NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Frenchburg, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Frenchburg, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 37 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 37
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
18 deaths in all
What the records show for Frenchburg
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Frenchburg; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 34 miles away. The record near Frenchburg begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 13 miles away. None of the 6 systems has come since 2000. Frenchburg has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 52% of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site. The strongest of the 37 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 3, 1974; its path came within 25 miles, and it killed 7 people. The deadliest, an EF3 on March 2, 2012, killed 10 people. Of the 37, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 17 have come since 2000. March and April have had the most tornadoes, 7 each. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2024. Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 80% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Frenchburg. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 42 times since 1982, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 68% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Frenchburg.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Frenchburg
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 34 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 Frenchburg: 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 Frenchburg
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s8(1 EF3+)
- 2000s7
- 1990s10
- 1980s3
- 1970s5(2 EF3+)
- 1960s1(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 25 mi | 31.9 mi | 7 / 28 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 3 mi | 84.99 mi | 10 / 118 |
| Jun 9, 1961 | F3 | 20 mi | 2.6 mi | 1 / 63 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 12 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF2 | 15 mi | 6.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 18, 1995 | F2 | 18 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 16, 1982 | F2 | 18 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Aug 30, 1978 | F2 | 7 mi | 5.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 3, 1977 | F2 | 21 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 7, 2014 | EF1 | 9 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 7, 2014 | EF1 | 25 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF1 | 15 mi | 7.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 37, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Frenchburg
The Storm Prediction Center has 42 hail reports within 10 miles of Frenchburg since 1982, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently March 2, 2012. The most recent report is from July 2, 2023. May has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Frenchburg
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cave Run Lake, KY, 14 miles northeast of Frenchburg at 840 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 41°F and 25°F. July is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 50.9 inches over 92 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 31 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 101 nights a year. Snowfall averages 12.3 inches a year, most of it in January. That 50.9 inches is more than at 47 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (51%). Jeffersonville, 12 miles west, has its own station (Stanton 2W, KY): 53.2 inches a year, 2.3 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 | 41 | 25 | 3.6 | 8 | 4.3 |
| Feb | 46 | 27 | 3.6 | 7 | 3.4 |
| Mar | 55 | 33 | 4.6 | 9 | 2.0 |
| Apr | 67 | 42 | 4.7 | 9 | 0.0 |
| May | 75 | 52 | 5.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 61 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 5.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 68 | 45 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 56 | 35 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Dec | 45 | 29 | 4.1 | 8 | 2.4 |
| Year | 65 | 44 | 50.9 | 92 | 12.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Cave Run Lake, KY (840 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 Frenchburg
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 211 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Frenchburg: 153 thunderstorm wind reports, 30 flash floods, 27 floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 110 mph, on July 5, 2018. July has had the most flash floods, 13 of 30. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 186 have had fewer than Frenchburg.
July 30, 2021: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Frenchburg — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “The city of Frenchburg was heavily hit by flash flooding, as flood waters reached into homes and businesses within the community. The Dollar General, County Garage, Headstart, and School Board office buildings were all reported flooded.”
September 9, 2018: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Frenchburg — $550,000 damage.
NWS: “Water flowed across most county roads, resulting in numerous road closures. Water was observed entering about 20 homes, leading to a few water rescues.”
June 29, 2012: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Frenchburg — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “The deputy director reported trees and power lines blown down throughout Menifee county. The first reports came in shortly after 7PM from around the Wellington and Big Woods area.”
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 Frenchburg's ZIP code 40322 have filed 17 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 2018, and were paid $1.0 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 2021, with 11. Of the 143 Kentucky cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 27 have fewer than Frenchburg.
Menifee County, which includes Frenchburg, has been named in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1993, 25 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 severe storms, 4 snowstorms, 3 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on May 29, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Menifee County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $3.4 million a year, the 116th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.6 million (76%), 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 Frenchburg
- Salt Lick, KY10 mi
- Jeffersonville, KY12 mi
- Stanton, KY12 mi
- Owingsville, KY17 mi
- Campton, KY17 mi
- Clay City, KY18 mi
- Mt Sterling, KY18 mi
- Clearfield, KY19 mi
- Morehead, KY21 mi
- West Liberty, KY22 mi
- Sharpsburg, KY24 mi
- Hillsboro, KY24 mi
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