NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Morgantown, 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 Morgantown, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 64 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 64
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
83 deaths in all
What the records show for Morgantown
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Morgantown; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 55 mph winds when its centre passed 7 miles away. The record near Morgantown begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 47 miles away. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site, 73% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Morgantown. The highest rating among the 64 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, came within 19 miles. Of the 64, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 33 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 20. The most recent tornado was on May 26, 2024. Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 61% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Morgantown. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 42 times since 1971, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 68% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Morgantown.
Compare Morgantown's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Morgantown
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 7 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 Morgantown: 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 Morgantown
By decade
- 2020s8(3 EF3+)
- 2010s18
- 2000s7(1 EF3+)
- 1990s12(1 EF3+)
- 1980s1
- 1970s9(4 EF3+)
- 1960s3(1 EF3+)
- 1950s6(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 19 mi | 168.53 mi | 57 / 515 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 15 mi | 14 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF3 | 20 mi | 29.26 mi | 16 / 63 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF3 | 21 mi | 18.05 mi | 3 / 24 |
| Jan 21, 1959 | F3 | 13 mi | 6.6 mi | 3 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F3 | 20 mi | 48 mi | 2 / 9 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F3 | 5 mi | 27.4 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF3 | 14 mi | 28.02 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 21, 1972 | F3 | 5 mi | 5.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F3 | in town | 26.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 1961 | F3 | 12 mi | 58 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 22, 1991 | F2 | 14 mi | 39 mi | 1 / 12 |
The strongest 12 of 64, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Morgantown
The Storm Prediction Center has 42 hail reports within 10 miles of Morgantown since 1971, made on 31 separate days. Of these, 26 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on April 8, 2015. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Morgantown
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Rochester Ferry, KY, 12 miles west of Morgantown at 390 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 24°F. April and May are the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 51.1 inches over 83 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 47 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 97 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.4 inches a year, most of it in February. That 51.1 inches is more than at 51 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (55%). Beaver Dam, 16 miles northwest, has its own station (Beaver Dam, KY): 51.9 inches a year, 0.8 more than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 24 | 3.4 | 6 | 1.3 |
| Feb | 48 | 26 | 4.0 | 7 | 1.4 |
| Mar | 58 | 34 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Apr | 69 | 43 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.2 |
| May | 78 | 53 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 61 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 65 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 63 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 56 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 43 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 34 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 48 | 27 | 4.5 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Year | 68 | 44 | 51.1 | 83 | 4.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Rochester Ferry, KY (390 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 Morgantown
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 159 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Morgantown: 98 thunderstorm wind reports, 44 floods and 17 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $194,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 82 mph, on November 6, 2005. April has had the most flash floods, 5 of 17. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 83 have had fewer than Morgantown.
May 2, 2010: flood 3 miles from the centre of Morgantown — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “5 feet around 2 PM EST on May 5. Flood stage at Woodbury is 33 feet.”
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 Morgantown's ZIP code 42261 have filed 12 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $119,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 92% 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, 13 have fewer than Morgantown.
Butler County, which includes Morgantown, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 24 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 severe storms, 4 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, on September 1, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Butler County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail; Relatively Low for tornadoes and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.1 million a year, the 102nd highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.5 million (41%), 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 Morgantown
- Beaver Dam, KY16 mi
- Caneyville, KY17 mi
- Lewisburg, KY20 mi
- Rockfield, KY20 mi
- Bowling Green, KY21 mi
- Hartford, KY21 mi
- Brownsville, KY21 mi
- Auburn, KY23 mi
- Central City, KY25 mi
- Russellville, KY27 mi
- Leitchfield, KY27 mi
- Falls Of Rough, KY28 mi
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