NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Russell Springs, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Russell Springs, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 56 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 56
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
37 deaths in all
What the records show for Russell Springs
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Russell Springs; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 53 mph winds when its centre passed 52 miles away. The record near Russell Springs begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 7 miles away. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Russell Springs has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 74% of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site. The highest rating among the 56 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 5 times; the most recent, on May 16, 2025, came within 3 miles. Of the 56, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 30 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 22. Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 68% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Russell Springs. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 29 times since 1981, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 91% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Russell Springs.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Russell Springs
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (53 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Russell Springs: 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 Russell Springs
By decade
- 2020s6(1 EF3+)
- 2010s11
- 2000s13
- 1990s8(2 EF3+)
- 1980s6(1 EF3+)
- 1970s8(6 EF3+)
- 1960s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2025 | EF4 | 3 mi | 60.08 mi | 18 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 16 mi | 38.4 mi | 10 / 113 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F4 | 9 mi | 14.1 mi | 6 / 58 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F4 | 2 mi | 13 mi | 2 / 72 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 22 mi | 20.2 mi | 0 / 56 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F3 | 12 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 28, 1997 | F3 | 22 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 20, 1986 | F3 | 21 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 11 mi | 28.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 14 mi | 18 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 28, 1997 | F2 | 11 mi | 10 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF2 | 4 mi | 7.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 56, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Russell Springs
The Storm Prediction Center has 29 hail reports within 10 miles of Russell Springs since 1981, made on 22 separate days. Of these, 22 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 9 days, most recently May 16, 2025. 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 Russell Springs
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Jamestown Wwtp, KY, 3 miles south of Russell Springs at 890 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 25°F. January is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 57.0 inches over 91 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 25 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 111 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.9 inches a year, most of it in February. That 57.0 inches is more than at 91 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (98%). Nancy, 14 miles east, has its own station (Monticello 3 NE, KY): 52.5 inches a year, 4.5 less than here, and the same July average high, 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | 25 | 5.5 | 8 | 1.1 |
| Feb | 48 | 27 | 4.6 | 7 | 2.8 |
| Mar | 57 | 34 | 5.4 | 9 | 1.0 |
| Apr | 68 | 42 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 75 | 53 | 5.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 5.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 64 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 45 | 3.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 57 | 34 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 47 | 29 | 5.0 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Year | 66 | 44 | 57.0 | 91 | 4.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Jamestown Wwtp, KY (890 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 Russell Springs
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 144 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Russell Springs: 127 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods, 5 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $757,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 25, 2023. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 27 have had fewer than Russell Springs.
April 3, 2007: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Russell Springs — $250,000 damage.
January 29, 2008: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Russell Springs — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds blew the roof off a building.”
May 2, 2010: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Russell Springs — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous roads across the county were closed due to flash flooding. A total of eight to ten inches of rain fell across Russell county from May 1-2.”
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
Russell County, which includes Russell Springs, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on May 29, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Russell County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $7.2 million a year, the 88th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.9 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 Russell Springs
- Jamestown, KY8 mi
- Dunnville, KY9 mi
- Columbia, KY13 mi
- Nancy, KY14 mi
- Liberty, KY19 mi
- Monticello, KY22 mi
- Albany, KY23 mi
- Science Hill, KY24 mi
- Bronston, KY25 mi
- Somerset, KY27 mi
- Campbellsville, KY27 mi
- Burkesville, KY27 mi
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