NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hillsboro, 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 Hillsboro, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 39 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 39
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Hillsboro
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Hillsboro; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 12 miles away. The record near Hillsboro begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm directly overhead. None of the 6 systems has come since 2000. Hillsboro has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 52% of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site. The highest rating among the 39 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on May 10, 2003, came within 22 miles. Of the 39, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 17 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 8. The most recent tornado was on April 12, 2024. Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 79% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Hillsboro. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 19 times since 1968, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 97% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Hillsboro.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hillsboro
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | overhead | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 12 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 Hillsboro: 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 Hillsboro
By decade
- 2020s6
- 2010s5
- 2000s6(1 EF3+)
- 1990s7
- 1980s5
- 1970s3(1 EF3+)
- 1960s5(1 EF3+)
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2003 | F3 | 22 mi | 25 mi | 0 / 17 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 20 mi | 4.9 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 7, 1967 | F3 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 18, 1995 | F2 | 10 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 16, 1982 | F2 | 11 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 9, 1981 | F2 | 23 mi | 4.1 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Jun 15, 1964 | F2 | 10 mi | 49.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 12, 2024 | EF1 | 22 mi | 0.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 14, 2015 | EF1 | 12 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 7, 2014 | EF1 | 15 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 7, 2014 | EF1 | 16 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF1 | 10 mi | 7.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 39, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hillsboro
The Storm Prediction Center has 19 hail reports within 10 miles of Hillsboro since 1968, made on 17 separate days. Of these, 11 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 10, 2011. The most recent report is from April 5, 2017. May has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hillsboro
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Cave Run Lake, KY, 13 miles southeast of Hillsboro 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%). Flemingsburg, 10 miles northwest, has its own station (Maysville Wwtp, KY): 48.4 inches a year, 2.5 less than here, and a July average high of 87°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 Hillsboro
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 147 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hillsboro: 115 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 flash floods, 9 floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 7 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $719,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on April 2, 2024. July has had the most flash floods, 6 of 20. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 107 have had fewer than Hillsboro.
April 29, 2020: flood 8 miles from the centre of Hillsboro — 5 killed, $3,000 damage.
May 14, 2022: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Hillsboro — 1 killed.
August 25, 2023: lightning strike 9 miles from the centre of Hillsboro — 1 killed.
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
Fleming County, which includes Hillsboro, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1978, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 ice storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Remnants of Hurricane Helene, on November 26, 2024. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Fleming County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.6 million a year, the 95th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.0 million (60%), 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 Hillsboro
- Wallingford, KY7 mi
- Flemingsburg, KY10 mi
- Owingsville, KY11 mi
- Morehead, KY14 mi
- Salt Lick, KY14 mi
- Ewing, KY15 mi
- Sharpsburg, KY16 mi
- Clearfield, KY16 mi
- Tollesboro, KY19 mi
- Carlisle, KY20 mi
- Mt Sterling, KY22 mi
- Vanceburg, KY22 mi
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