NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Kevil, 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 Kevil, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 112 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 112
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
8 deaths in all
What the records show for Kevil
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Kevil; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 70 miles away. The record near Kevil begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 7 miles away. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site, 56% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Kevil. The strongest of the 112 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on May 6, 2003; its path came within 13 miles, and it killed 2 people. The deadliest, an EF3 on November 17, 2013, killed 3 people. Of the 112, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 79 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 31. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Kevil has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 88% of the 281 Kentucky cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 87 times since 1956, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Kevil has more hail reports within 10 miles than 83% of the 281 Kentucky cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Kevil
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Kevil: 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 Kevil
By decade
- 2020s17
- 2010s36(2 EF3+)
- 2000s26(4 EF3+)
- 1990s8
- 1980s3
- 1970s12
- 1960s6
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 2003 | F4 | 13 mi | 33 mi | 2 / 33 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF3 | in town | 42.5 mi | 3 / 34 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F3 | 19 mi | 19.3 mi | 1 / 10 |
| May 10, 2016 | EF3 | 25 mi | 19.03 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Sep 22, 2006 | F3 | 7 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F3 | 18 mi | 22 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 12, 1958 | F3 | 8 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 24, 1973 | F2 | 21 mi | 57.3 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 20 mi | 11.97 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 5 mi | 18.18 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 15 mi | 9.69 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | EF2 | 21 mi | 15.63 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 112, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Kevil
The Storm Prediction Center has 87 hail reports within 10 miles of Kevil since 1956, made on 53 separate days. Of these, 50 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 16, 2025. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 33.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Kevil
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is W Paducah 2W, KY, 6 miles southeast of Kevil at 413 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 26°F. April and May are the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 50.7 inches over 80 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 43 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 84 nights a year. That 50.7 inches is more than at 46 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (49%). West Paducah, 6 miles east, has its own station (Paducah, KY): 50.4 inches a year, 0.3 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 26 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Feb | 49 | 30 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Mar | 59 | 38 | 4.6 | 9 |
| Apr | 70 | 47 | 5.2 | 7 |
| May | 78 | 58 | 5.2 | 9 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Sep | 82 | 59 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 71 | 47 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Nov | 58 | 37 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Dec | 48 | 30 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Year | 69 | 48 | 50.7 | 80 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at W Paducah 2W, KY (413 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 Kevil
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 302 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Kevil: 203 thunderstorm wind reports, 53 floods, 24 flash floods, 17 heavy rain events and 5 lightning strikes. They killed 2 people and injured 16, and the NWS estimated $8.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on April 5, 1999. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 147 have had fewer than Kevil.
December 21, 2013: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Kevil — 1 killed, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “Major flash flooding prompted a declaration of a state of emergency for Ballard County. Numerous roads were flooded across the county, including at least 16 that were impassable.”
March 1, 2019: flood 5 miles from the centre of Kevil — 1 killed.
NWS: “A prolonged major river flood that peaked in February subsided in March. Information on the February crest height and the total property damage estimate is contained in the February report.”
January 22, 1999: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Kevil — 3 injured, $200,000 damage.
NWS: “An intense thunderstorm microburst overturned and destroyed a mobile home. Three occupants were injured.”
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
McCracken County, which includes Kevil, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 5 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). 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 McCracken County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $78.9 million a year, the 5th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $19.3 million (24%), 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 Kevil
- West Paducah, KY6 mi
- Metropolis, IL9 mi
- Paducah, KY14 mi
- Wickliffe, KY14 mi
- Brookport, IL16 mi
- Bardwell, KY17 mi
- Ledbetter, KY21 mi
- Hickory, KY21 mi
- Vienna, IL22 mi
- Dongola, IL24 mi
- Smithland, KY26 mi
- Golconda, IL26 mi
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