Kentucky Has One of the Country’s Largest Increases in Tornado Activity Over Last 20 Years

Severe weather is still very much a threat here in the midwest region of the country. Many people are still recovering from the April 2nd storms, which produced 17 tornados across the Tri-State area according to the National Weather Service. Kentucky is not out of the proverbial woods either. As tornado season continues, the Bluegrass State is likely to see more twisters.

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If it seems like there have been more tornado warnings and tornados touching down each year in Kentucky, that's because there have been, and there is data to prove it. A study was recently released by captainexperiences.com tracking the increase in high-intensity tornados across the country over the last 20 years. During that time, Kentucky has had one of the biggest spikes.

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According to the study, Kentucky has had the fifth-largest increase in high-intensity tornados in America since 2003. What does that actually mean? Take a look at these alarming figures from the report:

• Kentucky experienced 158 high-intensity tornadoes from 2004-2023, which is 67 more than the previous 20-year period (1984-2003).
• Those 158 tornados resulted in 113 fatalities and over 1,100 injuries.
• Kentucky faced average annual damages of just over $29 million (after adjusting for inflation) each year of the study period.

The graphic above shows what scientists have been telling us - that over the past 20 years, high-intensity tornados have spread farther into the Southeast and Midwest. You can see that Kentucky has gotten quite a bit darker which means we are likely to see a continued increase in tornado activity.