NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Coxs Creek, 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 Coxs Creek, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 82 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 82
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
10 deaths in all
What the records show for Coxs Creek
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Coxs Creek; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 53 mph winds when its centre passed 11 miles away. The record near Coxs Creek begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 34 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 Coxs Creek. The highest rating among the 82 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on May 28, 1996, came within 11 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 3, 1974, killed 4 people. Of the 82, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 50 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Coxs Creek has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 61% of the 281 Kentucky cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 64 times since 1981, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Coxs Creek has more hail reports within 10 miles than 67% of the 281 Kentucky cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Coxs Creek
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 11 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 Coxs Creek: 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 Coxs Creek
By decade
- 2020s23(1 EF3+)
- 2010s13
- 2000s14
- 1990s10(1 EF3+)
- 1980s9
- 1970s9(3 EF3+)
- 1960s3(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 24 mi | 79.4 mi | 4 / 122 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 1 mi | 37.9 mi | 3 / 81 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 24 mi | 18.5 mi | 3 / 225 |
| May 28, 1996 | F4 | 11 mi | 30 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF3 | 19 mi | 9.68 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 10, 1969 | F3 | 7 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 14 |
| Jun 26, 2013 | EF2 | 22 mi | 6.65 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 2011 | EF2 | 19 mi | 1.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 2011 | EF2 | 24 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF2 | 10 mi | 0.76 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF2 | 15 mi | 1.29 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF2 | 21 mi | 1.02 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 82, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Coxs Creek
The Storm Prediction Center has 64 hail reports within 10 miles of Coxs Creek since 1981, made on 45 separate days. Of these, 44 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently July 20, 2018. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Coxs Creek
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Bardstown 5E, KY, 10 miles southeast of Coxs Creek at 780 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 26°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 24 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 87 nights a year. Snowfall averages 11.9 inches a year, most of it in January. That 51.6 inches is more than at 57 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (61%). Mt Washington, 9 miles northwest, has its own station (Louisville WFO, KY): 53.1 inches a year, 1.5 more than here, and the same July average high, 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 26 | 3.7 | 7 | 4.2 |
| Feb | 48 | 29 | 3.9 | 7 | 3.7 |
| Mar | 57 | 37 | 4.9 | 9 | 1.3 |
| Apr | 69 | 46 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 5.5 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 63 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 66 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 65 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 58 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 47 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 57 | 37 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Dec | 47 | 30 | 4.5 | 8 | 2.5 |
| Year | 67 | 47 | 51.6 | 88 | 11.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Bardstown 5E, KY (780 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 Coxs Creek
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 194 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Coxs Creek: 151 thunderstorm wind reports, 24 flash floods, 14 floods, 4 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $415,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on July 7, 2015. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 147 have had fewer than Coxs Creek.
May 25, 2006: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Coxs Creek — 1 killed.
July 26, 2012: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Coxs Creek — 1 injured.
July 7, 2015: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Coxs Creek — $100,000 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 Coxs Creek's ZIP code 40013 have filed 31 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1995, and were paid $464,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 23% 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, 62 have fewer than Coxs Creek.
Nelson County, which includes Coxs Creek, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1970, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 ice storms, 3 snowstorms). 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 Nelson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $20.0 million a year, the 29th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $10.7 million (54%), 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 Coxs Creek
- Bardstown, KY8 mi
- Mt Washington, KY9 mi
- Taylorsville, KY11 mi
- Bloomfield, KY11 mi
- Shepherdsville, KY12 mi
- Lebanon Junction, KY14 mi
- Brooks, KY16 mi
- Fisherville, KY18 mi
- Fairdale, KY19 mi
- New Haven, KY19 mi
- Loretto, KY20 mi
- Simpsonville, KY21 mi
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