NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Science Hill, 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 Science Hill, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 59 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 59
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
47 deaths in all
What the records show for Science Hill
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Science Hill; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 58 miles away. The record near Science Hill begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 28 miles away. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Science Hill has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 74% of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site. The highest rating among the 59 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on May 16, 2025, came within 10 miles. Of the 59, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 24 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 20. Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 65% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Science Hill. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 93 times since 1960, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Science Hill has more hail reports within 10 miles than 86% of the 281 Kentucky cities.
Compare Science Hill's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Science Hill
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 58 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 Science Hill: 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 Science Hill
By decade
- 2020s4(1 EF3+)
- 2010s9
- 2000s11
- 1990s18(1 EF3+)
- 1980s6
- 1970s9(7 EF3+)
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2025 | EF4 | 10 mi | 60.08 mi | 18 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 18 mi | 38.4 mi | 10 / 113 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F4 | 12 mi | 13 mi | 2 / 72 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 17 mi | 22.3 mi | 7 / 40 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 18 mi | 13.9 mi | 2 / 45 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 23 mi | 21.1 mi | 1 / 98 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F3 | 23 mi | 20 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 3 mi | 28.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 13 mi | 18 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 24 mi | 7.15 mi | 6 / 40 |
| Mar 28, 1997 | F2 | 24 mi | 10 mi | 1 / 6 |
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF2 | 17 mi | 7.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 59, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Science Hill
The Storm Prediction Center has 93 hail reports within 10 miles of Science Hill since 1960, made on 60 separate days. Of these, 64 were 1 inch across or larger, and 8 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on May 1, 2002. The most recent report is from September 5, 2025. June has the most reports, 27.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Science Hill
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Somerset 2 N, KY, 5 miles southeast of Science Hill at 1,020 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 29°F. July is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 53.2 inches over 87 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 21 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 94 nights a year. Snowfall averages 5.4 inches a year, most of it in January. That 53.2 inches is more than at 73 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (78%). Waynesburg, 12 miles north, has its own station (Crab Orchard 6 N, KY): 50.4 inches a year, 2.8 less than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 29 | 4.3 | 7 | 3.0 |
| Feb | 50 | 32 | 3.9 | 6 | 1.3 |
| Mar | 59 | 39 | 5.1 | 9 | 0.8 |
| Apr | 70 | 48 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 57 | 5.2 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 65 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 69 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 67 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 60 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 48 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 59 | 38 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 49 | 33 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Year | 68 | 49 | 53.2 | 87 | 5.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Somerset 2 N, KY (1,020 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 Science Hill
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 322 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Science Hill: 260 thunderstorm wind reports, 25 flash floods, 25 floods, 10 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on November 10, 2002. May has had the most flash floods, 7 of 25. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 154 have had fewer than Science Hill.
July 30, 2024: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Science Hill — 1 injured.
January 17, 1999: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Science Hill — $1.0 million damage.
August 14, 2010: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Science Hill — $125,000 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
Pulaski County, which includes Science Hill, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 19 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 3 snowstorms, 3 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on May 29, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Pulaski County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and lightning; Relatively Low for heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $32.1 million a year, the 15th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $16.9 million (53%), 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.