NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Crab Orchard, 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 Crab Orchard, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 62 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 62
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
23 deaths in all
What the records show for Crab Orchard
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Crab Orchard; 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 Crab Orchard begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 48 miles away. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Crab Orchard has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 74% of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site. The strongest of the 62 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 3, 1974; its path came within 18 miles, and it killed 7 people. The deadliest, an F3 on April 3, 1974, killed 7 people. Of the 62, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 26 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 22. The most recent tornado was on April 3, 2025. Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 62% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Crab Orchard. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 36 times since 1983, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 83% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Crab Orchard.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Crab Orchard
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (48 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 Crab Orchard: 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 Crab Orchard
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s8
- 2000s9(1 EF3+)
- 1990s15
- 1980s5
- 1970s10(4 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 18 mi | 31.9 mi | 7 / 28 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 20 mi | 22.3 mi | 7 / 40 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF3 | 13 mi | 21.12 mi | 2 / 15 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 20 mi | 21.1 mi | 1 / 98 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 15 mi | 28.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 4, 1955 | F3 | 18 mi | 8.9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 24 mi | 7.15 mi | 6 / 40 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF2 | 18 mi | 0.63 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 2, 2006 | F2 | 7 mi | 8.7 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 20, 1996 | F2 | 13 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Apr 20, 1996 | F2 | 6 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 7 |
| May 21, 1990 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 62, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Crab Orchard
The Storm Prediction Center has 36 hail reports within 10 miles of Crab Orchard since 1983, made on 28 separate days. Of these, 28 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on April 25, 2015. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Crab Orchard
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Crab Orchard 6 N, KY, 4 miles northeast of Crab Orchard at 1,025 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 27°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 25 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 91 nights a year. Snowfall averages 7.4 inches a year, most of it in January. That 50.4 inches is more than at 44 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (47%). Brodhead, 7 miles southeast, has its own station (Mt Vernon, KY): 51.4 inches a year, 1.0 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 27 | 3.7 | 7 | 3.0 |
| Feb | 50 | 30 | 3.5 | 7 | 1.8 |
| Mar | 59 | 36 | 4.7 | 8 | 1.0 |
| Apr | 70 | 45 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 54 | 5.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 46 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 37 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Dec | 48 | 30 | 4.0 | 7 | 1.4 |
| Year | 68 | 46 | 50.4 | 86 | 7.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Crab Orchard 6 N, KY (1,025 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 Crab Orchard
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 182 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Crab Orchard: 134 thunderstorm wind reports, 29 flash floods, 14 floods, 4 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on April 8, 2020. August has had the most flash floods, 6 of 29. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 178 have had fewer than Crab Orchard.
January 1, 2022: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Crab Orchard — $500,000 damage.
April 8, 2020: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Crab Orchard — $260,000 damage.
June 6, 2019: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Crab Orchard — $125,000 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
Lincoln County, which includes Crab Orchard, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1970, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 6 floods, 4 snowstorms, 3 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 Lincoln County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, 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 $8.3 million a year, the 78th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.4 million (53%), 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 Crab Orchard
- Brodhead, KY7 mi
- Waynesburg, KY10 mi
- Mount Vernon, KY10 mi
- Paint Lick, KY11 mi
- Stanford, KY11 mi
- Berea, KY14 mi
- Lancaster, KY16 mi
- Eubank, KY16 mi
- Hustonville, KY18 mi
- Junction City, KY20 mi
- Danville, KY21 mi
- Science Hill, KY21 mi
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