NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Princeton, 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 Princeton, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 101 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 17 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 101
- EF3 or stronger
- 17
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
67 deaths in all
What the records show for Princeton
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Princeton; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 38 miles away. The record near Princeton begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 59 miles away. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site, 73% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Princeton. The highest rating among the 101 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, came within 6 miles. Of the 101, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 79 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 31. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Princeton has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 82% of the 281 Kentucky cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 36 times since 1974, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 83% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Princeton.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Princeton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Princeton: 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 Princeton
By decade
- 2020s15(2 EF3+)
- 2010s30(2 EF3+)
- 2000s34(7 EF3+)
- 1990s5
- 1980s2
- 1970s5(2 EF3+)
- 1960s8(4 EF3+)
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 6 mi | 168.53 mi | 57 / 515 |
| Mar 4, 1964 | F4 | 25 mi | 18.5 mi | 3 / 24 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F4 | 9 mi | 50.6 mi | 2 / 30 |
| Nov 15, 2005 | F4 | 21 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 40 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF3 | 13 mi | 42.5 mi | 3 / 34 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF3 | 2 mi | 34.14 mi | 1 / 21 |
| Nov 15, 2005 | F3 | 9 mi | 44 mi | 1 / 20 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF3 | 21 mi | 8.23 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF3 | 21 mi | 2.02 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 21 mi | 29.7 mi | 0 / 28 |
| Nov 6, 2005 | F3 | 22 mi | 11.2 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F3 | 18 mi | 22 mi | 0 / 26 |
The strongest 12 of 101, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Princeton
The Storm Prediction Center has 36 hail reports within 10 miles of Princeton since 1974, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 24 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 3, 1974. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Princeton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Princeton 1 SE, KY, in Princeton at 497 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 27°F. April is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 51.1 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 49 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 78 nights a year. Snowfall averages 8.5 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%). Eddyville, 10 miles southwest, has its own station (Eddyville 5S, KY): 53.0 inches a year, 1.9 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 | 46 | 27 | 3.7 | 6 | 2.6 |
| Feb | 51 | 30 | 4.1 | 6 | 2.7 |
| Mar | 61 | 38 | 4.8 | 8 | 1.4 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 56 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 59 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 47 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 60 | 37 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 49 | 30 | 4.6 | 7 | 1.6 |
| Year | 70 | 47 | 51.1 | 79 | 8.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Princeton 1 SE, KY (497 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 Princeton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 72 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Princeton: 45 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 11 floods and 4 heavy rain events. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $3.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on July 19, 2012. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 35 have had fewer than Princeton.
February 16, 2025: flood 4 miles from the centre of Princeton — 1 killed.
NWS: “Flash flooding on the 15th transitioned to areal flooding early on the 16th. Portions of several state highways were closed, including Highway 139 south of Farmersville, Highway 91 northwest of White Sulphur, Highway 293 southwest of Princeton, and Highway 126 from Highway 128 to the Trigg County line.”
May 16, 2025: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Princeton — $2.1 million damage.
NWS: “An NWS damage survey found straight line wind damage associated with winds of 80 to 93 mph impacted Princeton, KY, on the evening of Friday, May 16, 2025.”
May 1, 2011: flood 8 miles from the centre of Princeton — $250,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Princeton's ZIP code 42445 have filed 11 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1998, and were paid $253,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 9% 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, 7 have fewer than Princeton.
Caldwell County, which includes Princeton, has been named in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1989, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 3 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on May 23, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Caldwell County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.3 million a year, the 69th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.8 million (30%), 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 Princeton
- Eddyville, KY10 mi
- Dawson Springs, KY11 mi
- Kuttawa, KY15 mi
- Marion, KY18 mi
- Cadiz, KY19 mi
- Providence, KY20 mi
- Crofton, KY22 mi
- Nortonville, KY23 mi
- Clay, KY25 mi
- Gilbertsville, KY25 mi
- Madisonville, KY25 mi
- Hopkinsville, KY28 mi
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