NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bardwell, KY
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bardwell, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 134 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 134
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
64 deaths in all
What the records show for Bardwell
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Bardwell; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 64 miles away. The record near Bardwell begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 5 miles away. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site, 56% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Bardwell. The highest rating among the 134 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, came within 20 miles. Of the 134, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 87 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 39. The most recent tornado was on November 18, 2025. Bardwell has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 98% of the 281 Kentucky cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 62 times since 1961, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Bardwell has more hail reports within 10 miles than 65% of the 281 Kentucky cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bardwell
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 5 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bardwell: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Bardwell
By decade
- 2020s26(1 EF3+)
- 2010s40(2 EF3+)
- 2000s21(2 EF3+)
- 1990s9
- 1980s4(1 EF3+)
- 1970s13
- 1960s13(1 EF3+)
- 1950s8(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 20 mi | 168.53 mi | 57 / 515 |
| Apr 22, 1981 | F4 | 19 mi | 63 mi | 1 / 32 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF3 | 16 mi | 42.5 mi | 3 / 34 |
| Nov 15, 2005 | F3 | 24 mi | 44 mi | 1 / 20 |
| May 10, 2016 | EF3 | 16 mi | 19.03 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Sep 22, 2006 | F3 | 24 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 4, 1964 | F3 | 15 mi | 7.2 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 12, 1958 | F3 | 14 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 22, 1955 | F3 | 21 mi | 12.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 20, 1955 | F3 | 20 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 17 |
| Nov 24, 1973 | F2 | 8 mi | 57.3 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 8 mi | 18.18 mi | 0 / 4 |
The strongest 12 of 134, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bardwell
The Storm Prediction Center has 62 hail reports within 10 miles of Bardwell since 1961, made on 51 separate days. Of these, 31 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 6 days, most recently May 2, 2002. The most recent report is from April 2, 2025. April has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bardwell
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is W Paducah 2W, KY, 17 miles northeast of Bardwell at 413 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 26°F. April and May are the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 50.7 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 43 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 84 nights a year. That 50.7 inches is more than at 46 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (49%). Clinton, 14 miles south, has its own station (Union City, TN): 53.8 inches a year, 3.1 more than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 26 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Feb | 49 | 30 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Mar | 59 | 38 | 4.6 | 9 |
| Apr | 70 | 47 | 5.2 | 7 |
| May | 78 | 58 | 5.2 | 9 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Sep | 82 | 59 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 71 | 47 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Nov | 58 | 37 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Dec | 48 | 30 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Year | 69 | 48 | 50.7 | 80 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at W Paducah 2W, KY (413 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Bardwell
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 196 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bardwell: 126 thunderstorm wind reports, 42 floods, 23 flash floods, 4 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $8.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on March 9, 2006. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 138 have had fewer than Bardwell.
June 28, 2018: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Bardwell — 1 killed, $45,000 damage.
NWS: “Widespread wind damage occurred around the county. Numerous trees were blown down, including some trees on power lines.”
April 20, 2002: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Bardwell — 1 injured, $15,000 damage.
NWS: “Near Berkley, trees were blown down in a park near the Mississippi River. One of the trees landed on a moving car, crushing the vehicle and trapping the occupant.”
July 19, 2023: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Bardwell — $3.0 million damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Carlisle County, which includes Bardwell, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 severe storms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on May 23, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Carlisle County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, strong wind and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and lightning. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.1 million a year, the 101st highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $877,000 (14%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Bardwell
- Wickliffe, KY6 mi
- Clinton, KY14 mi
- Kevil, KY17 mi
- Charleston, MO18 mi
- West Paducah, KY19 mi
- Hickory, KY19 mi
- Mayfield, KY22 mi
- Wingo, KY22 mi
- East Prairie, MO23 mi
- Paducah, KY23 mi
- Fulton, KY25 mi
- Metropolis, IL25 mi
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