NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Greenville, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Greenville, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 87 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 16 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 87
- EF3 or stronger
- 16
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
64 deaths in all
What the records show for Greenville
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Greenville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 19 miles away. The record near Greenville begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 39 miles away. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site, 73% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Greenville. The highest rating among the 87 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, came within 9 miles. Of the 87, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 68 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 25. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Greenville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 68% of the 281 Kentucky cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 57 times since 1982, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Greenville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 58% of the 281 Kentucky cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Greenville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 28 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Greenville: 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 Greenville
By decade
- 2020s15(4 EF3+)
- 2010s32(1 EF3+)
- 2000s21(6 EF3+)
- 1990s5
- 1980s2
- 1970s5(2 EF3+)
- 1960s3(3 EF3+)
- 1950s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 9 mi | 168.53 mi | 57 / 515 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F4 | 25 mi | 50.6 mi | 2 / 30 |
| Nov 15, 2005 | F4 | 18 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 40 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF3 | 2 mi | 18.05 mi | 3 / 24 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF3 | 18 mi | 34.14 mi | 1 / 21 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F3 | 13 mi | 27.4 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF3 | 23 mi | 28.02 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF3 | 25 mi | 122.62 mi | 0 / 38 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF3 | 9 mi | 8.23 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 15 mi | 2.02 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 17 mi | 29.7 mi | 0 / 28 |
| May 11, 2003 | F3 | 18 mi | 1.8 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 87, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Greenville
The Storm Prediction Center has 57 hail reports within 10 miles of Greenville since 1982, made on 46 separate days. Of these, 28 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 10, 2016. The most recent report is from March 19, 2025. May has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Greenville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Rochester Ferry, KY, 16 miles east of Greenville at 390 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 24°F. April and May are the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 51.1 inches over 83 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 47 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 97 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.4 inches a year, most of it in February. That 51.1 inches is more than at 51 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (55%). Nortonville, 16 miles west, has its own station (Madisonville, KY): 52.2 inches a year, 1.1 more than here, and the same July average high, 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 24 | 3.4 | 6 | 1.3 |
| Feb | 48 | 26 | 4.0 | 7 | 1.4 |
| Mar | 58 | 34 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Apr | 69 | 43 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.2 |
| May | 78 | 53 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 61 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 65 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 63 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 56 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 43 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 34 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 48 | 27 | 4.5 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Year | 68 | 44 | 51.1 | 83 | 4.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Rochester Ferry, KY (390 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 Greenville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 105 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Greenville: 75 thunderstorm wind reports, 15 flash floods, 8 floods, 6 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $2.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 110 mph, on January 30, 2013. July has had the most flash floods, 4 of 15. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 59 have had fewer than Greenville.
June 9, 2018: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Greenville — 2 injured, $30,000 damage.
July 13, 2004: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Greenville — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Winds estimated from 60 to 65 MPH downed numerous trees. Some of the trees landed on homes and businesses.”
October 26, 2019: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Greenville — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “There was damage to numerous trees and power lines across the county. There was minor structural damage to some roofs as well.”
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
Muhlenberg County, which includes Greenville, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 3 snowstorms, 3 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies). 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 Muhlenberg County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail and strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $14.4 million a year, the 41st highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.8 million (33%), 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 Greenville
- Central City, KY10 mi
- Nortonville, KY16 mi
- Lewisburg, KY17 mi
- Crofton, KY19 mi
- Elkton, KY19 mi
- Madisonville, KY21 mi
- Beaver Dam, KY22 mi
- Hanson, KY25 mi
- Hartford, KY26 mi
- Hopkinsville, KY26 mi
- Russellville, KY27 mi
- Dawson Springs, KY28 mi
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