NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Paducah, 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 Paducah, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 123 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 123
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
67 deaths in all
What the records show for Paducah
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Paducah; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 59 miles away. The record near Paducah begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 21 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 Paducah. The highest rating among the 123 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, came within 22 miles. Of the 123, 14 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 94 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 31. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Paducah has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 94% of the 281 Kentucky cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 101 times since 1956, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Paducah has more hail reports within 10 miles than 88% of the 281 Kentucky cities.
Compare Paducah's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Paducah
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 59 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 Paducah: 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 Paducah
By decade
- 2020s21(1 EF3+)
- 2010s43(2 EF3+)
- 2000s30(4 EF3+)
- 1990s9
- 1970s9(1 EF3+)
- 1960s7(2 EF3+)
- 1950s4(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 22 mi | 168.53 mi | 57 / 515 |
| Mar 4, 1964 | F4 | 25 mi | 18.5 mi | 3 / 24 |
| May 6, 2003 | F4 | 20 mi | 33 mi | 2 / 33 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF3 | 3 mi | 42.5 mi | 3 / 34 |
| Nov 15, 2005 | F3 | 21 mi | 44 mi | 1 / 20 |
| Nov 13, 1951 | F3 | 16 mi | 2 mi | 1 / 11 |
| May 10, 2016 | EF3 | 18 mi | 19.03 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Sep 22, 2006 | F3 | 14 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F3 | 20 mi | 22 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 24, 1970 | F3 | 16 mi | 25.4 mi | 0 / 13 |
| Mar 4, 1964 | F3 | 25 mi | 7.2 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 12, 1958 | F3 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 123, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Paducah
The Storm Prediction Center has 101 hail reports within 10 miles of Paducah since 1956, made on 72 separate days. Of these, 52 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 4, 2003. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 30.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Paducah
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Brookport Dam 52, IL, 5 miles north of Paducah at 330 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 25°F. April is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 2.9 inches; the year adds up to 49.2 inches over 74 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 83 nights a year. Snowfall averages 3.1 inches a year, most of it in February. That 49.2 inches is more than at 34 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (37%). West Paducah, 8 miles west, has its own station (Paducah, KY): 50.4 inches a year, 1.2 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 25 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.7 |
| Feb | 48 | 28 | 3.8 | 6 | 1.8 |
| Mar | 58 | 36 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 69 | 46 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 56 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 2.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 59 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 47 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 57 | 36 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 47 | 29 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.5 |
| Year | 68 | 47 | 49.2 | 74 | 3.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Brookport Dam 52, IL (330 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 Paducah
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 408 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Paducah: 210 thunderstorm wind reports, 112 floods, 47 flash floods, 30 heavy rain events and 9 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 15, and the NWS estimated $21.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on May 26, 2024. July has had the most flash floods, 10 of 47. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 239 have had fewer than Paducah.
March 2, 2011: flood 4 miles from the centre of Paducah — 1 killed, 4 injured, $50,000 damage.
August 5, 2012: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Paducah — 4 injured, $5,000 damage.
March 3, 2008: flood 7 miles from the centre of Paducah — 2 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Paducah's 2 ZIP codes have filed 263 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $7.3 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Mid-spring storms in 2011: 52 claims (20% of all) and $2.4 million, then Central U.S. April Flooding in 2025 with 38 and Flooding in 1997 with 26. 48% 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, 123 have fewer than Paducah.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-spring storms2011 | 52 | $2.4 million |
| Central U.S. April Flooding2025 | 38 | $2.3 million |
| Flooding1997 | 26 | $143,000 |
McCracken County, which includes Paducah, 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.