Tornado Climatology of Monroe County

March 18, 1925
Counties:  Allen, Barren, Monroe, Metcalfe (from Sumner TN)
F-scale:  F4
Deaths:  39
Injuries:   95
Path width:  400 yards
Path length:  60 miles (probably a family of tornadoes)
Time:  5:00pm
Narrative:  From one of the worst tornado outbreaks ever to strike central Kentucky.  This tornado moved east-northeast from near Buck Lodge, eight miles north of Gallatin.  Homes were swept away in many communities, including Keytown, Angle, Oak Grove, and Liberty.  As many as eight people died in one home.  Trees were blown down in the steep valleys as well as on the hilltops.  At least 27 people died in Tennessee.  Crossing into Kentucky, the tornado struck Mt. Union (near the present-day intersection of KY 1421 and Napier Road) and then Holland, killing four.  The funnel may have either weakened or lifted over southern Barren County before striking Beaumont in Metcalfe County.  There it killed eight more, including five in one family.  Over 150 homes were damaged or destroyed.

May 9, 1933
Counties:  Monroe, Cumberland, Adair, Russell
F-scale:  F4
Deaths:  36
Injuries:  87
Path width:  800 yards
Path length:  60 miles (probably a family of tornadoes)
Time:  8:30pm
Notes:  This historic event began around 8pm when there was 30 minutes of rain and hail in Tompkinsville, followed by five minutes of absolute calm.  The calm was shattered when a tornado touched down just southwest of town and moved northeast, directly into southern sections the city (the "Negro section," as newspapers called it at the time).  The path of utter destruction, in which everything was flattened, was a quarter mile wide.  The damaged residences of O. C. Landrum and Oscar Sims marked the edges of the devastation. Between them was a treeless and fenceless waste, with scattered remnants of homes and uprooted trees.  A heavy rain, which fell continuously from 1 o'clock until 6 the following morning, made roads almost impassable and handicapped the work of rehabilitation.  Only three homes that were affected by the funnel were able to be salvaged.  World War I veterans described the devastation and suffering as worse than what they witnessed during the Great War.  The twisting nature of the winds was clearly revealed when the bodies of the Tyree family were found 75 yards south of their home site, and the bodies of the Redeford family were discovered 100 yards north of the spot where their home had stood. The Tyrees lived on the southern edge of the storm area, while the Redefords lived near the northern edge.  The body of the Rev. Redeford's wife was carried 150 yards to a pond on the land belonging to L. P. Hagan. The corpse of the husband was found entangled in a barbed wire fence, having been blown about one hundred yards.  Sixteen people in Tompkinsville lost their lives that evening, with another 2 deaths just northeast of town in Sewell.  Fifty citizens were injured in Monroe County.  After Tompkinsville, the tornado continued to the northeast, crossing Cumberland County (2 people injured) and clipping the southeast corner of Adair County (2 people killed in the Cundiff area) with comparatively little damage, before intensifying again as it entered Russell County.  The tornado grew into a mile-wide monster as it plowed down at least 100 homes.  The edge of the tornado missed downtown Russell Springs by only half a mile.  The tornado spent its last fury in the Happy Acre area, causing damage along Goose Creek, near Friendship Church, and on the southern end of Bethany Ridge where chickens were stripped of their feathers.  The tornado lifted at the Casey County line.  Fatality counts for Russell County vary from 14 to 20 depending on the source...this study will use Grazulis' number of 18.  Of those 18, 14 were killed on the southeast edge of Russell Springs.  Up to 100 people may have been injured in Russell County.

May 22, 1989
Counties:  Monroe
F-scale:  F0
Deaths:
Injuries:
Path width:
Path length:
Time:  8:15pm
Notes:  Storm Data says this tornado touched down in Fountain Run.

March 1, 1997
Counties:  Monroe
F-scale:  F2
Deaths:
Injuries:
Path width:
Path length:
Time:  4:36am
Noted discrepancies:  None

February 5, 2008
Counties:  Monroe, Cumberland (from Sumner, TN)
EF-scale:  EF3
Deaths:  0
Injuries:  0
Path width:  440 yards
Path length:  21.2 miles
Time:  10:31pm CST to 10:50pm CST
Notes: About two miles west of Gamaliel the tornado destroyed two conventional homes and two mobile homes.  Thirteen residents of the four homes took shelter in the basement of one of the homes.  They escaped without injury, though they were trapped in rubble for 30 minutes.  Several other homes were damaged in a subdivision one mile north of Gamaliel.  The tornado ripped the roof off of a brick home there.  It then tracked across rural Monroe County, uprooting and snapping large trees.  On the north side of Tompkinsville it destroyed a large wood frame warehouse and twisted a large steel frame metal building off its foundation.  A nearby well-built brick home had its roof and exterior walls swept away.  It also destroyed a detached three car garage.  The tornado then proceeded through a rural area of Cumberland County and lifted about three miles southwest of Marrowbone.

February 6, 2008
Counties:  Allen, Monroe (from Macon, TN)
EF-scale:  EF3
Deaths:  4
Injuries:  11
Path width:  440 yards
Path length:  10.4 miles
Time:  1:40am CST to 1:53am CST
Notes: This tornado destroyed 12 homes and mobile homes, mainly in the Amos community and in the Tracy Lane area.  Many other homes and buildings were damaged.  Four people were killed near Tracy Lane, and eleven others were injured in southeast Allen County.  The tornado continued through rural and wooded sections of eastern Allen County, and crossed into Monroe County near Fountain Run.

June 11, 2009
Counties: Metcalfe, Monroe
EF-scale:  EF1
Deaths:  0
Injuries:  0
Path width:  150 yards
Path length:  1.3 miles
Time:  8:01pm CDT
Notes:  A small tornado traveled from northwest of Cyclone to south of Cyclone, damaging a few buildings and felling trees.

October 9, 2009
County: Monroe
EF-scale:  EF2
Deaths:  0
Injuries:  0
Path width:  880 yards
Path length:  15.6 miles
Time:  1:20pm - 1:36pm CDT
Notes:  This tornado touched down near Flippin and inflicted EF-1 damage on trees between Flippin and Mud Lick.  After Mud Lick the tornado strengthened and damaged homes, barns, and trees on its way to Rockbridge. 

May 2, 2010
County: Monroe
EF-scale:  EF0
Deaths:  0
Injuries:  0
Path width:  50 yards
Path length:  5.7 miles
Time:  8:35am CDT
Notes:  Trees and a tobacco barn were damaged.

April 4, 2011
Counties:  Monroe
F-scale:  EF1
Deaths:  0
Injuries:  0
Path width:  75 yards
Path length:  0.15 mile
Time:  2:55pm CDT to 2:56pm CDT
Notes:  A tornado with 90 mph winds touched down one mile west of the intersection of KY 214 and KY 953.  A 60x30 foot barn was damaged with parts of it thrown 400 yards toward the east, northeast, and southeast.  Multiple trees were snapped and uprooted.

April 27, 2011
Counties:  Monroe, Cumberland
EF-Scale:  EF-1
Deaths:  0
Injuries:  0
Path width: 616 yards
Path length:  6 miles
Time:  7:02am CDT
Notes:  Two large barns and several outbuildings were destroyed.  Hundreds of hardwood trees were snapped and uprooted, with a few trees landing on houses causing roof damage.  A few other houses in the vicinity had minor structural damage as well.

May 3, 2021
County:  Monroe
EF-Scale: EF1
Deaths:   0
Injuries:  0
Path width:  60 yards
Path length:  0.5 mi
Time: 8:08am CDT
Notes: The tornado touched down near the intersection of Second and Jackson Streets in Tompkinsville. Trees were laying in multiple directions and most of the trees were twisted, snapped, or uprooted. Power lines were down and several power poles were snapped. Winds at this location were between 85 and 90 mph with a width of 50 yards. Between Fifth Street and Carter Street the wind speeds increased to 95 mph and the width expanded to 60 yards. Several homes experienced roof damage with some windows blown out. One home had multiple large trees uprooted with an RV trailer and pontoon boat flipped over. There were several pieces of lumber that were impaled in the ground and pieces of metal sheeting were thrown into trees. The US Bank building at the corner of Fifth and Main had some roof damage. The tornado then lifted briefly before touching back down near the intersection of Pedigo and White Streets. There was significant tree damage east of Main Street near Pedigo Street, Trees were facing multiple directions and there was mud spatter on the backside of homes and vehicles along Short Street to Monroe Drive. Multiple power lines were down in this area as well. Winds were about 90 mph along Monroe Drive. There was minor tree damage near Spring Valley Road and Woodhaven Drive indicating wind speeds of 85 mph. The tornado completely lifted at Jackie Crow salvage yard with debris thrown on the top of the hill about 250 yards from the salvage yard.