NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Tompkinsville, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Tompkinsville, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 55 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 55
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
39 deaths in all
What the records show for Tompkinsville
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Tompkinsville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 54 mph winds when its centre passed 53 miles away. The record near Tompkinsville begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 34 miles away. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Tompkinsville has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 52% of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site. The strongest of the 55 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 3, 1974; its path came within 17 miles, and it killed 10 people. The deadliest, an EF3 on February 5, 2008, killed 22 people. Of the 55, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 29 have come since 2000. April and May have had the most tornadoes, 13 each. The most recent tornado was on June 18, 2025. Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 69% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Tompkinsville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 28 times since 1982, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 91% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Tompkinsville.
Compare Tompkinsville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Tompkinsville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 1 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 53 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 Tompkinsville: 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 Tompkinsville
By decade
- 2020s11
- 2010s12
- 2000s6(2 EF3+)
- 1990s14(2 EF3+)
- 1980s4(1 EF3+)
- 1970s7(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 17 mi | 38.4 mi | 10 / 113 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF3 | in town | 50.32 mi | 22 / 63 |
| Feb 6, 2008 | EF3 | 16 mi | 9.44 mi | 4 / 11 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F3 | 19 mi | 48 mi | 2 / 9 |
| Mar 28, 1997 | F3 | 12 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 20, 1986 | F3 | 19 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 26, 1959 | F3 | 20 mi | 19.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F2 | 19 mi | 8 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Oct 9, 2009 | EF2 | 4 mi | 15.82 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 7, 2006 | F2 | 13 mi | 8.1 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F2 | 21 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1998 | F2 | 15 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 55, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Tompkinsville
The Storm Prediction Center has 28 hail reports within 10 miles of Tompkinsville since 1982, made on 21 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on July 20, 2018. The most recent report is from February 16, 2023. July has the most reports, 11.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Tompkinsville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Summer Shade, KY, 12 miles north of Tompkinsville at 864 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 48°F and 24°F. March is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and October and November the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 49.7 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 34 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 101 nights a year. Snowfall averages 7.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 49.7 inches is more than at 37 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (40%). Red Boiling Springs, TN, 14 miles southwest, has its own station (Gainesboro, TN): 56.7 inches a year, 7.0 more than here, and the same July average high, 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 24 | 3.9 | 7 | 3.2 |
| Feb | 53 | 27 | 4.2 | 7 | 1.8 |
| Mar | 61 | 34 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.8 |
| Apr | 72 | 43 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 80 | 52 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 59 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 63 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 89 | 61 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 55 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 44 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 33 | 3.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 51 | 27 | 4.6 | 8 | 1.4 |
| Year | 70 | 43 | 49.7 | 81 | 7.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Summer Shade, KY (864 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 Tompkinsville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 113 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Tompkinsville: 94 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 flash floods, 2 floods, 2 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on January 29, 2008. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 42 have had fewer than Tompkinsville.
December 31, 2018: flood 7 miles from the centre of Tompkinsville — 1 killed, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “A 19 year old female on Lyons Road attempted to drive through a low water crossing on the Rocky Branch of the East Fork of the Barren River just before 7 pm CST on New Year's Eve, but was washed away by the swollen creek's rising water.”
May 16, 2018: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Tompkinsville — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
January 29, 2008: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Tompkinsville — $1.1 million 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
Monroe County, which includes Tompkinsville, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 13 severe storms, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 winter storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on May 29, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Monroe County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for hail and strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, 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 105th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.5 million (45%), 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 Tompkinsville
- Summer Shade, KY11 mi
- Red Boiling Springs, TN14 mi
- Celina, TN15 mi
- Burkesville, KY16 mi
- Edmonton, KY20 mi
- Glasgow, KY22 mi
- Lafayette, TN22 mi
- Gainesboro, TN25 mi
- Pleasant Shade, TN27 mi
- Scottsville, KY28 mi
- Albany, KY30 mi
- Livingston, TN30 mi
All Kentucky cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Tompkinsville with another place →