-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 8, 2020 EF1 19.2 mi 400 yd
December 23, 2015 EF1 3.8 mi 420 yd 3
March 2, 2012 EF3 20.4 mi 440 yd 3 13
April 23, 2011 EF1 4.3 mi 50 yd
June 4, 2008 EF0 0.2 mi 25 yd
May 8, 1996 F2 2 mi 200 yd 2
November 15, 1989 F1 0.2 mi 200 yd 2
April 23, 1968 F4 78.7 mi 550 yd 6 364

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 Pendleton County as relatively low, with a score of 52 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.17 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $1,248,094 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 Pendleton County had?

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

When was the last tornado in Pendleton County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on April 8, 2020. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Pendleton County?

An F4 on April 23, 1968, with a 78.7-mile path.

When is tornado season in Pendleton 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.