Independence

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Flood insurance figures are for Kenton County, the county that contains Independence.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

The drought index is for Kenton County, the county that contains Independence.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Mapped landslides

Landslides mapped in Kenton County.

Mapped by KY GS (175), NASA (8).

1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Mar 2, 2012Tornado$20.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado touched down in Grant County at 1623 EST, causing low to mid EF3 damage specifically in the Harvesters Subdivision. This damage occurred at the west end of Barley Circle. Most of the damage in the rest of the subdivision was EF1 to EF2. Based on the damage surveyed, the maximum wind speed of this tornado while in Grant County was estimated at 145 miles per hour. After traveling 1.33 miles on the ground in Grant County, the tornado then crossed into Kenton County at 1624 EST. Immediately as the tornado crossed west to east of Interstate 75, it strengthened to EF4 level. Five single family homes were destroyed down to their foundations in this area, with at least two of…

2. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Kenton$18.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Strong winds of 40 to 50 miles per hour were sustained for several hours. Gusts over 60 mph were common. Widespread damage occurred across the region, from trees being blown down on powerlines to significant structural damage.

3. Jul 1, 1996Flash Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Persistent heavy rainfall that began in the evening of June 30th, continued causing flooding of roads and evacuation of homes. Several bridges were destroyed by high water. Around 30 homes were damaged.

4. Jun 30, 1996Flash Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Persistent heavy rainfall caused flooding of roads and evacuation of homes. Several bridges were destroyed by high water. Around 30 homes were damaged.

5. Jan 6, 1996Winter Storm, Kenton$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Blizzard of '96 developed near the Gulf Coast and moved up the East Coast. This massive system brought the greatest snowfall from one storm to Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky airport, as well as the greatest 24 hour snowfall. Total snowfall from this storm at the airport was 14.3 inches, while in a typical entire season this location normally receives only 23 inches of snowfall. Many homes and business experienced partial or total roof collapses due to the weight of the snow. Road conditions remained hazardous in some locations for many days. Many people believed that this was the worst winter storm since the Blizzard of '78.

6. Mar 2, 2017Thunderstorm Wind$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Numerous hardwood and softwood trees were snapped or uprooted. In addition, damage occurred to the roofs of several homes and businesses. Most roof damage consisted of roofing material fully or partially removed. A few barns and outbuildings were completely destroyed. The damage was consistent with wind speeds of 65 to 85 mph. This was the continuation of a damage swath that started in Boone County.

7. Jun 11, 1998Flash Flood$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Several hours of heavy rainfall caused area creeks and streams to overflow their bank. Numerous roads were closed due to the high water. Bank Lick Creek overflowed its banks flooding an area park and causing significant damage.

8. Apr 12, 2019Thunderstorm Wind$75,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Multiple trees were reported snapped. In addition, a garage had its roof removed and had a collapsed wall. Numerous homes received shingle, soffit, fascia and chimney damage. Finally a HVAC compressor was blown on its side.

9. Jun 16, 1997Flash Flood$50,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Persistent heavy rainfall caused Banklick Creek to overflow its banks. Pioneer Park was under 3-4 feet of water and 10 homes were evacuated.

10. May 10, 2003Flash Flood$50,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A trailer park was flooded and residents were forced to evacuate. Numerous homes sustained basement flooding across the northern half of the county.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

104°F2 times, most recently Jul 7, 2012

All-time low

−25°FJan 18, 1977

Warmest night

79°FJul 30, 1999

Coldest day

−4°F2 times, most recently Jan 20, 1985

Wettest day

5.21 inMar 9, 1964

Snowiest day

11.8 inFeb 4, 1998

Hottest year

2024mean 57.9°F

Coldest year

1963mean 51.1°F

Wettest year

201173.28 in

Driest year

196327.99 in

Snowiest season

53.9 in1977-78

Station Cincinnati/northern Kentucky I (USW00093814), 861 ft elevation, 9.0 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 27, 2026; 100.0% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

Declarations for Kenton County.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00093814.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.