NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Hopkinsville, 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
2 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Hopkinsville, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Audrey in 1957. Since 1950, 117 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 13 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 117
- EF3 or stronger
- 13
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
67 deaths in all
What the records show for Hopkinsville
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Hopkinsville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 11 miles away. The record near Hopkinsville begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Audrey in 1957, a tropical storm 67 miles away. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site, 94% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Hopkinsville. The highest rating among the 117 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, came within 20 miles. Of the 117, 16 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 93 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 25. The most recent tornado was on November 22, 2025. Hopkinsville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 91% of the 281 Kentucky cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 85 times since 1959, with stones up to 3.5 inches. Hopkinsville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 82% of the 281 Kentucky cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Hopkinsville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 11 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 Hopkinsville: 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 Hopkinsville
By decade
- 2020s27(4 EF3+)
- 2010s46(2 EF3+)
- 2000s20(3 EF3+)
- 1990s13(1 EF3+)
- 1980s2
- 1970s5(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3(2 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 20 mi | 168.53 mi | 57 / 515 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F4 | 19 mi | 50.6 mi | 2 / 30 |
| Dec 9, 2023 | EF3 | 19 mi | 47.22 mi | 4 / 62 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF3 | 24 mi | 18.05 mi | 3 / 24 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF3 | 25 mi | 28.02 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF3 | 9 mi | 122.62 mi | 0 / 38 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF3 | 20 mi | 8.23 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 26, 2011 | EF3 | 12 mi | 2.57 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 18 mi | 2.02 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 3 mi | 29.7 mi | 0 / 28 |
| Jan 22, 1999 | F3 | 22 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 12, 1978 | F3 | 6 mi | 9.5 mi | 0 / 17 |
The strongest 12 of 117, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Hopkinsville
The Storm Prediction Center has 85 hail reports within 10 miles of Hopkinsville since 1959, made on 65 separate days. Of these, 45 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.5 inches, fell on June 7, 2006. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 24.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Hopkinsville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Hopkinsville, KY, 3 miles southwest of Hopkinsville at 520 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 27°F. May is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 51.9 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 42 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 87 nights a year. Snowfall averages 5.2 inches a year, most of it in January and February. That 51.9 inches is more than at 63 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (68%). Oak Grove, 14 miles south, has its own station (Clarksville Outlaw Airport, TN): 47.3 inches a year, 4.6 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 27 | 3.4 | 7 | 1.8 |
| Feb | 48 | 31 | 4.1 | 7 | 1.8 |
| Mar | 58 | 38 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Apr | 69 | 47 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.1 |
| May | 77 | 58 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 66 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 70 | 4.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 4.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 61 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 49 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 38 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 47 | 31 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Year | 68 | 49 | 51.9 | 80 | 5.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Hopkinsville, KY (520 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 Hopkinsville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 228 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Hopkinsville: 141 thunderstorm wind reports, 46 floods, 21 flash floods, 16 heavy rain events and 4 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $4.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 125 mph, on May 14, 2014. May has had the most flash floods, 6 of 21. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 119 have had fewer than Hopkinsville.
April 16, 1998: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Hopkinsville — 2 injured, $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds possibly as high as 100 MPH levelled three barns and demolished a mobile home. A metal farm building was blown from its foundation.”
March 31, 2023: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Hopkinsville — 1 injured, $500,000 damage.
NWS: “A National Weather Service damage survey revealed straight-line winds caused extensive damage in parts of Hopkinsville. Scattered large tree branches were down, and several shallow-rooted trees were uprooted.”
April 16, 2026: thunderstorm wind in Hopkinsville — 1 injured, $200,000 damage.
NWS: “A powerful storm moved across Hopkinsville with the highest concentration of damage located near 10th and 12th St. A roof was blown off a garage.”
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 Hopkinsville's ZIP code 42240 have filed 968 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $20.3 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1997: 321 claims (33% of all) and $7.1 million, then Not a named storm in 1978 with 93 and Central U.S. April Flooding in 2025 with 56. 51% 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, 139 have fewer than Hopkinsville.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1997 | 321 | $7.1 million |
| Not a named storm1978 | 93 | $834,000 |
| Central U.S. April Flooding2025 | 56 | $2.9 million |
| February Kentucky Flooding2025 | 14 | $689,000 |
| Mid-spring storms2011 | 12 | $50,000 |
Christian County, which includes Hopkinsville, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on May 23, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Christian County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hail and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $41.8 million a year, the 11th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $16.1 million (39%), 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 Hopkinsville
- Pembroke, KY9 mi
- Crofton, KY12 mi
- Oak Grove, KY14 mi
- Fort Campbell, KY15 mi
- Trenton, KY15 mi
- Elkton, KY16 mi
- Guthrie, KY21 mi
- Cadiz, KY21 mi
- Nortonville, KY22 mi
- Clarksville, TN23 mi
- Dawson Springs, KY25 mi
- Woodlawn, TN25 mi
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