NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hazard, 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 Hazard, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 9 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 9
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Hazard
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Hazard; the strongest was Audrey in 1957, a tropical storm with 43 mph winds when its centre passed 48 miles away. The record near Hazard begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 56 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 2 systems. None of the 6 systems has come since 2000. Hazard has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 52% of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site. The strongest of the 9 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F2 on May 18, 1995; its path came within 6 miles. Of the 9, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 4 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on July 27, 2014. Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 96% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Hazard. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 53 times since 1985, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Hazard has more hail reports within 10 miles than 50% of the 281 Kentucky cities.
Compare Hazard's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hazard
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Hazard: 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 Hazard
By decade
- 2010s1
- 2000s3
- 1990s3
- 1980s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 1995 | F2 | 6 mi | 24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 2014 | EF1 | 23 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 11, 2008 | EF1 | 9 mi | 0.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 1983 | F1 | 23 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 27, 1983 | F1 | 14 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 2004 | F0 | 20 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 29, 2002 | F0 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 18, 1995 | F0 | 18 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 1990 | F0 | 20 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 9 of 9, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hazard
The Storm Prediction Center has 53 hail reports within 10 miles of Hazard since 1985, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 29 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on July 30, 1999. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 23.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hazard
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Buckhorn Lake, KY, 16 miles west of Hazard at 780 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 25°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 31 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 103 nights a year. That 51.5 inches is more than at 56 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (60%). Viper, 9 miles south, has its own station (Skyline 1 SE, KY): 49.9 inches a year, 1.6 less than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 25 | 4.0 |
| Feb | 49 | 27 | 3.9 |
| Mar | 59 | 32 | 4.8 |
| Apr | 70 | 41 | 4.5 |
| May | 78 | 52 | 5.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 61 | 5.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 65 | 5.3 |
| Aug | 85 | 64 | 4.4 |
| Sep | 80 | 58 | 3.3 |
| Oct | 70 | 45 | 3.3 |
| Nov | 58 | 34 | 3.3 |
| Dec | 49 | 28 | 4.7 |
| Year | 68 | 44 | 51.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Buckhorn Lake, 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 Hazard
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 276 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hazard: 197 thunderstorm wind reports, 39 flash floods, 22 floods and 18 heavy rain events. They killed 22 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $1.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on July 5, 2012. July has had the most flash floods, 10 of 39. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 223 have had fewer than Hazard.
July 27, 2022: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Hazard — 16 killed.
NWS: “Extensive flash flooding occurred in Knott County. Some of the reports included: 11:00 PM EST - Pictures on social media show flash flooding around the Big Branch Baptist Church.”
July 28, 2022: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Hazard — 6 killed.
NWS: “Multiple reports of flash flooding were made across northeast Perry County, especially along Troublesome Creek. Reports included: 12:10 AM EST - Flash flood waters were reported over KY-476 in the Dwarf area.”
June 17, 2013: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Hazard — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Extensive flooding was reported in the Big Creek area along Hwy 1096. Cars were reported to have been washed away with water also entering houses in the 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 Hazard's ZIP code 41701 have filed 433 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $6.2 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1984: 274 claims (63% of all) and $2.6 million, then February Kentucky Flooding in 2025 with 40 and Late July Flooding in 2022 with 27. 79% 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, 133 have fewer than Hazard.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1984 | 274 | $2.6 million |
| February Kentucky Flooding2025 | 40 | $1.2 million |
| Late July Flooding2022 | 27 | $1.0 million |
Perry County, which includes Hazard, has been named in 47 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 40 of them major disasters (by incident: 23 severe storms, 11 floods, 4 snowstorms, 3 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on May 29, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Perry County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $26.8 million a year, the 20th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $23.5 million (88%), 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 Hazard
- Viper, KY9 mi
- Jackson, KY20 mi
- Whitesburg, KY22 mi
- Cumberland, KY24 mi
- Evarts, KY28 mi
- Booneville, KY28 mi
- Martin, KY31 mi
- Harlan, KY32 mi
- Jenkins, KY32 mi
- Virgie, KY32 mi
- Salyersville, KY32 mi
- Manchester, KY33 mi
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