NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lexington, IN
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 Lexington, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 112 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 17 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 112
- EF3 or stronger
- 17
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
35 deaths in all
What the records show for Lexington
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lexington; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 57 miles away. The record near Lexington begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 66 miles away. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 356 Indiana cities on this site, 37% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Lexington. The strongest of the 112 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on April 3, 1974; its path came within 6 miles, and it killed 6 people. The deadliest, an EF4 on March 2, 2012, killed 11 people. Of the 112, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 56 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 29. The most recent tornado was on July 16, 2025. Lexington has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 60% of the 356 Indiana cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 37 times since 1991, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 356 Indiana cities, 86% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Lexington.
Compare Lexington's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lexington
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 57 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 Lexington: 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 Lexington
By decade
- 2020s12
- 2010s30(2 EF3+)
- 2000s14(1 EF3+)
- 1990s15(6 EF3+)
- 1980s9
- 1970s18(7 EF3+)
- 1960s12(1 EF3+)
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 6 mi | 68 mi | 6 / 86 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF4 | 7 mi | 46.6 mi | 11 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 1 mi | 35.6 mi | 11 / 190 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 22 mi | 18.5 mi | 3 / 225 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 19 mi | 27.1 mi | 0 / 104 |
| Sep 26, 1976 | F3 | 7 mi | 14.6 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Sep 26, 1976 | F3 | 21 mi | 4.9 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Apr 1, 1974 | F3 | 24 mi | 3.3 mi | 1 / 20 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 16 mi | 3.26 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 18, 2007 | EF3 | 14 mi | 4.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 9, 1999 | F3 | 17 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 9, 1999 | F3 | 15 mi | 3 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 Lexington
The Storm Prediction Center has 37 hail reports within 10 miles of Lexington since 1991, made on 29 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 3, 2007. The most recent report is from June 18, 2025. March has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lexington
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Madison Sewage Plt, IN, 12 miles east of Lexington at 460 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 24°F. April is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 51.0 inches over 85 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 24 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 96 nights a year. Snowfall averages 12.3 inches a year, most of it in January. That 51.0 inches is more than at 108 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (94%). Scottsburg, 10 miles west, has its own station (Salem, IN): 46.9 inches a year, 4.1 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 24 | 3.5 | 7 | 4.4 |
| Feb | 47 | 25 | 3.2 | 6 | 3.6 |
| Mar | 57 | 33 | 4.5 | 8 | 1.0 |
| Apr | 68 | 43 | 5.5 | 9 | 0.1 |
| May | 77 | 54 | 5.4 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 65 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 58 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 46 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Nov | 57 | 35 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 47 | 29 | 4.2 | 7 | 3.0 |
| Year | 67 | 45 | 51.0 | 85 | 12.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Madison Sewage Plt, IN (460 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 Lexington
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 167 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lexington: 121 thunderstorm wind reports, 25 floods and 21 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $703,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 101 mph, on March 1, 2017. July has had the most flash floods, 7 of 21. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 266 have had fewer than Lexington.
March 1, 2017: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Lexington — $150,000 damage.
August 14, 2002: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Lexington — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Roofs were blown off several houses in Deputy.”
February 6, 2008: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Lexington — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds blew the entire roof off one house. Several other houses had some degree of roof damage.”
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
Scott County, which includes Lexington, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 3, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Scott County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.8 million a year, the 71st highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.2 million (36%), 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 Lexington
- Hanover, IN8 mi
- Scottsburg, IN10 mi
- Austin, IN12 mi
- Henryville, IN13 mi
- Milton, KY13 mi
- Madison, IN14 mi
- Crothersville, IN15 mi
- Bedford, KY16 mi
- Charlestown, IN16 mi
- Memphis, IN16 mi
- Goshen, KY19 mi
- Pendleton, KY19 mi
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