NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Clinton, 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 Clinton, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 113 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 113
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
61 deaths in all
What the records show for Clinton
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Clinton; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 53 miles away. The record near Clinton begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 9 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 Clinton. The highest rating among the 113 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, came within 8 miles. Of the 113, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 75 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 32. The most recent tornado was on November 18, 2025. Clinton has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 89% of the 281 Kentucky cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 42 times since 1959, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 68% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Clinton.
Compare Clinton's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Clinton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 53 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 Clinton: 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 Clinton
By decade
- 2020s29(1 EF3+)
- 2010s34(1 EF3+)
- 2000s12(1 EF3+)
- 1990s6(1 EF3+)
- 1980s4(1 EF3+)
- 1970s13
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
- 1950s5(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 8 mi | 168.53 mi | 57 / 515 |
| Apr 22, 1981 | F4 | 25 mi | 63 mi | 1 / 32 |
| Nov 15, 2005 | F3 | 19 mi | 44 mi | 1 / 20 |
| May 10, 2016 | EF3 | 13 mi | 19.03 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Nov 27, 1994 | F3 | 22 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 4, 1964 | F3 | 4 mi | 7.2 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 22, 1955 | F3 | 18 mi | 12.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 20, 1955 | F3 | 21 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 17 |
| Nov 24, 1973 | F2 | 17 mi | 57.3 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 19 mi | 6.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 22 mi | 18.18 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 14 mi | 9.69 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 113, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Clinton
The Storm Prediction Center has 42 hail reports within 10 miles of Clinton since 1959, made on 37 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on April 19, 1959. The most recent report is from March 15, 2025. May has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Clinton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Union City, TN, 20 miles south of Clinton at 350 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 27°F. May is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 53.8 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 42 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 86 nights a year. Snowfall averages 5.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 53.8 inches is more than at 79 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (85%). Wingo, 13 miles east, has its own station (Martin U Of T Branch E, TN): 54.8 inches a year, 1.0 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 27 | 4.0 | 7 | 2.1 |
| Feb | 49 | 30 | 4.6 | 7 | 1.7 |
| Mar | 59 | 37 | 5.2 | 8 | 1.0 |
| Apr | 69 | 47 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 57 | 5.6 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 58 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 46 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 59 | 36 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Dec | 48 | 30 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Year | 69 | 47 | 53.8 | 79 | 5.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Union City, TN (350 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 Clinton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 185 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Clinton: 96 thunderstorm wind reports, 48 floods, 34 flash floods and 7 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $7.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on February 5, 2008. February has had the most flash floods, 8 of 34. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 198 have had fewer than Clinton.
May 1, 2011: flood 10 miles from the centre of Clinton — $3.0 million damage.
August 4, 2023: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Clinton — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “Widespread flash flooding occurring in Hickman. Numerous roads were closed or impassable.”
July 19, 2023: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Clinton — $500,000 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 Clinton's ZIP code 42031 have filed 13 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1981, and were paid $6,152 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. Of the 143 Kentucky cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 18 have fewer than Clinton.
Hickman County, which includes Clinton, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 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 Hickman 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 $8.2 million a year, the 79th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $837,000 (10%), 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 Clinton
- Fulton, KY11 mi
- Wingo, KY13 mi
- Bardwell, KY14 mi
- South Fulton, TN14 mi
- Hickman, KY15 mi
- Union City, TN18 mi
- Mayfield, KY19 mi
- Wickliffe, KY20 mi
- East Prairie, MO22 mi
- Hickory, KY22 mi
- Martin, TN24 mi
- Troy, TN25 mi
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