Carlisle County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Carlisle County: 0.
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.

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, Carlisle$10.2 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. Sep 14, 2008High Wind, Carlisle$2.2 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…

3. Apr 23, 2011Tornado$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The brunt of the damage occurred in the downtown area of Bardwell. One steel building was destroyed. Entire walls were demolished on older two-story brick buildings used as businesses. Several of the damaged buildings were deemed a total loss and were demolished. Approximately thirty large trees were uprooted, and about a hundred smaller trees were broken off or uprooted. More than a dozen wooden power poles were broken off. Two-by-six and two-by-four boards were driven into steel rooftops, walls of homes, and into the ground. Rooftops (including decking) were partially or completely torn off twenty homes and businesses. About fifty windows were blown out. Debris from the brick…

4. Feb 16, 2025Flood$950,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Flash flooding on the 15th transitioned to areal flooding early on the 16th and continued through the 17th. Extensive damage to numerous county roads occurred, along with damage to culverts and shoulders.

5. 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…

6. Jan 3, 2000Flash Flood$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Thunderstorms during the early morning hours produced 3 to 5 inches of rain, which saturated the ground. Another round of storms arrived during the late afternoon, producing another inch or two of rain in an hour. These heavy rainfall rates, up to 1.3 inches in 15 minutes in Carlisle County, triggered flash flooding. Road and bridge damage was significant. Two bridges were washed out in Ballard County, including one over Kentucky 358. In the Lovelaceville area of Ballard County, a creek overflowed, threatening homes and prompting the closure of U.S. Highway 62. In Carlisle County, where seven to eight roads were closed at one point, most of the damage was to bridge pilings and…

7. May 1, 2011Flood$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Record flooding occurred along the Mississippi River. The river gages at both Cairo, Illinois and New Madrid, Missouri measured record high levels exceeding the 1937 record flood. The activation of the New Madrid Floodway by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on May 2 spared Carlisle County from an even higher crest. With the detonation of the Mississippi River levee at Birds Point, Missouri, the Mississippi River began to drop. Historic flooding of the Mississippi River inundated many low-lying areas. Portions of U.S. Highway 51 were closed due to flooding.

8. Mar 9, 2006Thunderstorm Wind$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A National Weather Service damage survey indicated a macroburst with peak winds from 90 to 100 MPH caused major damage. Hundreds of trees were blown down countywide, including at least 90 which landed on roads. One tree fell on an occupied car, trapping the occupants. A barn was blown onto a car, but the occupants escaped uninjured. A grain bin was blown onto Highway 849 just east of Kirbyton. There was major structural damage to a couple of buildings near Bardwell. Countywide, there was widespread minor structural damage and shingles blown off. Numerous older barns were flattened or destroyed. A cattle trailer was pushed 3 feet. The damage swath was about 14.5 miles long and 7…

9. Oct 31, 2013Tornado$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The damage began just south of the intersection of U.S. Highway 62 and County Road 1015. At that location, a very large but shallow-rooted tree was uprooted. A glass door to a home was destroyed. This home along with other homes in the immediate area had minor roof and siding damage. A mobile home was blown off its foundation. Two sheds were destroyed. Further northeast, along the south side of U.S. Highway 62, there were several homes with shingles missing and one home with the garage door blown in. On the north side of Highway 62, a large well-built barn sustained partial roof loss. Following U.S. Highway 62 northeast, there were many trees snapped or uprooted, large branches…

10. Apr 30, 1997Thunderstorm Wind$150,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A severe thunderstorm moved from west to east across Carlisle County, producing wind damage and large hail from west of Bardwell to Cunningham. Trees were blown down in Bardwell and Cunningham by winds estimated between 70 and 75 MPH. Two homes in Bardwell and two homes in Cunningham received extensive damage. Several other homes had minor damage. Many power lines were down. A camper, storage shed, and barn were damaged.

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

108°FJun 29, 2012

All-time low

−15°FJan 20, 1985

Warmest night

82°FJul 16, 1980

Coldest day

1°FJan 20, 1985

Wettest day

7.49 inSep 5, 1985

Snowiest day

14.0 inDec 22, 2004

Hottest year

2024mean 61.7°F

Coldest year

1958mean 55.6°F

Wettest year

201174.85 in

Driest year

196328.20 in

Snowiest season

35.7 in1977-78

Station Paducah (USW00003816), 506 ft elevation, 17.6 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1949 to October 26, 2026; 99.9% 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 USW00003816.
• 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.