Livingston County

Every recorded tornado

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

River crests

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.

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 (2).

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, Livingston$10.7 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, Livingston$4.4 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. May 1, 2011Flood$4.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Record flooding occurred on the Ohio River. At the Smithland river gage, the flood crest of 54.89 feet on the morning of May 6 was about 3.5 feet higher than the 1997 flood. The activation of the New Madrid Floodway by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spared the city of Smithland from an even higher crest that would likely have overtopped the makeshift levee protecting the city. The levee was on the verge of failure before the levee was blown up on the Mississippi River. With the detonation of the Mississippi River levee at Birds Point, Missouri, the Ohio River stopped rising or rose much more slowly at the Smithland gage. Due to flooding of the Ohio River, there was extensive…

4. Feb 11, 2008Winter Storm, Livingston$1.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Low pressure developed over the southern Plains, spreading widespread heavy precipitation across western Kentucky. At the same time, high pressure over the upper Ohio Valley produced a cold easterly wind flow. The result was a crippling ice storm. Around one inch of ice caused extensive damage across parts of western Kentucky, along and north of a line from Paducah to Madisonville. Many of those same areas received two to four inches of sleet and snow. Numerous trees and power lines were brought down, knocking out power to many thousands of homes. Power outages lasted up to a week. Emergency shelters were established in several counties (including Livingston, Crittenden, and…

5. Nov 17, 2013Tornado$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado moved across the Ohio River from Pope County, Illinois into Livingston County, Kentucky. The tornado passed just south of Smithland. The most intense damage in Livingston County was rated EF-2 with estimated 125 mph peak winds. Several mobile homes were destroyed. Thousands of trees were snapped or uprooted as the tornado passed mainly through forested hilly terrain. The black tornado funnel was videotaped as it moved across parts of the county. The tornado continued east into Lyon County, Kentucky. The total path length of this tornado was 42 miles. The parent supercell tracked from southeast Missouri across the Mississippi River through the Paducah area, then east to…

6. Feb 11, 2019Flood$400,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A prolonged major river flood affected numerous homes and businesses in Livingston County. At Smithland, the Ohio River crested at 51.83 feet on the 25th. This was the worst flood since the historic flood of May 2011, when the river crested at 54.89 feet. The 1997 flood crest of 51.44 feet was similar to this crest. The primary focus of flood-fighting efforts revolved around the town of Smithland, the county seat. A makeshift levee was built along the river, requiring a multi-week closure of U.S. Highway 60 through town. The governor of Kentucky toured the site of the levee construction, which required the assistance of numerous state and federal agencies. Repeated heavy rainfall…

7. Sep 22, 2006Tornado$350,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado crossed the Ohio River from Pope County, Illinois into Livingston County in densely forested areas interspersed with some farmland. The average width of this upper-end F1 tornado was close to 300 yards. Peak winds were estimated near 110 MPH. One mobile home was destroyed, and roofs were partially torn off two houses. Eighteen homes sustained minor damage, consisting mostly of roofing and siding blown off. Twenty barns were heavily damaged or destroyed. Six silos were destroyed, including two of rebar-reinforced concrete construction. The tornado was videotaped by a camper from a bluff overlooking the Ohio River. The footage was shot from within Pope County, Illinois…

8. May 3, 2010Flash Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Cumberland River rose rapidly as releases from Barkley Dam were increased to record levels. River levels rose at the rate of about one foot per hour. The tailwater elevation below the dam rose to around 350 feet. About a dozen residences were flooded, and about 10 others were evacuated because they were isolated by floodwaters. Vehicles and other equipment were damaged or destroyed by the rapidly rising floodwaters. The communities that were heavily affected were Iuka and the east side of Lake City. Sandbagging efforts helped avert damage to a few homes. A couple of houses on the outskirts of Tiline were flooded. There was extensive flooding of fields and woods. A number of…

9. Mar 1, 2018Flood$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Major flooding continued on the Ohio River from late February. At the Smithland Lock and Dam, the river crested at 50.14 feet on the 2nd. Flood stage is 40 feet. This crest was a little over a foot lower than the Flood of March, 1997. Several homes were evacuated in the county. Numerous roads were flooded and closed, including several state roads. The flooding threatened some parts of Smithland, where a large sandbagging operation was conducted. Highway 137 was flooded and closed from Highway 60 through the Birdsville area.

10. Apr 3, 2018Tornado$175,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The tornado touched down in a very rural area along Highway 763, just north of Dyer Hill. Near the end of the damage track, a well-built two-story home was moved off its basement foundation. All basement walls were cracked, and water lines were broken. This is where the tornado reached its peak intensity of 125 mph. Dozens of trees were snapped or uprooted. Four vehicles were destroyed. One vehicle was rolled 50 feet. A few outbuildings were destroyed.

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

106°FJun 30, 2012

All-time low

−16°F2 times, most recently Jan 21, 1985

Warmest night

80°F2 times, most recently Jul 12, 2011

Coldest day

2°FDec 23, 1989

Wettest day

5.55 inJul 7, 2016

Snowiest day

14.0 inDec 23, 2004

Hottest year

2024mean 59.9°F

Coldest year

1997mean 53.7°F

Wettest year

199062.19 in

Driest year

198734.77 in

Snowiest season

15.1 in1993-94

Station Smithland L&d (USC00118020), 357 ft elevation, 4.9 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1981 to October 27, 2026; 94.7% 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 USC00118020.
• 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.