NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Prestonsburg, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Prestonsburg, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 12 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 12
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
12 deaths in all
What the records show for Prestonsburg
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Prestonsburg; the strongest was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 54 miles away. The record near Prestonsburg begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 63 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1930s, with 2 systems. None of the 8 systems has come since 2000. Prestonsburg is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 281 Kentucky cities on this site. The highest rating among the 12 tornadoes within 25 miles is EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 2, 2012, came within 24 miles. Of the 12, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 8 have come since 2000. May and June have had the most tornadoes, 3 each. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2023. Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 94% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Prestonsburg. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 67 times since 1970, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Prestonsburg has more hail reports within 10 miles than 70% of the 281 Kentucky cities.
Compare Prestonsburg's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Prestonsburg
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 71 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 Prestonsburg: 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 Prestonsburg
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s5(2 EF3+)
- 2000s2
- 1990s3
- 1970s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 24 mi | 84.99 mi | 10 / 118 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 8 mi | 49.04 mi | 2 / 37 |
| May 18, 1995 | F2 | 24 mi | 24 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1972 | F2 | 23 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 16, 2023 | EF1 | 20 mi | 0.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 7, 2014 | EF1 | 10 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 4, 2011 | EF1 | 20 mi | 0.4 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 14, 2009 | EF1 | 24 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F1 | 19 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 9, 2013 | EF0 | 17 mi | 0.49 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 8, 2001 | F0 | 15 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 20, 1998 | F0 | 24 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 12, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Prestonsburg
The Storm Prediction Center has 67 hail reports within 10 miles of Prestonsburg since 1970, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 30 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 8, 2025. The most recent report is from June 26, 2025. May has the most reports, 25.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Prestonsburg
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Paintsville 1E, KY, 11 miles north of Prestonsburg at 630 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 23°F. July is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and November the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 46.2 inches over 88 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 110 nights a year. That 46.2 inches is more than at 9 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (10%). Harold, 13 miles southeast, has its own station (Williamson, WV): 48.3 inches a year, 2.1 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 23 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Feb | 49 | 26 | 3.2 | 7 |
| Mar | 58 | 32 | 4.4 | 9 |
| Apr | 70 | 41 | 3.8 | 8 |
| May | 76 | 51 | 4.4 | 9 |
| Jun | 83 | 60 | 4.8 | 9 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 5.2 | 8 |
| Aug | 86 | 63 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Sep | 80 | 56 | 3.4 | 6 |
| Oct | 70 | 43 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Nov | 58 | 32 | 3.0 | 6 |
| Dec | 48 | 28 | 3.8 | 8 |
| Year | 67 | 43 | 46.2 | 88 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Paintsville 1E, KY (630 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 Prestonsburg
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 333 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Prestonsburg: 192 thunderstorm wind reports, 76 flash floods, 56 floods, 8 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $2.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on February 22, 2003. May has had the most flash floods, 20 of 76. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 267 have had fewer than Prestonsburg.
May 29, 2019: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Prestonsburg — 1 killed, $165,000 damage.
NWS: “A National Weather Service Meteorologist surveyed localized downburst winds in Prestonsburg. These winds caused sporadic damage throughout the community.”
June 17, 2022: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Prestonsburg — 1 injured, $60,000 damage.
NWS: “A lightning strike caused a structure fire at a residence on Jack Arnett Branch, leading to an injury to an occupant of the home.”
April 8, 1999: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Prestonsburg — 1 injured, $25,000 damage.
NWS: “Winds blew off roofs on homes, collapsed a commercial building and knocked over several billboards. One man was injured by a falling cinder block.”
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 Prestonsburg's ZIP code 41653 have filed 436 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $6.4 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Flooding in 1984: 106 claims (24% of all) and $742,000, then Heavy rains in 2004 with 55 and February Kentucky Flooding in 2025 with 38. 51% 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, 134 have fewer than Prestonsburg.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Flooding1984 | 106 | $742,000 |
| Heavy rains2004 | 55 | $1.6 million |
| February Kentucky Flooding2025 | 38 | $1.4 million |
Floyd County, which includes Prestonsburg, has been named in 48 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1967, 38 of them major disasters (by incident: 21 severe storms, 12 floods, 4 snowstorms, 3 fires). 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 Floyd County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for inland flooding; Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $105.5 million a year, the 3rd highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $101.6 million (96%), 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.