Lyon County

Every recorded tornado

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

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 (4), NASA (1).

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, Lyon$11.2 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, Lyon$4.0 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. Jul 17, 2022Thunderstorm Wind$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The community of Kuttawa was struck by a microburst that downed numerous trees. Some of the trees were two to three feet in diameter. Extensive damage occurred at Kuttawa Harbor. Numerous boats and docks were damaged in the harbor. Three docks were extensively damaged.

4. Mar 2, 2020Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A microburst with estimated peak winds near 85 mph heavily damaged a marina on Lake Barkley. A dock was heavily damaged with the metal flooring beams bent, along with damage to many metal vertical supports and the metal roof. A relatively small portion of the roofing was blown off. One boat was blown off a lift, and the boat was partially submerged. The microburst was about one-quarter mile long and 200 yards wide.

5. Feb 11, 2008Winter Storm, Lyon$500,000
   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…

6. Nov 15, 2005Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado entered Lyon County from Marshall County as it crossed Kentucky Lake. The tornado reached the lakeshore at Hillman Ferry campground, within the Land Between The Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area. The tornado then moved east-northeast across the forests of LBL, producing a narrow swath of downed trees. After exiting LBL and crossing Lake Barkley, the tornado struck a subdivision on the east side of the lake. Damage to the well-constructed homes in this subdivision was estimated to be the result of F-2 winds. The tornado proceeded east-northeast across Interstate 24, passing near the 46-mile marker, before lifting at the community of Saratoga.

7. Jul 1, 2023Tornado$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The weak tornado crossed Kentucky Lake from Marshall County and entered Lyon County in the Land-Between-The-Lakes National Recreation Area. The apparent damage path ended at the Twin Lakes campground, which is along the Kentucky Lake shore about two miles south of the canal between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. Numerous campers were destroyed, and trees were downed. Peak winds in Lyon County were estimated near 80 mph. Witnesses in the area reported seeing funnel clouds.

8. May 26, 2024Tornado$180,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EF-3 tornado (peak of EF-2 in Lyon County) began northeast of Eddyville on the west side of US-641N. The tornado tracked northeastward, strengthening rapidly and producing EF-2 damage off of Beck Rd. The tornado crossed into Caldwell County while collapsing a barn just north of Pleasant Valley Rd. Peak estimated winds for the Lyon County portion of the tornado were 115 mph.

9. Jun 22, 2006Thunderstorm Wind$150,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A National Weather Service damage survey indicated a downburst with gusts up to 85 MPH occurred near the east shore of Lake Barkley in an area known as Eddy Creek. The damage area was about 2 miles wide and 3.5 miles long. The north to south extent of the damage was along Kentucky 93 from the north side of Eddy Bay to the community of Confederate. The west to east extent of the damage was from Lake Barkley to just east of Interstate 24. Hundreds of large trees were snapped or uprooted. Many trees were downed at a resort on the lake, damaging three permanent campers. A few motorists were stranded between downed trees and power lines across roads. A private boat dock was heavily…

10. Apr 25, 2011Tornado$150,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The tornado uprooted trees and snapped branches. The tornado struck a marina on Lake Barkley. There was substantial damage to boat docks and to the roofing of one home. One boat capsized. Peak winds were estimated near 90 mph. The path width was only 30 yards on average.

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, 38.2 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.
• 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.