Laurel County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Laurel County, KY right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 1,162 alerts that included Laurel County, roughly 116 a year. The most common is the flood advisory (274 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on July 21, 2026. 20 tornadoes have touched down in the county since 1950.
Updated from the National Weather Service · lists refresh hourly; the live map loads current alerts directly from the NWS
No warnings, watches or advisories include Laurel County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Jackson County, Whitley County, Rockcastle County, Knox County.
Laurel County alert history
Alert events that included Laurel County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flood Advisory | 274 | 31 | September 22, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 252 | 23 | September 22, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 80 | 10 | September 23, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 63 | 1 | January 30, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 62 | 9 | August 12, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 59 | 2 | March 15, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 53 | 8 | November 9, 2026 |
| Flood Warning | 47 | 0 | May 17, 2025 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 47 | 4 | October 12, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 47 | 5 | November 8, 2026 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 46 | 6 | August 22, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 25 | 0 | May 20, 2025 |
| Freeze Watch | 24 | 1 | March 28, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 15 | 3 | July 21, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 14 | 1 | January 24, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 11 | 1 | March 13, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 11 | 1 | January 24, 2026 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 9 | 3 | January 31, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 7 | 3 | September 2, 2026 |
| High Wind Warning | 6 | 0 | March 4, 2025 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 5 | 0 | April 20, 2023 |
| Ice Storm Warning | 2 | 0 | February 15, 2021 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 1 | 1 | January 26, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 1 | 1 | January 27, 2026 |
| High Wind Watch | 1 | 0 | March 3, 2023 |
| Extreme Heat Warning | 0 | 1 | June 29, 2026 |
Tornado history in Laurel County
20 tornadoes have been recorded in Laurel County since 1950, killing 31 people and injuring 138. That ranks 19 of 120 counties in Kentucky. The most recent was on May 16, 2025 (rated EF4).
Strongest tornadoes in Laurel County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2025 | EF4 | Russell County | 60.1 mi | 1,700 yd | 18 | 0 |
| April 3, 1974 | F3 | Pulaski County | 22.3 mi | 10 yd | 7 | 40 |
| June 29, 1973 | F3 | Laurel County | 0.5 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 2 |
| March 2, 2012 | EF2 | Laurel County | 7.2 mi | 310 yd | 6 | 40 |
| April 3, 1974 | F2 | Laurel County | 19.8 mi | 10 yd | 0 | 22 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2025 | EF4 | Russell County | 60.1 mi | 1,700 yd | 18 | 0 |
| March 2, 2012 | EF2 | Laurel County | 7.2 mi | 310 yd | 6 | 40 |
| November 14, 2007 | EF1 | Laurel County | 2 mi | 200 yd | 0 | 0 |
| April 3, 2007 | EF1 | Laurel County | 1.8 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
| May 17, 2002 | F0 | Laurel County | 0.6 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Laurel County
- Population: 63,353 (2024 estimate)
- State: Kentucky
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 021125 (how to use it)