Hart County
Population 20,117 (2025) 413 sq mi
Property owners in Hart County have filed 11 federal flood insurance claims since 1978, 94th most of 120 counties in Kentucky.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths since 195018
- Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger3
- Wildfire burn scars since 19841
At a glance
The record for Hart County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Acres burned since 1984
1,501
28th of 120 in Kentucky
1 large fire; the largest was Big Woods, 2007
DetailsTropical cyclones within 50 mi
2
47th of 120 in Kentucky
None at hurricane strength since 1851
DetailsStrongest tornado
F3
March 28, 1997, 9.0 mile path
Strongest tropical cyclone
TS
Tropical storm (unnamed), 1888, 7.2 miles away
Tornadoes
About one every 4.2 years since 1950, one of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
March 28, 1997
F3, 9.0 mile path
1,200 yards wide; 1 killed along the whole path.
Most recent
Thursday, February 6, 2025
EF1, 2.9 mile path
Within the past year.
Every recorded tornado
| Feb 6, 2025 | EF1 | 2.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 1, 2022 | EF0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF2 | 23.8 | 1 | 0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF2 | 17.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 20, 2018 | EF1 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF1 | 10.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 6, 2005 | F2 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 11, 2003 | F1 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 9, 2000 | F1 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 9, 2000 | F1 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 23, 2000 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 28, 1997 | F0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 28, 1997 | F3 | 9.0 | 14 | 1 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 7, 1996 | F0 | 9.0 | 5 | 0 |
| Jun 27, 1973 | F1 | 0.8 | 2 | 0 |
| Jul 28, 1972 | F1 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| May 8, 1969 | F1 | 8.8 | 1 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Hart County: 1.
- 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.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
2 passed within 50 miles since 1851; none at hurricane strength.
Strongest within 50 miles
August 21, 1888
Unnamed storm, Tropical storm
7.2 miles at closest approach, winds near 54 mph.
Most recent
September 27, 2024
Helene, Remnant low
5.4 miles at closest approach.
Every storm within 100 miles
- 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.
Wildfire and smoke
1,501 acres burned in 1 large fire since 1984, equal to 0.6% of the land.
Largest
April 22, 2007
Big Woods Fire, 1,499 acres
1,500 acres inside Hart County.
Most recent
April 22, 2007
Big Woods Fire
1,499 acres in total.
Every large fire
| Big Woods | 2007 | 1,500 | 1,499 |
- Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.
Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2023: 55 days
Heavy smoke on 9 days in 2023, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
14.4 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
10 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 31 so far in 2026.
- 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.
Floods and flood insurance
11 federal flood insurance claims since 1982, with $222,000 paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 42765 | 7 | $184,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flood26
- Flash Flood25
2 deaths recorded in flood events since 1996.
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
Most severe crest
March 1, 1962
Green River (KY) at Munfordville, 57.72 ft
29.72 feet above the 28.0 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.
Most recent moderate or major crest
May 4, 2010
Green River (KY) at Munfordville, 51.88 ft
Moderate flooding.
River gauges
| Green River (KY) at Munfordville | 28.0 | 57.72 ft | 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.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 119 of 1,581 months since 1895 (8%); the longest spell lasted 17 months.
119
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
39
Months in extreme drought
8%
Share of all months, severe or worse
Lowest reading
January 1931
−6.87, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
17 months
July 1930 to November 1931.
Latest month
September 2026
−1.62, mild drought
Last severe month: May 2026.
- 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.
Earthquakes and landslides
8 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more within 50 miles since 1980; none reached magnitude 4.
0
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
2
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
0
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
0
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
March 23, 1980
Magnitude 3.3
2 km ESE of Fordsville, Kentucky; 34.8 miles away, 3.7 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
June 4, 1987
Magnitude 3.1
9 km SW of Shepherdsville, Kentucky; 36.4 miles away.
- 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).
- 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
6
Landslides mapped, probable or better
0
With a recorded date
1
Source inventory
Mapped by KY GS (6).
- 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.
Severe weather and other events
348 events in the National Weather Service record, 313 of them since 1996.
44
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
3
Hail, 2 inches or larger
145
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
31
Winter weather events since 1996
0
Heat events since 1996
4
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
April 3, 2007
4.25 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
July 2, 1980
100 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 2 | 0 |
Costliest events since 1996
- Nov 6, 2005Tornado$2.1 million
National Weather Service narrative
A cold front set off a line of severe thunderstorms during the predawn hours of November 6. One of the thunderstorms spawned an F2 tornado that struck downtown Munfordville in Hart County. The tornado caused major damage to 44 homes and two businesses. Twenty-five homes were declared uninhabitable. Six businesses and 34 homes had minor damage. Munfordville Elementary School had part of the roof removed by the tornado. About 50 vehicles in a car dealership lot were totaled.
- Oct 18, 2007Thunderstorm Wind$1.5 million
National Weather Service narrative
A large section of roof was blown off the Dart Plant building on U.S Highway 31W. Several tobacco barns and warehouses, and other industrial buildings suffered structural damage on east Main Street.
- Mar 28, 1997Tornado$1.4 million
National Weather Service narrative
A 40 year old man was killed as an F3 tornado with winds estimated at 175 mph touched down near Bonnieville in Hart county and moved northeast 9 miles to the town of Magnolia in Larue county before lifting. The deceased man was killed in his house in Hammonville as the house was blown 50 yards away from its foundation. A few other poorly secured homes were lifted clean off their foundations as well. Most of the injured were hurt when the tornado crossed I-65 at exit 71 causing several accidents. In Hart county, 14 people were injured in addition to the 1 death. 32 houses and 8 mobile homes were heavily damaged or destroyed most in Bonnieville. DES officials estimate total damage…
- Mar 2, 1997Flood, Hart$1.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
The Green River crested at 30.7 feet at Rochester at 1000 am est on March 7 (flood stage is 17 feet). This is the second biggest flood next to January 1950. Many homes were flooded out in Rochester and Woodberry along the river. In Woodberry, the river crested at 48.9 feet (flood stage is 33 feet) at 11 am est March 5. At Brownsville, the river crested at 33.8 feet (flood stage is 18 feet) at 4 pm est on March 5. This caused mainly bottomland flooding. At Munfordville, the river crested at 43.9 feet at 10 pm est March 3 (flood stage is 28 feet). This caused significant bottomland flooding. 25 families were cut off by the water there. These three counties received federal disaster aid.
- Feb 5, 2008Tornado$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
The tornado first touched down near Lone Star, where it destroyed several barns and a mobile home on or near Lone Star Road. The tornado next touched down along U.S. Highway 31W north of Bonnieville, where it heavily damaged or destroyed several more barns or mobile homes. It touched down again near the intersection of Hammonville and Bacon Creek Roads. Here, it caused minor damage to some homes, destroyed a barn, and damaged the roof of another. The tornado continued on eastward, where it damaged several barns near U.S. Highway 31E.
- Jul 20, 2018Tornado$200,000
National Weather Service narrative
This tornado touched down in a wooded area midway between J Riggs Rd and Copelin Rd north of state highway 728, snapping trees as it moved southeast along a hay field where it destroyed two 1200 lb hay bales and rolled numerous others up to a tenth of a mile into a soybean field and uphill onto a knoll. Snapping trees on the land adjacent to the hay and soybean fields, the tornado took a slight right turn, crossing highway 728, and destroyed a large barn. Large parts of the barn debris were lofted into trees southwest of the structure, snapping their trunks. A 20 x 20 section of the barn was blown 500 feet to the south-southeast. The tornado continued southward for another…
- Mar 2, 2012Thunderstorm Wind$200,000
National Weather Service narrative
Sporadic wind damage consistent with a microburst was surveyed along the track of a supercell that crossed Hart County. Along Bacon Creek Spur Road, a 30 by 145 greenhouse canopy was lifted. Its supporting poles were bent. A 48 by 70 feet barn had significant roof damage. Quarter sized hail fell at this location. At 5140 State Highway 728, a 32 foot cabin was destroyed. Insulation was thrown 150 yards due east. Just to the east, two tobacco barns were destroyed. A barn canopy was bent and damaged at 11265 Hammondsville Road. The most extensive damage was surveyed along Route 357 South, one mile south of Highway 728. A single-wide mobile home was destroyed, with the roof and most…
- Jun 22, 2006Thunderstorm Wind$150,000
National Weather Service narrative
Thunderstorms downed trees and power lines, and produced large hail over much of central Kentucky. At Three Springs in Hart County, several barns were knocked down and a mobile home was blown off the foundation. Power lines were blown on to houses at Sonora in Hardin County. North of Hartford in Ohio County, trees were blocking Highway 69.
- Jan 17, 1999Thunderstorm Wind$110,000
National Weather Service narrative
5 mobile homes destroyed, 20 barns destroyed, 31 homes damaged, roofs blown off warehouses, trees and power lines down
- May 11, 2003Tornado$100,000
National Weather Service narrative
Evidence of two brief tornado touchdowns was found embedded in a widespread area of straight line wind damage. The first tornado touchdown was in the Rowlette Street area, and the second was just outside Munfordville on Highway 357. The wind damage event then continued northeast out of town toward Glen Lily. Buildings in a three square block area in downtown Munfordville were damaged, including the Munfordville court house.
- 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.
Weather records
From Mammoth Cave, 17.6 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1934.
- All-time high
- 108°F2 times, most recently Jun 30, 2012
- All-time low
- −21°FFeb 2, 1951
- Warmest night
- 81°FAug 16, 1988
- Coldest day
- 5°FJan 23, 1936
- Wettest day
- 6.80 inMay 7, 1984
- Snowiest day
- 16.0 inMar 9, 1960
- Hottest year
- 2024mean 62.2°F
- Coldest year
- 1940mean 53.7°F
- Wettest year
- 195071.86 in
- Driest year
- 199926.27 in
Station Mammoth Cave (USC00155097), 760 ft elevation, 17.6 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1934 to October 26, 2026; 88.6% 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.
Federal disaster declarations
27 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Winter Storm, January 24, 2026.
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3633-KY |
| Apr 24, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4864-KY |
| Apr 3, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3626-KY |
| Feb 24, 2025 | Severe Storm | DR-4860-KY |
| Feb 16, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3624-KY |
| Jul 23, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4804-KY |
| May 9, 2023 | Flood | DR-4711-KY |
| Apr 10, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4702-KY |
| Dec 12, 2021 | Tornado | DR-4630-KY |
| Mar 28, 2020 | Biological | DR-4497-KY |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3469-KY |
| Aug 26, 2016 | Severe Storm | DR-4278-KY |
| May 12, 2015 | Flood | DR-4218-KY |
| May 11, 2010 | Severe Storm | DR-1912-KY |
| Feb 5, 2009 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-1818-KY |
| Jan 28, 2009 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3302-KY |
| Feb 21, 2008 | Severe Storm | DR-1746-KY |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3231-KY |
| Feb 8, 2005 | Snowstorm | DR-1578-KY |
| Aug 6, 2004 | Severe Storm | DR-1537-KY |
| Jun 10, 2004 | Severe Storm | DR-1523-KY |
| Jun 3, 2003 | Severe Storm | DR-1471-KY |
| Mar 4, 1997 | Severe Storm | DR-1163-KY |
| Jan 13, 1996 | Snowstorm | DR-1089-KY |
| Mar 16, 1994 | Snowstorm | DR-1018-KY |
| Mar 16, 1993 | Snowstorm | EM-3104-KY |
| Feb 24, 1989 | Flood | DR-821-KY |
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.
How this compares
Where Hart County stands among 120 counties in Kentucky and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 18 | 26 / 120 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 1 | 55 / 120 |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 2 | 47 / 120 |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 1,501 | 28 / 120 |
| Flood insurance claims | 11 | 94 / 120 |
| Flood insurance paid | $222,000 | 91 / 120 |
| Disaster declarations | 27 | 53 / 120 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 51 | 84 / 120 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 210 | 53 / 120 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 31 | 90 / 120 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $8.0 million | 61 / 120 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 1 | 43 / 120 |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 119 | 77 / 120 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 14.4 | 64 / 120 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 0 | — |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 0 | — |
Neighbouring counties
| Barren County | 21 | 3 |
| Edmonson County | 10 | 2 |
| Grayson County | 15 | 1 |
| Green County | 11 | 3 |
| Hardin County | 30 | 2 |
| Larue County | 14 | 2 |
| Metcalfe County | 19 | 3 |
Sources and vintage
Every number on this page comes from these public records.
- 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 USC00155097.
- 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.