NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Taylorsville, 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 Taylorsville, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 99 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 99
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
10 deaths in all
What the records show for Taylorsville
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Taylorsville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 14 miles away. The record near Taylorsville begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 44 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 Taylorsville. The highest rating among the 99 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on May 28, 1996, came within 2 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on April 3, 1974, killed 4 people. Of the 99, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 56 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 29. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Taylorsville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 80% of the 281 Kentucky cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 48 times since 1973, with stones up to 1.76 inches. Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 56% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Taylorsville.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Taylorsville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 14 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 Taylorsville: 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 Taylorsville
By decade
- 2020s24(1 EF3+)
- 2010s16(1 EF3+)
- 2000s16
- 1990s16(2 EF3+)
- 1980s11
- 1970s11(3 EF3+)
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 16 mi | 79.4 mi | 4 / 122 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 5 mi | 37.9 mi | 3 / 81 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 21 mi | 18.5 mi | 3 / 225 |
| May 28, 1996 | F4 | 2 mi | 30 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF3 | 14 mi | 9.68 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 28, 2011 | EF3 | 24 mi | 2.26 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F3 | 25 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 10, 1969 | F3 | 15 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 14 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF2 | 24 mi | 5.33 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF2 | 24 mi | 11.15 mi | 0 / 32 |
| Jun 22, 2011 | EF2 | 15 mi | 1.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 22, 2011 | EF2 | 24 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 99, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Taylorsville
The Storm Prediction Center has 48 hail reports within 10 miles of Taylorsville since 1973, made on 36 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest, 1.76 inches, fell on May 29, 1982. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Taylorsville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Shelbyville 1 E, KY, 14 miles northeast of Taylorsville at 730 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 62°F; January is the coolest, at 42°F and 20°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 34 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 139 nights a year. That 49.9 inches is more than at 40 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (43%). Bloomfield, 10 miles southeast, has its own station (Bardstown 5E, KY): 51.6 inches a year, 1.7 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 20 | 4.2 | 7 |
| Feb | 47 | 21 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Mar | 57 | 29 | 4.7 | 8 |
| Apr | 68 | 38 | 4.0 | 8 |
| May | 77 | 49 | 5.2 | 8 |
| Jun | 85 | 58 | 5.2 | 9 |
| Jul | 88 | 62 | 4.1 | 7 |
| Aug | 87 | 58 | 3.7 | 5 |
| Sep | 81 | 50 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 69 | 40 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Nov | 57 | 30 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Dec | 46 | 24 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Year | 67 | 40 | 49.9 | 81 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Shelbyville 1 E, KY (730 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 Taylorsville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 142 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Taylorsville: 105 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 flash floods, 15 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $1.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on June 22, 1998. July has had the most flash floods, 5 of 20. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 107 have had fewer than Taylorsville.
June 17, 2019: flood 6 miles from the centre of Taylorsville — 1 killed, $100,000 damage.
April 4, 2008: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of Taylorsville — $750,000 damage.
NWS: “Three mobile homes had water in them and the families had to be evacuated. Numerous roads around the county were closed due to high water, and some roads were washed out.”
July 13, 2004: thunderstorm wind in Taylorsville — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Trees and power lines were blown down. Unspecified structural damage was also reported.”
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 Taylorsville's ZIP code 40071 have filed 28 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $545,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 18% 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, 57 have fewer than Taylorsville.
Spencer County, which includes Taylorsville, has been named in 30 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 23 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 severe storms, 4 tornadoes, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, on September 1, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Spencer County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, strong wind 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 $9.3 million a year, the 70th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.5 million (48%), 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 Taylorsville
- Bloomfield, KY10 mi
- Fisherville, KY10 mi
- Mt Washington, KY10 mi
- Coxs Creek, KY11 mi
- Simpsonville, KY11 mi
- Shelbyville, KY14 mi
- Waddy, KY17 mi
- Bardstown, KY17 mi
- Shepherdsville, KY18 mi
- Willisburg, KY19 mi
- Pewee Valley, KY19 mi
- Brooks, KY20 mi
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