NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hanson, 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 Hanson, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 99 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 17 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 99
- EF3 or stronger
- 17
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
64 deaths in all
What the records show for Hanson
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Hanson; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 44 miles away. The record near Hanson begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 68 miles away. Of the 4 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site, 56% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Hanson. The highest rating among the 99 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, came within 15 miles. Of the 99, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 75 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 25. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Hanson has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 80% of the 281 Kentucky cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 52 times since 1974, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 50% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Hanson.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hanson
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 28 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 44 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 Hanson: 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 Hanson
By decade
- 2020s13(2 EF3+)
- 2010s29(2 EF3+)
- 2000s33(8 EF3+)
- 1990s4
- 1980s4
- 1970s4
- 1960s5(3 EF3+)
- 1950s7(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 15 mi | 168.53 mi | 57 / 515 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F4 | 22 mi | 50.6 mi | 2 / 30 |
| Nov 15, 2005 | F4 | 6 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 40 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF3 | 23 mi | 18.05 mi | 3 / 24 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF3 | 12 mi | 34.14 mi | 1 / 21 |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F3 | 12 mi | 22.9 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF3 | 19 mi | 8.23 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF3 | 24 mi | 14.12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 20 mi | 2.02 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 28, 2009 | EF3 | 22 mi | 12.35 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Nov 6, 2005 | F3 | 21 mi | 11.2 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 11, 2003 | F3 | 12 mi | 1.8 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 99, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hanson
The Storm Prediction Center has 52 hail reports within 10 miles of Hanson since 1974, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 8 days, most recently June 25, 2023. The most recent report is from June 25, 2023. May has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hanson
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Madisonville, KY, 6 miles south of Hanson at 425 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 28°F. March is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 52.2 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 53 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 79 nights a year. That 52.2 inches is more than at 66 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (71%). Sebree, 12 miles north, has its own station (Henderson 8 SSW, KY): 46.3 inches a year, 5.9 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 28 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Feb | 50 | 32 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Mar | 60 | 39 | 5.3 | 8 |
| Apr | 72 | 49 | 5.2 | 8 |
| May | 79 | 59 | 5.1 | 8 |
| Jun | 86 | 67 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 2.7 | 5 |
| Sep | 83 | 61 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 72 | 50 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Nov | 58 | 40 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Dec | 48 | 32 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Year | 69 | 50 | 52.2 | 81 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Madisonville, KY (425 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 Hanson
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 115 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hanson: 62 thunderstorm wind reports, 22 flash floods, 19 floods, 8 heavy rain events and 4 lightning strikes. They killed 2 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $2.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on June 6, 2016. July has had the most flash floods, 7 of 22. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 126 have had fewer than Hanson.
March 9, 2006: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Hanson — 1 killed, $20,000 damage.
NWS: “A 46-year-old female drowned while attempting to cross floodwaters on Kentucky 138. The victim was swept away after she got out of her car, which was partially moved off the road.”
July 2, 2022: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Hanson — 1 killed.
February 27, 2009: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Hanson — 2 injured, $80,000 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
Hopkins County, which includes Hanson, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 23 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 severe storms, 3 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). 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 Hopkins County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $25.6 million a year, the 22nd highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $9.4 million (37%), 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 Hanson
- Madisonville, KY7 mi
- Sebree, KY12 mi
- Dixon, KY13 mi
- Providence, KY15 mi
- Calhoun, KY15 mi
- Nortonville, KY17 mi
- Clay, KY19 mi
- Dawson Springs, KY20 mi
- Central City, KY22 mi
- Greenville, KY25 mi
- Utica, KY25 mi
- Crofton, KY26 mi
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