NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Sparta, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Sparta, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 80 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 80
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
32 deaths in all
What the records show for Sparta
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Sparta; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 42 miles away. The record near Sparta begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 72 miles away. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site, 73% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Sparta. The strongest of the 80 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on April 3, 1974; its path came within 18 miles, and it killed 3 people. The deadliest, an EF4 on March 2, 2012, killed 11 people. Of the 80, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 36 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 27. The most recent tornado was on July 20, 2025. Sparta has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 56% of the 281 Kentucky cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 51 times since 1964, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 51% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Sparta.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Sparta
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (51 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 42 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 Sparta: 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 Sparta
By decade
- 2020s17
- 2010s17(3 EF3+)
- 2000s2
- 1990s15(2 EF3+)
- 1980s8
- 1970s11(4 EF3+)
- 1960s5
- 1950s5(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 18 mi | 20.8 mi | 3 / 210 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF4 | 25 mi | 46.6 mi | 11 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 25 mi | 35.6 mi | 11 / 190 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF4 | 15 mi | 9.85 mi | 4 / 8 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F4 | 4 mi | 26.7 mi | 1 / 10 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 17 mi | 27.1 mi | 0 / 104 |
| Apr 1, 1974 | F3 | 20 mi | 3.3 mi | 1 / 20 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 21 mi | 3.26 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F3 | 25 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Feb 10, 1959 | F3 | 8 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Mar 14, 2024 | EF2 | 14 mi | 17.97 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 8 mi | 5.4 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 80, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Sparta
The Storm Prediction Center has 51 hail reports within 10 miles of Sparta since 1964, made on 33 separate days. Of these, 31 were 1 inch across or larger, and 13 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 3 inches (tea cup size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 4, 1996. The most recent report is from March 14, 2024. April has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Sparta
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Warsaw Markland Dam, KY, 6 miles northwest of Sparta at 451 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 23°F. May is the wettest at 5.3 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 48.0 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 26 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 110 nights a year. Snowfall averages 6.5 inches a year, most of it in February. That 48.0 inches is more than at 19 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (20%). Vevay, IN, 11 miles northwest, has its own station (Vevay, IN): 48.4 inches a year, 0.4 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 23 | 3.2 | 6 | 1.5 |
| Feb | 46 | 26 | 3.5 | 6 | 2.8 |
| Mar | 56 | 33 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.7 |
| Apr | 67 | 42 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 76 | 53 | 5.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 62 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 66 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 65 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 3.3 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 45 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 56 | 34 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 46 | 28 | 3.9 | 8 | 1.5 |
| Year | 66 | 44 | 48.0 | 81 | 6.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Warsaw Markland Dam, KY (451 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 Sparta
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 214 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Sparta: 154 thunderstorm wind reports, 37 floods, 22 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 1 person and injured 17, and the NWS estimated $1.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on March 1, 2017. 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 Sparta.
December 18, 2021: flood 7 miles from the centre of Sparta — 1 killed, $20,000 damage.
November 10, 2002: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Sparta — 10 injured, $375,000 damage.
NWS: “Several mobile homes were demolished along State Route 184 between Interstate 71 and the Ohio River. Damage was caused by a microburst.”
July 1, 2023: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Sparta — 2 injured, $20,000 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 Sparta's ZIP code 41086 have filed 13 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1979, and were paid $185,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 62% 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, 18 have fewer than Sparta.
Gallatin County, which includes Sparta, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1996, 11 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, on April 24, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Gallatin County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $5.7 million a year, the 104th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.4 million (60%), 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 Sparta
- Warsaw, KY5 mi
- Vevay, IN11 mi
- Verona, KY13 mi
- Dry Ridge, KY13 mi
- Carrollton, KY15 mi
- Rising Sun, IN16 mi
- Crittenden, KY16 mi
- Owenton, KY17 mi
- Union, KY18 mi
- Williamstown, KY18 mi
- Walton, KY18 mi
- Campbellsburg, KY20 mi
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