Calloway County, KY Environment & Hazard Risk

• EarthquakeRelatively Moderate$13.41M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 111 years
• Ice stormRelatively High$857K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.5 events a year
• Winter weatherRelatively Moderate$187K/yr expected annual loss, about 6.7 events a year
• TornadoRelatively Moderate$3.16M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 3 years
• Cold waveRelatively Moderate$2.76M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
• LightningRelatively Moderate$501K/yr expected annual loss, about 56 events a year
• Heat waveRelatively Low$893K/yr expected annual loss, about 9.8 events a year
• DroughtRelatively Moderate$343K/yr expected annual loss, about 8.1 events a year
• LandslideRelatively Low$3,364/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
• Strong windRelatively Moderate$673K/yr expected annual loss, about 3.8 events a year
• HailRelatively Low$342K/yr expected annual loss, about 2.8 events a year
• HurricaneVery Low$23.41K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 109 years
• WildfireVery Low$5,674/yr expected annual loss, about once every 6,945 years

Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance

57 of 13,342 (0.4%)

Homes in high-risk flood zones

133

Insured in high-risk zones

36 (27%)

Flood claims since 1978

28

Claims paid since 1978

$1.11M

• Thunderstorm Wind175 · 1 death
• Hail101
• Dense Fog76
• Strong Wind61
• Flash Flood61
• Heat57
• Winter Weather55
• Drought44
• Frost/Freeze43
• Tornado33

• Ice Storm01/27/2009

  Calloway

  1 death, $17.2M damage

  What happened

  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 same company estimated damage to its system alone between 20 and 30 million dollars. At least 5,000 utility poles were broken or down. Power outages averaged about one week in duration, though outages varied greatly in length. Power restoration was slowed by strong gusty winds that started a few days after the storm. Outages generally lasted several days for residents of larger cities, and weeks for rural residents. Several thousand customers in rural counties remained without power three weeks after...

• High Wind54 kt wind03/03/2023

  Calloway

  1 death, $50K damage

  What happened

  A strong storm system led to significant impacts. Heavy rainfall amounts of 3 to 4.5 inches produced areas of flash flooding, with numerous road closures. The heavy rain drove the Ohio River above flood stage at Uniontown. Very strong wind gusts occurred, ranging between 50 and about 70 mph. These were associated with both thunderstorms and gradient winds afterwards. The line of storms moved through during the late morning and early afternoon, and then very strong gradient winds continued for several hours afterwards through the afternoon. An indirect fatality occurred the following day during cleanup operations. A 69-year-old man in Calloway County was killed when a large branch landed on him while he was cutting up the tree. The magnitude and duration of this wind produced significant damage to trees, power lines, and other outdoor property such as fences. Soggy ground due to the excessive rainfall likely contributed to some trees being more susceptible to being blown over. Numerous power outages occurred, some lasting into the following day. Six tornadoes occurred along the line of thunderstorms across western Kentucky. The strongest was rated EF-2 just south of Paducah....

• Lightning06/23/2019

  Murray, Calloway County

  1 death

  What happened

  Eyewitnesses observed lightning strike next to a woman on the campus of Murray State University. The 50-year-old woman immediately collapsed. CPR was administered, and she died shortly thereafter at a Tennessee hospital.

• Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind03/07/2022

  Midway, Calloway County

  1 death

  What happened

  Due to a combination of heavy rain and strong winds, a semi-trailer carrying logs overturned on U.S. Highway 641 south of Murray. The driver was ejected from the cab and died (indirect). Highway 641 was closed for several hours.

• Drought09/01/1999

  Calloway

  $7M damage

  What happened

  The severe summer drought took a major toll on crops and plants across West Kentucky. Rainfall at Paducah for the three-month period from July through September was about an inch and a half. This compares to a 3-month average of around 10 inches. Paducah received 0.66 inches in September, which was 3 inches below normal. The soybean crop sustained the greatest monetary losses, estimated near 70 million dollars. This was followed by tobacco losses near 50 million, and corn near 35 million. Total crop losses in western Kentucky were near 155 million dollars, which prompted an agricultural disaster declaration by the state and federal governments. The root systems of many shrubs and young trees were damaged by the drought. Some shrubs and shallow-rooted trees, such as dogwood and redbud trees, died during the summer. The unirrigated pumpkin crop was nearly a total loss. The fire danger reached extreme levels at times. A few of the largest fires reached 500 to 1000 acres in size. The largest fire occurred east of Central City in Muhlenberg County late in the month. This fire grew to almost 1000 acres, prompting the closure of the Western Kentucky Parkway for several hours. Another...

• Heat07/21/2005

  Calloway

  5 injured

  What happened

  Several days of excessive heat and humidity caused a significant increase in heat-related illnesses. A 46-year-old construction worker from Livingston County suffered a heart attack in which heat was a factor, but heat was not the direct cause of death. The heat index peaked around 110 degrees each afternoon, and dropped to only around 80 degrees at night. True air temperatures reached the mid 90's, with overnight lows in the mid 70's. At Paducah, the heat index topped out at 107 degrees on the 21st, 110 on the 22nd, 102 on the 23rd, 109 on the 24th, 104 on the 25th, and 100 on the 26th. These heat indices were representative of the rest of western Kentucky. At Paducah, a record high minimum temperature was set on the 25th, when the low was 77 degrees. The previous record was 74 degrees in 1958. The heat wave was the result of an expansive surface high pressure system extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. A light southerly wind flow, combined with moist ground from the remnants of Hurricane Dennis earlier in the month, allowed dew points to hover just below 80 degrees.

• Dense Fog04/25/2026

  Calloway

• Thunderstorm Wind56 kt wind04/16/2026

  Murray, Calloway County

  $5,000 damage

• Thunderstorm Wind52 kt wind04/16/2026

  Almo, Calloway County

  $1,000 damage

• Drought04/01/2026

  Calloway

• Dense Fog02/27/2026

  Calloway

• Dense Fog02/16/2026

  Calloway

• Dense Fog02/03/2026

  Calloway

• Cold/Wind Chill01/31/2026

  Calloway

• Murray Water SystemServes 26,302 · Groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
• Dexter Almo Heights Water DistrictServes 2,275 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
• South 641 Water DistrictServes 1,160 · Purchased groundwater · Local governmentNo health violations
• Center Ridge Water District #2Serves 377 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+2 monitoring or reporting
• Center Ridge Water SystemServes 273 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+3 monitoring or reporting
• Center Ridge Water District #3Serves 208 · Groundwater · Local government1 health violation+4 monitoring or reporting
• Center Ridge Water District #4Serves 105 · Groundwater · Private1 health violation+4 monitoring or reporting
• Stella Trailer ParkServes 74 · Groundwater · PrivateNo health violations+17 monitoring or reporting