NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Smiths Grove, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Smiths Grove, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 78 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 78
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
25 deaths in all
What the records show for Smiths Grove
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Smiths Grove; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 54 mph winds when its centre passed 19 miles away. The record near Smiths Grove begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 36 miles away. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site, 48% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Smiths Grove. The highest rating among the 78 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 7 times; the most recent, on December 11, 2021, came within 22 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on December 11, 2021, killed 16 people. Of the 78, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 41 have come since 2000. April and May have had the most tornadoes, 16 each. The most recent tornado was on April 3, 2025. Smiths Grove has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 53% of the 281 Kentucky cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 32 times since 1997, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 87% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Smiths Grove.
Compare Smiths Grove's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Smiths Grove
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Smiths Grove: 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 Smiths Grove
By decade
- 2020s13(2 EF3+)
- 2010s15
- 2000s13
- 1990s17(1 EF3+)
- 1980s3
- 1970s11(4 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF3 | 4 mi | 29.26 mi | 16 / 63 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 5 mi | 31.1 mi | 3 / 57 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F3 | 6 mi | 48 mi | 2 / 9 |
| Mar 31, 1979 | F3 | 5 mi | 12.7 mi | 1 / 19 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F3 | 17 mi | 27.4 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF3 | 22 mi | 28.02 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F3 | 17 mi | 26.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 22, 1991 | F2 | 15 mi | 39 mi | 1 / 12 |
| Nov 26, 1965 | F2 | 24 mi | 5.4 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Apr 3, 2025 | EF2 | 16 mi | 4.89 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF2 | 18 mi | 23.82 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF2 | 5 mi | 16.98 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 78, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Smiths Grove
The Storm Prediction Center has 32 hail reports within 10 miles of Smiths Grove since 1997, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on March 28, 1997. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. May has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Smiths Grove
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Mammoth Cave, KY, 6 miles north of Smiths Grove at 760 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 48°F and 29°F. May is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 53.5 inches over 85 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 54 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 78 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.0 inches a year, most of it in February. That 53.5 inches is more than at 77 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (83%). Brownsville, 13 miles northwest, has its own station (Bowling Green 21 NNE, KY): 53.2 inches a year, 0.3 less than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 29 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Feb | 53 | 32 | 4.5 | 7 | 1.4 |
| Mar | 62 | 40 | 5.0 | 9 | 0.6 |
| Apr | 73 | 48 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 57 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 88 | 64 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 91 | 68 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 60 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 74 | 49 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 40 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 51 | 33 | 4.8 | 8 | 1.3 |
| Year | 72 | 49 | 53.5 | 85 | 4.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Mammoth Cave, KY (760 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 Smiths Grove
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 101 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Smiths Grove: 82 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 flash floods, 5 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 2 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on June 25, 2023. August has had the most flash floods, 4 of 13. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 42 have had fewer than Smiths Grove.
December 2, 2019: flood 9 miles from the centre of Smiths Grove — 1 killed, 2 injured, $5,000 damage.
May 25, 2006: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Smiths Grove — 1 killed, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “Fast flowing waters swept a car off Dents Bridge Road into Sinking Creek near Irvington. Two adults escaped from the car, but were unable to rescue a child strapped in a car seat before the car was swept away.”
November 10, 2002: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Smiths Grove — $467,000 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
Warren County, which includes Smiths Grove, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 4 tornadoes, 3 floods, 3 snowstorms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes, on May 23, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Warren County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for hail; Relatively High for tornadoes; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $79.9 million a year, the 4th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $32.3 million (40%), 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 Smiths Grove
- Park City, KY7 mi
- Brownsville, KY13 mi
- Cave City, KY14 mi
- Glasgow, KY15 mi
- Bowling Green, KY16 mi
- Alvaton, KY16 mi
- Horse Cave, KY18 mi
- Scottsville, KY19 mi
- Munfordville, KY22 mi
- Rockfield, KY26 mi
- Hardyville, KY26 mi
- Clarkson, KY26 mi
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