NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lewisburg, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lewisburg, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 73 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 13 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 73
- EF3 or stronger
- 13
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
85 deaths in all
What the records show for Lewisburg
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lewisburg; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 55 mph winds when its centre passed 4 miles away. The record near Lewisburg begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 55 miles away. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site, 73% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Lewisburg. The strongest of the 73 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on December 10, 2021; its path came within 24 miles, and it killed 57 people. Of the 73, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 45 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 53% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lewisburg. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 22 times since 1985, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 94% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Lewisburg.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lewisburg
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 28 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Lewisburg: 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 Lewisburg
By decade
- 2020s12(5 EF3+)
- 2010s22(1 EF3+)
- 2000s11(2 EF3+)
- 1990s13(1 EF3+)
- 1980s3
- 1970s7(3 EF3+)
- 1960s2(1 EF3+)
- 1950s3
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 24 mi | 168.53 mi | 57 / 515 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF3 | 19 mi | 29.26 mi | 16 / 63 |
| Dec 9, 2023 | EF3 | 17 mi | 47.22 mi | 4 / 62 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF3 | 18 mi | 18.05 mi | 3 / 24 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F3 | 11 mi | 48 mi | 2 / 9 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F3 | 12 mi | 27.4 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF3 | 8 mi | 28.02 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF3 | 21 mi | 122.62 mi | 0 / 38 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF3 | 24 mi | 8.23 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 11 mi | 29.7 mi | 0 / 28 |
| Apr 21, 1972 | F3 | 21 mi | 5.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F3 | 18 mi | 26.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 73, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lewisburg
The Storm Prediction Center has 22 hail reports within 10 miles of Lewisburg since 1985, made on 17 separate days. Of these, 16 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 16, 1998. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lewisburg
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Russellville, KY, 12 miles south of Lewisburg at 570 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 26°F. May is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.8 inches; the year adds up to 53.9 inches over 83 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 44 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 91 nights a year. That 53.9 inches is more than at 81 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (87%). Greenville, 17 miles northwest, has its own station (Rochester Ferry, KY): 51.1 inches a year, 2.8 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 26 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Feb | 48 | 29 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Mar | 58 | 36 | 4.8 | 8 |
| Apr | 69 | 45 | 5.3 | 8 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 5.5 | 8 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 4.8 | 8 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Aug | 87 | 65 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Sep | 81 | 58 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Oct | 70 | 46 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Nov | 57 | 36 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Dec | 47 | 30 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Year | 68 | 46 | 53.9 | 83 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Russellville, KY (570 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 Lewisburg
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 75 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lewisburg: 54 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 6 floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $516,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 110 mph, on January 30, 2013. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 35 have had fewer than Lewisburg.
August 16, 2012: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Lewisburg — 1 killed, $15,000 damage.
NWS: “The state EOC reported that strong thunderstorm winds toppled a tree onto the porch of a resident in Lewisburg. A man was killed.”
July 12, 2020: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Lewisburg — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “A residence on Huntsville-Quality Road was struck by lightning and caught on fire.”
June 29, 2007: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Lewisburg — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Three homes across from Reservoir Drive were taking on water as Town Creek overflowed its banks. Some families required evacuation.”
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
Logan County, which includes Lewisburg, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms, 2 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on May 23, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Logan County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $17.4 million a year, the 36th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.9 million (28%), 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 Lewisburg
- Russellville, KY12 mi
- Auburn, KY16 mi
- Elkton, KY16 mi
- Greenville, KY17 mi
- Rockfield, KY19 mi
- Morgantown, KY20 mi
- Central City, KY22 mi
- Beaver Dam, KY25 mi
- Trenton, KY27 mi
- Guthrie, KY27 mi
- Pembroke, KY28 mi
- Bowling Green, KY28 mi
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