NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Somerset, 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 Somerset, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 45 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 45
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
45 deaths in all
What the records show for Somerset
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Somerset; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 65 miles away. The record near Somerset begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 27 miles away. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Somerset has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 74% of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site. The highest rating among the 45 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on May 16, 2025, came within 4 miles. Of the 45, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 19 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 17. Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 77% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Somerset. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 107 times since 1960, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Somerset has more hail reports within 10 miles than 89% of the 281 Kentucky cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Somerset
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 65 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 Somerset: 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 Somerset
By decade
- 2020s2(1 EF3+)
- 2010s8
- 2000s9
- 1990s12
- 1980s2
- 1970s9(7 EF3+)
- 1960s3(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2025 | EF4 | 4 mi | 60.08 mi | 18 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 16 mi | 38.4 mi | 10 / 113 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F4 | 14 mi | 13 mi | 2 / 72 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 24 mi | 16.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 11 mi | 22.3 mi | 7 / 40 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 12 mi | 13.9 mi | 2 / 45 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 5 mi | 28.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 10 mi | 18 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 12, 1967 | F3 | 19 mi | 23.6 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 21 mi | 7.15 mi | 6 / 40 |
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF2 | 21 mi | 7.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 2010 | EF2 | 17 mi | 0.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 45, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Somerset
The Storm Prediction Center has 107 hail reports within 10 miles of Somerset since 1960, made on 66 separate days. Of these, 64 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 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, 33.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Somerset
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Somerset 2 N, KY, 3 miles northwest of Somerset 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%). Nancy, 14 miles west, has its own station (Monticello 3 NE, KY): 52.5 inches a year, 0.7 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 Somerset
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 356 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Somerset: 288 thunderstorm wind reports, 30 floods, 22 flash floods, 14 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $2.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on February 29, 2012. May has had the most flash floods, 7 of 22. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 126 have had fewer than Somerset.
February 23, 2019: flood 6 miles from the centre of Somerset — 1 injured, $20,000 damage.
NWS: “Local media reported standing water over Slate Branch Road at Madira Drive in southern Somerset, causing a man to have to be rescued from his car as he bypassed a road closure sign and drove into the water.”
May 6, 2022: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Somerset — 1 injured.
July 30, 2024: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Somerset — 1 injured.
NWS: “The county emergency manager reported one person was injured due to a falling tree on the north side of Lake Cumberland.”
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 Somerset's 2 ZIP codes have filed 26 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $784,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 15% 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, 53 have fewer than Somerset.
Pulaski County, which includes Somerset, 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.
Cities near Somerset
- Science Hill, KY7 mi
- Burnside, KY9 mi
- Eubank, KY11 mi
- Bronston, KY11 mi
- Nancy, KY14 mi
- Waynesburg, KY18 mi
- Brodhead, KY21 mi
- Mount Vernon, KY23 mi
- Whitley City, KY23 mi
- Monticello, KY25 mi
- Crab Orchard, KY25 mi
- Liberty, KY25 mi
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