NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Carrollton, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Carrollton, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1915. Since 1950, 87 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 15 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 87
- EF3 or stronger
- 15
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
25 deaths in all
What the records show for Carrollton
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Carrollton; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 46 miles away. The record near Carrollton begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was an unnamed storm in 1915, a tropical storm 73 miles away. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site, 73% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Carrollton. The highest rating among the 87 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on March 2, 2012, came within 10 miles. Of the 87, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 43 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on July 20, 2025. Carrollton has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 68% of the 281 Kentucky cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 51 times since 1956, with stones up to 4.25 inches. Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 51% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Carrollton.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Carrollton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Carrollton: 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 Carrollton
By decade
- 2020s16
- 2010s23(3 EF3+)
- 2000s4(1 EF3+)
- 1990s17(6 EF3+)
- 1980s7
- 1970s11(4 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s5(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF4 | 10 mi | 46.6 mi | 11 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 16 mi | 35.6 mi | 11 / 190 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F4 | 7 mi | 26.7 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 9 mi | 27.1 mi | 0 / 104 |
| Sep 26, 1976 | F3 | 14 mi | 14.6 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Apr 1, 1974 | F3 | 9 mi | 3.3 mi | 1 / 20 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 5 mi | 3.26 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 28, 2011 | EF3 | 21 mi | 2.26 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Oct 18, 2007 | EF3 | 20 mi | 4.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 9, 1999 | F3 | 20 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 9, 1999 | F3 | 23 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F3 | 9 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 87, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Carrollton
The Storm Prediction Center has 51 hail reports within 10 miles of Carrollton since 1956, made on 35 separate days. Of these, 33 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.25 inches, fell on March 2, 2012. The most recent report is from March 14, 2024. April has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Carrollton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Vevay, IN, 7 miles northeast of Carrollton at 495 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 25°F. June is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 48.4 inches over 83 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 38 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 91 nights a year. Snowfall averages 20.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 48.4 inches is more than at 25 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (27%). Bedford, 10 miles southwest, has its own station (Madison Sewage Plt, IN): 51.0 inches a year, 2.6 more than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 25 | 3.6 | 7 | 6.1 |
| Feb | 46 | 28 | 3.0 | 6 | 4.4 |
| Mar | 57 | 35 | 4.4 | 8 | 2.7 |
| Apr | 69 | 45 | 4.5 | 9 | 0.3 |
| May | 78 | 55 | 4.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 4.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 59 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 47 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.5 |
| Nov | 56 | 36 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Dec | 45 | 30 | 4.2 | 7 | 5.9 |
| Year | 67 | 46 | 48.4 | 83 | 20.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Vevay, IN (495 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 Carrollton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 227 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Carrollton: 158 thunderstorm wind reports, 40 flash floods, 25 floods, 3 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $1.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on November 9, 2000. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 225 have had fewer than Carrollton.
April 12, 2019: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Carrollton — 2 injured, $15,000 damage.
July 1, 2012: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Carrollton — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “Multiple trees were reported down in the area. One tree fell on a car, injuring one person.”
March 1, 2017: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Carrollton — $250,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Carrollton's ZIP code 41008 have filed 57 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $1.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Central U.S. April Flooding in 2025: 19 claims (33% of all) and $741,000, then Flooding in 1997 with 18. 79% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 143 Kentucky cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 82 have fewer than Carrollton.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Central U.S. April Flooding2025 | 19 | $741,000 |
| Flooding1997 | 18 | $435,000 |
Carroll County, which includes Carrollton, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1978, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, on April 24, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Carroll County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.6 million a year, the 96th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.2 million (63%), 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 Carrollton
- Campbellsburg, KY9 mi
- Vevay, IN10 mi
- Bedford, KY10 mi
- Milton, KY11 mi
- Madison, IN14 mi
- Pendleton, KY15 mi
- Sparta, KY15 mi
- Warsaw, KY17 mi
- Hanover, IN17 mi
- Smithfield, KY19 mi
- Pleasureville, KY20 mi
- Eminence, KY20 mi
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