Calloway County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Calloway County: 1.
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.

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.

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 county boundary (or inside the county).
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.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Jan 26, 2009Ice Storm, Calloway$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…

2. Feb 28, 2021Flash Flood$2.9 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Considerable flash flooding occurred in Murray and the nearby surrounding area. Numerous roads were flooded, including main thoroughfares such as U.S. Highway 641 and Highway 80. Water entered homes and businesses. Creeks such as Ledbetter Creek were well out of their banks. Brookfield Lane in Murray was completely submerged, with deep water in some areas. Some cars were halfway submerged on the Kentucky 121 bypass close to the CSFB Center. Part of Baily Road was washed away. Many roads were still flooded in the evening due to the ongoing rain. Storm total rainfall was 5.05 inches at Murray. Specific damage figures for the City of Murray include: 2 locations with road or culvert…

3. Apr 25, 2011Thunderstorm Wind$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A Kentucky mesonet site measured a wind gust to 101 mph. A number of buildings were damaged, and an industrial warehouse was destroyed. Half the roof was torn off an auto parts store. There was extensive damage to trees and power lines in the city of Murray. Some trees were down on houses. Power poles were down. Roads were blocked. An eight-foot section of siding was blown off a manufacturing plant on the north side of Murray. Two rooftop air conditioning units were blown over. Two barns were blown down. City and county schools and Murray State University were cancelled the following day due to widespread power outages and blocked roads. The county emergency operations center was…

4. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Calloway$1.5 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…

5. Nov 24, 2001Tornado$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A total of 45 to 50 structures were damaged or destroyed. The tornado, which tore through rural farm country, first touched down about one quarter mile inside the Tennessee state line. It moved north-northeast, directly impacting the small community of Harris Grove. The damage path ended 2 miles east of Stella, just after the tornado crossed Kentucky Highway 121. Maximum winds in the tornado were estimated at 130 MPH. The breakdown of structural damage included: Two destroyed houses, two destroyed mobile homes, two destroyed car garages, ten destroyed barns, twelve damaged homes, seven damaged mobile homes, and fourteen damaged barns. A tobacco barn, still containing its crop, was…

6. Feb 24, 2018Tornado$550,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This EF-1 tornado crossed the southern part of the city of Murray, damaging about 40 homes. The tornado touched down several blocks west of Highway 641 and lifted on the east edge of the city at the Clarks River floodplain. Most of the damage consisted of roof damage, mainly shingle loss. Two homes were a total loss, with roof decking removed, windows blown out, and part of an exterior wall caved in due to projectile impacts. At least four businesses were damaged, with the majority of the roof removed from one. Dozens of trees were uprooted or broken. The mayor of Murray declared a state of emergency. Peak winds were estimated near 105 mph.

7. Jun 30, 2009Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An intense microburst carved a damage swath from northwest to southeast across the city of Murray. The damage path was about 3.5 miles long and three-quarters of a mile wide. The damage began on the northwest side of town and ended near Highway 121 just southeast of town. Significant structural damage occurred as a result of peak winds estimated up to 105 mph in a very small area. The vast majority of the damage was from winds of 60 to 80 mph. Damage at Murray State University included a damaged dorm wall and many trees down. Windows were blown out on campus. Debris was blown onto cars in the campus parking lots, damaging vehicles. A batting cage at the college was blown several…

8. Jul 19, 2023Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Historic flash flooding struck parts of far western Kentucky. Among the hardest hit counties was Graves County, which had not completely recovered from a catastrophic tornado in December of 2021. The city of Mayfield, which bore the brunt of the December 2021 tornado, experienced catastrophic flooding that inundated dozens of homes, businesses, schools, and various other institutions. The governor of Kentucky visited the city of Mayfield to tour the damage. Some smaller communities suffered catastrophic damage, such as Arlington in Carlisle County, where multiple homes were flooded. Swiftly moving water through Arlington prompted water rescues from emergency services. Widespread…

9. Feb 24, 2018Tornado$350,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This EF-1 tornado moved from Graves County into Calloway County near State Route 97. The tornado tracked across mainly rural farm country before lifting a few miles southwest of Murray. Most of the path and associated damage was in Calloway County. More than a half dozen barns were damaged or destroyed. A newly built, well-constructed barn was completely destroyed, and debris was strewn hundreds of yards. Two empty grain bins were blown over. Several homes were damaged, mainly due to fallen trees and blowing debris. Two semi trailers were overturned. Two mobile homes were blown from their foundations. Many dozens of trees, some very large, were snapped or uprooted. At least one…

10. May 4, 2003Tornado$350,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The tornado began along Highway 732 about one quarter mile east of Highway 94. It then moved northeast, roughly parallel to Highway 94, for almost two miles. Six homes received minor to moderate damage. Numerous trees were down, two barns were destroyed, and several others were damaged. Peak winds were estimated near 120 MPH.

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

110°F2 times, most recently Jul 28, 1952

All-time low

−20°FJan 18, 1930

Warmest night

82°F2 times, most recently Jun 17, 2022

Coldest day

6°F2 times, most recently Dec 24, 2022

Wettest day

6.81 inMar 1, 1997

Snowiest day

10.6 inMar 22, 1968

Hottest year

2012mean 61.8°F

Coldest year

1968mean 56.0°F

Wettest year

199072.39 in

Driest year

194130.04 in

Snowiest season

43.3 in1977-78

Station Murray (USC00155694), 492 ft elevation, 0.7 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1926 to October 27, 2026; 98.4% 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.

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.

Neighbouring counties

• 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 USC00155694.
• 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.
• 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.