The Most Tornado-Prone Counties in Kentucky for 2025

Kentucky has had a tough start to the year when it comes to Mother Nature's force. We have already seen quite a few so far in 2025, but which counties are most at risk for tornadoes?

Tornadoes in Kentucky

Recently, Meteorologists have discovered that "Tornado Alley" is shifting east. This new area of "Tornado Alley" now includes portions of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. This makes some sense, as it seems like we are hearing more and more about tornadoes in Kentucky over the past few years. We have seen some pretty devastating tornadoes make their way through the state recently, leaving people without homes and tragically, taking the lives of several Hoosiers. With more severe weather on its way, Kentuckians who are still trying to rebuild and catch their breath still have to prepare for more possible damage.

On average, about 21 tornadoes touch down in Kentucky each year. In a three-month tornado season. In 2025 alone, we have already well exceeded that amount of tornadoes. The NWS' Storm Prediction Center revealed Kentucky has seen 42 tornadoes. Of those, seven were reported as possibly being an EF-2 or stronger. Needless to say, it's been a tough year for Kentucky residents.

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What are the Most Tornado-Prone Counties in Kentucky?

Recently, the website Home Gnome uncovered which counties in the United States are most at risk for tornado damage. Here's how they did it:

Using FEMA data, we analyzed nearly 950 counties with moderate to very high tornado risk. We considered six key factors, including tornado frequency, expected annual losses, average home age, and whether local building codes account for tornado resilience.

There were 27 Kentucky counties featured on this list. Perhaps that's a surprising number to you. What may or may not be even more surprising are the ten most tornado-prone counties in Kentucky. Let's check them out.

Wow! Jefferson County ranked at number 24. That's a staggering statistic that tells you just how common tornadoes are there. Jefferson County has had the most tornadoes of any county, with 34 since 1830, according to the National Weather Service. Again, this is only the ten most vulnerable Kentucky counties for tornadoes in 2025. If you would like to see what other Kentucky counties made the list, you can do so by clicking here.