Hickman County

Every recorded tornado

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

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.

Mapped landslides

Mapped by KY GS (25).

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 26, 2009Ice Storm, Hickman$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, Hickman$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 26, 2017Tornado$425,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado began about 4.6 miles southeast of Clinton. The path crossed very close to the intersection of Highways 58 and 307, where the community of Fulgham is located. Peak winds were estimated near 95 mph. Three dozen homes and outbuildings received minor to moderate damage, consisting primarily of loss of shingles, siding, and trim. One home lost about a third of its roof, and another home had the back porch blown off. Several smaller outbuildings or garages were destroyed. A large chicken house lost one-quarter of its roof. Kentucky Highway 307 was closed by downed trees and power lines north of Highway 58. Hundreds of trees and tree limbs were blown down. Four eyewitnesses…

4. May 4, 2021Tornado$350,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Multiple trees were snapped. Many tree branches and some trees fell on multiple homes, which inflicted damage. At one point there were 65 trees covering main and secondary roads across the county. All main roads were back open on the afternoon of the 4th, and crews then focused on secondary roads. Many roads were closed as cleanup continued. Emergency management reported 28 residential structures had some form of damage, and a dozen commercial structures were damaged as well. These included farming structures and equipment. One family was displaced from their mobile home because of damage from a fallen tree. A county state of emergency was declared. Peak winds were estimated near 105 mph.

5. May 2, 2010Tornado$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado crossed into Hickman County from Fulton County on U.S. Highway 51 just north of Crutchfield. Peak winds in this area were estimated near 115 mph. The EF-2 tornado damaged or destroyed several pole barns along U.S. Highway 51. One barn was over 100 feet long and was anchored by telephone poles set in concrete. Most of the poles were snapped. A few poles were pulled up, with one thrown about 50 yards. A section of U.S. 51 was closed due to downed power poles and debris. Large trees were uprooted or snapped. There was minor house damage. As the tornado continued northeast across Kentucky Highway 1070 and a nearby road, three homes were damaged. One of the houses sustained…

6. Sep 22, 2006Flash Flood$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Major flash flooding occurred in Clinton, where homes and businesses were evacuated. A service station was flooded with one to two inches of water. Numerous roads were washed out around the county.

7. Jul 19, 2023Flash Flood$250,000
   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…

8. Feb 16, 2025Flood$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Flash flooding from the 15th transitioned to areal flooding early on the 16th around midnight. Flood water continued to close a portion of U.S. 51 south of Clinton, and portions of Highways 123, 239, 1238, 1529, and 58. Numerous county roads were washed out or otherwise sustained some damage.

9. Apr 5, 2023Thunderstorm Wind$125,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Twelve structures were damaged, including a poultry barn that was a total loss. Most of the structures were homes with roof damage. Scattered trees and power lines were down.

10. May 5, 1996Thunderstorm Wind$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Numerous trees were blown over and snapped. A microburst destroyed two mobile homes and damaged two others. Across the county, 21 houses and two businesses were damaged. About 12 roads were blocked by trees. Even though a couple residents were at home when their trailers were flipped, no serious injuries were reported.

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

111°FAug 10, 1930

All-time low

−22°FJan 9, 1942

Warmest night

84°F2 times, most recently Jul 25, 1907

Coldest day

−3°FJan 21, 1985

Wettest day

10.38 inAug 3, 2023

Snowiest day

12.0 inJan 6, 1910

Hottest year

1921mean 63.4°F

Coldest year

1960mean 54.6°F

Wettest year

195780.19 in

Driest year

190126.68 in

Snowiest season

34.3 in1977-78

Station Union City (USC00409219), 321 ft elevation, 19.2 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1895 to September 30, 2026; 97.7% 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 USC00409219.
• 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.