NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Columbia, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Columbia, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 74 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 74
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
30 deaths in all
What the records show for Columbia
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Columbia; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 53 mph winds when its centre passed 42 miles away. The record near Columbia begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 2 miles away. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Columbia has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 74% of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site. The highest rating among the 74 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on May 16, 2025, came within 15 miles. Of the 74, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 38 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 22. Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 51% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Columbia. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 41 times since 1968, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 70% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Columbia.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Columbia
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Columbia: 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 Columbia
By decade
- 2020s10(2 EF3+)
- 2010s20
- 2000s8
- 1990s15(2 EF3+)
- 1980s6(1 EF3+)
- 1970s8(4 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2025 | EF4 | 15 mi | 60.08 mi | 18 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F4 | in town | 14.1 mi | 6 / 58 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F4 | 12 mi | 13 mi | 2 / 72 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 12 mi | 20.2 mi | 0 / 56 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF3 | 21 mi | 14.54 mi | 1 / 31 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F3 | 3 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 28, 1997 | F3 | 12 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 20, 1986 | F3 | 18 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 23 mi | 28.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F2 | 19 mi | 8 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Mar 28, 1997 | F2 | 4 mi | 10 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Nov 26, 1965 | F2 | 21 mi | 5.4 mi | 1 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 74, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Columbia
The Storm Prediction Center has 41 hail reports within 10 miles of Columbia since 1968, made on 35 separate days. Of these, 29 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on January 2, 2006. The most recent report is from September 24, 2024. May has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Columbia
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Jamestown Wwtp, KY, 14 miles southeast of Columbia at 890 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 25°F. January is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 57.0 inches over 91 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 25 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 111 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.9 inches a year, most of it in February. That 57.0 inches is more than at 91 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (98%). Greensburg, 15 miles northwest, has its own station (Greensburg, KY): 51.7 inches a year, 5.3 less than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 25 | 5.5 | 8 | 1.1 |
| Feb | 48 | 27 | 4.6 | 7 | 2.8 |
| Mar | 57 | 34 | 5.4 | 9 | 1.0 |
| Apr | 68 | 42 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 75 | 53 | 5.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 5.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 64 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 45 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 57 | 34 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 47 | 29 | 5.0 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Year | 66 | 44 | 57.0 | 91 | 4.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Jamestown Wwtp, KY (890 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 Columbia
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 159 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Columbia: 127 thunderstorm wind reports, 19 flash floods, 9 floods, 3 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $595,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on November 10, 2002. January has had the most flash floods, 6 of 19. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 96 have had fewer than Columbia.
May 25, 1998: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Columbia — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
May 2, 2010: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Columbia — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous roads across the county were closed due to flash flooding. A total of eight to ten inches of rain fell across Adair county from May 1-2.”
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
Adair County, which includes Columbia, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 severe storms, 4 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on May 29, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Adair County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.0 million a year, the 73rd highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.1 million (46%), 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 Columbia
- Russell Springs, KY13 mi
- Dunnville, KY14 mi
- Greensburg, KY15 mi
- Jamestown, KY16 mi
- Campbellsville, KY18 mi
- Edmonton, KY19 mi
- Liberty, KY22 mi
- Burkesville, KY26 mi
- Hardyville, KY26 mi
- Nancy, KY26 mi
- Albany, KY29 mi
- Summer Shade, KY30 mi
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