Kentucky
In December 2021, a tornado traveled 165 miles across western Kentucky, killing 81 people, many in their beds. Kentucky sits where Dixie Alley meets the New Madrid fault, the Appalachian flood zone, and the ice storm belt. Every corner of this state has something to prepare for.
Enter your Kentucky ZIP for live alerts, forecasts, and county-specific data.
Know your region
Paducah, Mayfield, Bowling Green, the Purchase region. The December 2021 quad-state tornado killed 81 people here. This is Dixie Alley, where tornadoes strike at night and in winter. The New Madrid Seismic Zone runs directly beneath Paducah.
Primary hazards: tornadoes, earthquakes, flooding, severe storms
Hazard, Whitesburg, Pikeville, the coalfields. The July 2022 floods killed 45 people in the hollows of Appalachian Kentucky. Flash floods channel through narrow valleys with minutes of warning. Poverty limits household preparedness capacity.
Primary hazards: flash flooding, landslides, winter storms, severe storms
Louisville, Lexington, Frankfort, the Bluegrass. The 2009 ice storm left 700,000 without power for up to three weeks. The Ohio and Kentucky rivers flood through Louisville. Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes strike the I-65 corridor.
Primary hazards: ice storms, tornadoes, flooding, severe storms
Your hazard profile
Each links to a full guide with during-event protocol, recovery steps, and resources specific to KY.
The December 2021 quad-state tornado killed 81 people in Kentucky, many asleep. Kentucky tornadoes frequently strike at night and during cooler months. Peak season is March through June with a deadly secondary peak in November and December.
Read the tornadoes guide →
The July 2022 eastern Kentucky floods killed 45 people in Appalachian hollows. Mountain terrain channels water into narrow valleys with devastating force. River flooding along the Ohio and Kentucky rivers threatens western communities.
Read the flooding guide →
The 2009 ice storm left 700,000 Kentuckians without power for up to three weeks. Ice accumulation on power lines and trees causes catastrophic outages. Ice storms here are more damaging than snow.
Read the ice storms guide →
Straight-line winds, large hail, and dangerous lightning strike multiple times per year from spring through fall. Severe storms across the Ohio Valley produce tornado-like damage from wind alone.
Read the severe thunderstorms guide →
Western Kentucky sits directly on the New Madrid Seismic Zone. The 1811 and 1812 earthquakes were felt across the eastern U.S. A major earthquake would cause severe damage to infrastructure not built to seismic standards.
Read the earthquakes guide →
Kentucky resources
Kentucky Emergency Management. Coordinates disaster response, manages shelters, and runs the state's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program.
Central Kentucky forecasts. Severe weather warnings, tornado watches, winter storm advisories, and flood alerts for the Louisville metro and Bluegrass region.
Western Kentucky forecasts. Covers the New Madrid Seismic Zone area and the region most affected by the 2021 tornado outbreak.
Statewide referral service. Disaster recovery, energy assistance (LIHEAP), food banks, and housing resources.
December 10, 2021
Shortly before midnight on December 10, 2021, an EF4 tornado struck Mayfield, Kentucky. It was part of a quad-state tornado that stayed on the ground for 165 miles. The Mayfield Consumer Products candle factory collapsed, killing 8 workers on the night shift. Across western Kentucky, 81 people died. Many were in bed.
December tornadoes are not impossible in Dixie Alley, but they are unexpected. The traditional tornado season is spring. The people who died were not ignoring warnings. Many never heard them. Cell phone alerts and sirens are less effective at midnight when people are asleep.
For every Kentucky household, the lesson is a NOAA weather radio with battery backup, set to alarm mode, on your nightstand. It is the only warning system that wakes you up at 2 a.m. when a tornado is 10 minutes away. A phone on silent will not save you.