NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hickman, 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 Hickman, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 96 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 96
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
68 deaths in all
What the records show for Hickman
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Hickman; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 55 miles away. The record near Hickman begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm directly overhead. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Hickman has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 52% of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site. The highest rating among the 96 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, came within 13 miles. The deadliest, an EF4 on December 10, 2021, killed 57 people. Of the 96, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 52 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 24. The most recent tornado was on November 18, 2025. Hickman has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 79% of the 281 Kentucky cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 39 times since 1965, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 77% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Hickman.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hickman
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | overhead | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Hickman: 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 Hickman
By decade
- 2020s20(2 EF3+)
- 2010s23
- 2000s9
- 1990s5
- 1980s4(1 EF3+)
- 1970s14
- 1960s10(1 EF3+)
- 1950s11(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 6 mi | 168.53 mi | 57 / 515 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 13 mi | 81.17 mi | 8 / 14 |
| Apr 22, 1981 | F4 | 25 mi | 63 mi | 1 / 32 |
| Mar 4, 1964 | F3 | 18 mi | 7.2 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 22, 1955 | F3 | 13 mi | 12.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 20, 1955 | F3 | 16 mi | 3.6 mi | 0 / 17 |
| Nov 24, 1973 | F2 | 17 mi | 57.3 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 24 mi | 6.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 19 mi | 9.69 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 4, 2021 | EF2 | 10 mi | 6.06 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 24, 2018 | EF2 | 25 mi | 0.95 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 9, 2017 | EF2 | in town | 10.17 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 96, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hickman
The Storm Prediction Center has 39 hail reports within 10 miles of Hickman since 1965, made on 33 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 December 10, 2021. The most recent report is from November 18, 2025. April has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hickman
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Union City, TN, 15 miles southeast of Hickman at 350 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 27°F. May is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 53.8 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 42 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 86 nights a year. Snowfall averages 5.8 inches a year, most of it in January. That 53.8 inches is more than at 79 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (85%). East Prairie, MO, 16 miles northwest, has its own station (New Madrid, MO): 49.4 inches a year, 4.4 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 27 | 4.0 | 7 | 2.1 |
| Feb | 49 | 30 | 4.6 | 7 | 1.7 |
| Mar | 59 | 37 | 5.2 | 8 | 1.0 |
| Apr | 69 | 47 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 57 | 5.6 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 58 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 46 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 59 | 36 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Dec | 48 | 30 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Year | 69 | 47 | 53.8 | 79 | 5.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Union City, TN (350 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 Hickman
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 104 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hickman: 59 thunderstorm wind reports, 30 floods, 12 flash floods and 3 heavy rain events. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $75.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on February 24, 2011. August has had the most flash floods, 5 of 12. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 35 have had fewer than Hickman.
March 1, 2018: flood 1 mile from the centre of Hickman — 1 killed, $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Moderate flooding continued on the Mississippi River from late February. 4 feet on March 5, well above the flood stage of 34 feet.”
July 15, 2009: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Hickman — 2 injured, $90,000 damage.
NWS: “A microburst struck the town of Hickman, where the roof was blown off a restaurant. Rainfall then caused extensive damage to parts of the restaurant.”
May 2, 2011: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Hickman — $70.0 million damage.
NWS: “S. Army Corps of Engineers activated the New Madrid Floodway by detonating a levee at Birds Point in Mississippi County.”
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
Fulton County, which includes Hickman, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 5 floods, 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 Fulton County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.6 million a year, the 65th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.5 million (16%), 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 Hickman
- Union City, TN11 mi
- Troy, TN14 mi
- Clinton, KY15 mi
- East Prairie, MO16 mi
- Fulton, KY17 mi
- Tiptonville, TN17 mi
- South Fulton, TN18 mi
- New Madrid, MO19 mi
- Martin, TN24 mi
- Bardwell, KY25 mi
- Wingo, KY25 mi
- Charleston, MO25 mi
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