Owensboro

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 Daviess County, the county that contains Owensboro.

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.

River crests

River gauges in Daviess County, the county that contains Owensboro.

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

The drought index is for Daviess County, the county that contains Owensboro.

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.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

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 Daviess County.

Mapped by KY GS (5).

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. Jan 3, 2000Tornado$64.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado first touched down near the community of Rome, just southwest of Owensboro, and entered the city near the southern boundary of Owensboro Airport. The tornado tracked northeast through the heart of Owensboro before dissipating on the east side of town. Peak winds were estimated at 180 MPH. Since the tornado path was mostly through densely populated residential and commercial areas, damage was in the tens of millions, but injuries were surprisingly few. Of the 18 injuries, one was critical, and the rest were relatively minor. The critically injured person was in a home near the beginning of the damage path. This person sustained broken vertebrae and numerous cuts and…

2. Jan 26, 2009Ice Storm, Daviess$17.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This historic, prolonged ice storm was called the biggest disaster in modern Kentucky history by the governor of Kentucky. The storm produced at least one inch of ice across western Kentucky. Locally very destructive icing around 1.5 inches occurred from the Mississippi River counties east across Paducah and Madisonville to Owensboro. This resulted in unprecedented damage to utility infrastructure in western Kentucky. One hundred percent of residents in the hardest-hit counties from the Mississippi River to Madisonville were affected by power outages. A utility company serving areas from Ballard to Livingston Counties reported that 20 percent of its system had to be rebuilt. The…

3. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Daviess$15.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Frequent wind gusts from 60 to nearly 80 mph caused widespread damage in western Kentucky. The low pressure center that was the remnant of Hurricane Ike raced northeast at 40 to 50 mph across Missouri and Illinois. The center passed between Carbondale and St. Louis on its way toward the northeastern states. The rapid speed of the low pressure system contributed to this high wind event. ||Several counties reported hundreds of structures sustained roof and siding damage. Other counties reported dozens of damaged structures. The county of Crittenden alone estimated 1,500 homes sustained some degree of wind damage. Extensive tree damage occurred. Thousands of trees were uprooted and…

4. Oct 18, 2007Tornado$11.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   About a dozen homes were destroyed, and close to 150 others were damaged. An additional 20 public or commercial buildings were destroyed or condemned. Damage to commercial and public buildings, including churches and schools, was estimated near 10.5 million dollars. Residential structures sustained about 1 million dollars in damage. Two historic churches suffered severe damage. The steeple of one church collapsed into the sanctuary. About 125 people were in the church at the time of the collapse, including 25 where the steeple fell into the sanctuary. They all moved to the basement 5 or 10 minutes before the storm hit, sparing anyone from death or serious injury. On the west side…

5. Mar 1, 1997Flood, Daviess$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Historic flooding occurred along the Green River as a result of widespread rainfall between 5 and 10 inches across central and western Kentucky. Virtually the entire town of Rumsey was evacuated before it was inundated by the Green River. About 20 percent of Calhoun was underwater, and small parts of Livermore were affected.In Daviess County, backwater from the Green River slowed drainage of Panther Creek, causing parts of Owensboro to flood. Many schools were out for one to two weeks. The National Guard was mobilized to help with looting prevention, rescue efforts, and sandbagging. Daviess County was especially hard hit due to the combined effects of major flooding along the…

6. May 1, 2011Flood$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Moderate flooding occurred on the Ohio River. At the Owensboro river gage, the river continued to fall after cresting at 46.30 feet in late April. A riverside park and parts of Water Street in Owensboro were flooded. At the peak of the flooding, Panther Creek flooded extensively due to backwater from the Ohio River, which forced some evacuations of residents in the Pettit area. Panther Creek covered parts of U.S. Highway 431 and surrounded a few major businesses such a home improvement store. Ohio River backwater worsened flooding of the Green River, flooding a house in Curdsville with a foot of water. The Red Cross opened a shelter. Countywide, 63 county roads and 18 state roads…

7. May 27, 2004Thunderstorm Wind$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Severe thunderstorms with widespread damaging winds moved east from southern Illinois, passing across Union, Henderson, and Daviess Counties. A series of intense downbursts with peak winds up to 120 MPH struck northern Daviess County. The severe damage was concentrated in a 5-mile wide path from Stanley through Owensboro to Yelvington. Approximately 40 to 50 houses received major damage, mostly due to trees falling on them. Another 40 to 50 homes received minor damage. Several barns and garages were destroyed. A house roof was blown off. Hundreds of downed trees, power lines, and power poles blocked numerous roads. A woman was trapped in her vehicle when a tree fell on it. An…

8. Mar 15, 2025Hail$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A severe storm produced a swath of hail up to the size of baseballs and wind gusts up to 50 mph from near St Joseph through the south and east sides of Owensboro. The area of Cummins Road just south of St Joseph sustained the most significant damage. Several homes sustained broken siding and windows, as well as roof damage. The storm continued to damage roofs and break windows as it passed near Panther Creek Park and through the south and east sides of Owensboro. Scores of vehicles sustained damage.

9. May 10, 2016Hail$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A major hailstorm continued east-northeast across the Owensboro area from western Daviess County. The largest hail fell on the south and southwest sides of the city. Hailstones up to the size of hen eggs fell a couple miles southwest of downtown Owensboro. In Owensboro, there was a report of golf-ball size hail. On the east side of the city, quarter-size hail fell. Many homes and vehicles sustained minor damage.

10. Oct 18, 2007Tornado$500,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The tornado crossed into Daviess County from Mclean County. Numerous structures were damaged or destroyed, mostly barns and outbuildings. Several residences were destroyed, and about two dozen others were damaged. Four persons were injured in the West Louisville area when their mobile home was destroyed. Their injuries were mostly minor, although a 4-year-old child was hospitalized in fair condition. The peak winds were estimated at 120 mph. The average path width was 300 yards.

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

107°F3 times, most recently Jul 5, 2012

All-time low

−23°FFeb 2, 1951

Warmest night

82°FJul 8, 1980

Coldest day

−3°F2 times, most recently Dec 22, 1989

Wettest day

6.40 inMar 18, 2008

Snowiest day

19.3 inDec 22, 2004

Hottest year

2024mean 60.3°F

Coldest year

1979mean 53.8°F

Wettest year

201170.03 in

Driest year

196327.88 in

Snowiest season

37.9 in1969-70

Station Evansville Regional Airport (USW00093817), 402 ft elevation, 29.7 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 27, 2026; 99.8% 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 Daviess 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 USW00093817.
• 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.