NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Smithland, 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
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Smithland, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 104 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 104
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
11 deaths in all
What the records show for Smithland
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Smithland; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 60 miles away. The record near Smithland begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 29 miles away. Of the 4 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site, 56% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Smithland. The strongest of the 104 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on May 6, 2003; its path came within 12 miles, and it killed 2 people. The deadliest, an EF3 on November 17, 2013, killed 3 people. Of the 104, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 75 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 29. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Smithland has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 85% of the 281 Kentucky cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 39 times since 1966, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 77% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Smithland.
Compare Smithland's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Smithland
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1941 | Unnamed 1941 stormSep 25 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 20 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Smithland: 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 Smithland
By decade
- 2020s12(1 EF3+)
- 2010s30(1 EF3+)
- 2000s33(6 EF3+)
- 1990s8
- 1980s2
- 1970s11(2 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 2003 | F4 | 12 mi | 33 mi | 2 / 33 |
| Nov 17, 2013 | EF3 | 7 mi | 42.5 mi | 3 / 34 |
| Apr 21, 1972 | F3 | 24 mi | 0.3 mi | 3 / 0 |
| May 26, 2024 | EF3 | 20 mi | 34.14 mi | 1 / 21 |
| Nov 15, 2005 | F3 | 23 mi | 44 mi | 1 / 20 |
| Nov 13, 1951 | F3 | 14 mi | 2 mi | 1 / 11 |
| Sep 22, 2006 | F3 | 22 mi | 3.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Nov 6, 2005 | F3 | 24 mi | 11.2 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 28, 2002 | F3 | 9 mi | 22 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jan 3, 2000 | F3 | 18 mi | 24 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 24, 1970 | F3 | 14 mi | 25.4 mi | 0 / 13 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 4 mi | 11.97 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 104, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Smithland
The Storm Prediction Center has 39 hail reports within 10 miles of Smithland since 1966, made on 33 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on May 16, 2025, the most recent report. April has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Smithland
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Smithland L&D, IL, 4 miles south of Smithland at 357 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 26°F. April is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 49.5 inches over 77 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 38 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 87 nights a year. Snowfall averages 3.8 inches a year, most of it in December. That 49.5 inches is more than at 35 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (38%). Brookport, IL, 11 miles southwest, has its own station (Brookport Dam 52, IL): 49.2 inches a year, 0.3 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 26 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.4 |
| Feb | 47 | 28 | 4.1 | 6 | 1.2 |
| Mar | 57 | 37 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.4 |
| Apr | 68 | 46 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 56 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 67 | 2.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 60 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 47 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 57 | 37 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 46 | 29 | 4.4 | 7 | 1.8 |
| Year | 67 | 47 | 49.5 | 77 | 3.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Smithland L&D, IL (357 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 Smithland
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 101 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Smithland: 59 thunderstorm wind reports, 30 floods, 7 flash floods and 5 heavy rain events. They killed 0 people and injured 5, and the NWS estimated $5.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on January 24, 2002. May has had the most flash floods, 4 of 7. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 10 have had fewer than Smithland.
January 24, 2002: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Smithland — 3 injured, $75,000 damage.
May 8, 2009: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Smithland — 1 injured, $60,000 damage.
NWS: “A poorly tied-down mobile home was moved several feet. An occupant of the mobile home sustained minor to moderate injuries.”
May 5, 1996: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Smithland — 1 injured, $40,000 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 Smithland's ZIP code 42081 have filed 11 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $128,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 27% 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 Smithland.
Livingston County, which includes Smithland, has been named in 29 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 23 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 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 Livingston County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $7.5 million a year, the 85th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.3 million (31%), 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 Smithland
- Brookport, IL11 mi
- Ledbetter, KY12 mi
- Golconda, IL13 mi
- Calvert City, KY14 mi
- Paducah, KY16 mi
- Gilbertsville, KY18 mi
- Metropolis, IL18 mi
- Kuttawa, KY18 mi
- Marion, KY20 mi
- West Paducah, KY21 mi
- Eddyville, KY24 mi
- Benton, KY25 mi
All Kentucky cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Smithland with another place →