Tornado History
Russell Tornado History
This county-level tornado history page focuses on Russell, Kentucky. The records below identify 9 tornadoes from 1971 through 2025, including a highest listed rating of F4 (Devastating damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $4.0M, with 2 deaths and 72 injuries recorded across the listed events.
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Key Tornado Statistics
Key Tornado Facts for Russell, Kentucky
Top local patterns from the historical tornado records in this group.
Average 0.2 tornadoes per year (0.2/yr in last decade)
April is the peak tornado month with 3 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F4 in Russell, Kentucky with 2 deaths
1974 was the most active year with 2 tornadoes
The 1970s had the most tornado activity (3 events)
Longest tornado: 28.8 miles in Russell, Kentucky
Widest tornado: 500.0 yards in Russell, Kentucky
Most tornadoes in one day: 1 on Apr 27, 1971
Monthly Distribution
Shows tornado frequency across months of the year, highlighting seasonal patterns and peak tornado periods.
Summary: In Russell, Kentucky, April is the most active month with 3 tornadoes.
Annual Tornado Trend
Shows year-by-year tornado counts, making active years and quiet stretches easier to spot.
Summary: 1974 was the most active year with 2 recorded tornadoes.
Property Damage Trends
Visualizes reported property damage over time. Bars use a log-like scale so very large damage years do not flatten the rest of the chart.
Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1971 with at least $2.5M in NOAA-listed property damage.
Historical Track Sketch
This map covers the wider location—not your exact property.Measure the closest recorded track to a street address in or near Russell, Kentucky.
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Notable Tornado Records
The table highlights the strongest and most damaging records in this page's local dataset. Damage totals are NOAA-reported minimum estimates where available.
| Date | Rating | Area | Length | Width | Deaths | Injuries | Min. property damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 27, 1971 | F4 | Russell, Kentucky | 9.2 mi | 100 yd | 2 | 70 | $2.5M |
| April 3, 1974 | F3 | Russell, Kentucky | 28.8 mi | 33 yd | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| May 16, 2025 | EF3 | Russell, Kentucky | 7.78 mi | 500 yd | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| February 29, 2012 | EF2 | Russell, Kentucky | 5.8 mi | 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $200K |
| March 29, 1974 | F2 | Russell, Kentucky | 1 mi | 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K |
| May 6, 1984 | F1 | Russell, Kentucky | 3 mi | 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K |
| April 2, 1983 | F1 | Russell, Kentucky | 0.2 mi | 17 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K |
| June 25, 2023 | EF1 | Russell, Kentucky | 0.67 mi | 300 yd | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| March 28, 1997 | F0 | Russell, Kentucky | 10 mi | 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.0M |
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Source And Limits
Data sourced from NOAA Storm Prediction Center and the NCEI Storm Events Database. TornadoTrace summarizes reported weather events for screening and research; it is not a damage assessment, inspection, or insurance determination. Coordinates and records can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. No warranty of completeness or accuracy.