NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Salvisa, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Salvisa, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 79 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 6 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 79
- EF3 or stronger
- 6
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
17 deaths in all
What the records show for Salvisa
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Salvisa; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 8 miles away. The record near Salvisa begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 56 miles away. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Salvisa has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 52% of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site. The highest rating among the 79 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on May 28, 1996, came within 18 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 3, 1974, killed 7 people. Of the 79, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 37 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 22. The most recent tornado was on October 19, 2025. Salvisa has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 54% of the 281 Kentucky cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 42 times since 1979, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 68% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Salvisa.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Salvisa
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 41 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | overhead | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 8 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 Salvisa: 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 Salvisa
By decade
- 2020s20
- 2010s4
- 2000s13(1 EF3+)
- 1990s16(1 EF3+)
- 1980s8
- 1970s12(4 EF3+)
- 1960s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 25 mi | 31.9 mi | 7 / 28 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 14 mi | 79.4 mi | 4 / 122 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 23 mi | 37.9 mi | 3 / 81 |
| May 28, 1996 | F4 | 18 mi | 30 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 17 mi | 21.1 mi | 1 / 98 |
| May 27, 2004 | F3 | 23 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 6 |
| May 30, 2025 | EF2 | 17 mi | 5.51 mi | 1 / 14 |
| May 11, 2003 | F2 | 7 mi | 7 mi | 1 / 8 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF2 | 24 mi | 0.63 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 6, 2008 | EF2 | 17 mi | 0.99 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 28, 1996 | F2 | 5 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 18, 1995 | F2 | 1 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 79, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Salvisa
The Storm Prediction Center has 42 hail reports within 10 miles of Salvisa since 1979, made on 31 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 19, 2022. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Salvisa
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dix Dam, KY, 13 miles southeast of Salvisa at 870 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 27°F. May is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 46.1 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 28 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 80 nights a year. That 46.1 inches is more than at 8 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (9%). Lawrenceburg, 8 miles northwest, has its own station (Versailles 3 NNW, KY): 48.2 inches a year, 2.1 more than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 27 | 3.1 | 6 |
| Feb | 49 | 29 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Mar | 59 | 36 | 4.1 | 8 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 4.4 | 8 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 4.9 | 8 |
| Jun | 84 | 63 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Jul | 86 | 67 | 4.7 | 7 |
| Aug | 86 | 65 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Sep | 80 | 58 | 3.4 | 5 |
| Oct | 71 | 48 | 3.3 | 6 |
| Nov | 56 | 35 | 3.2 | 6 |
| Dec | 45 | 29 | 3.6 | 7 |
| Year | 67 | 47 | 46.1 | 81 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dix Dam, KY (870 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 Salvisa
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 143 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Salvisa: 117 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 flash floods, 9 floods, 3 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $851,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 92 mph, on August 22, 2003. June has had the most flash floods, 5 of 13. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 42 have had fewer than Salvisa.
August 22, 2003: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Salvisa — $175,000 damage.
February 6, 2008: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Salvisa — $100,000 damage.
May 2, 2010: flood 2 miles from the centre of Salvisa — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Six to seven inches of rain fell over Mercer county from May 1-2. This caused major flooding on the Kentucky River that lasted many days before receding.”
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 Salvisa's ZIP code 40372 have filed 20 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1984, and were paid $682,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 60% 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, 41 have fewer than Salvisa.
Mercer County, which includes Salvisa, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 3 ice storms, 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 Mercer County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for 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 $12.1 million a year, the 50th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.8 million (56%), 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 Salvisa
- Lawrenceburg, KY8 mi
- Harrodsburg, KY10 mi
- Versailles, KY12 mi
- Wilmore, KY13 mi
- Willisburg, KY14 mi
- Nicholasville, KY17 mi
- Waddy, KY18 mi
- Danville, KY19 mi
- Midway, KY19 mi
- Frankfort, KY20 mi
- Bloomfield, KY22 mi
- Lexington, KY23 mi
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