NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Waynesburg, 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 Waynesburg, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 67 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 67
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
36 deaths in all
What the records show for Waynesburg
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Waynesburg; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 49 miles away. The record near Waynesburg begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 38 miles away. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Waynesburg has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 74% of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site. The highest rating among the 67 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 16, 2025, came within 21 miles. Of the 67, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 33 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 20. Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 58% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Waynesburg. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 35 times since 1983, with stones up to 4.5 inches (grapefruit size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 85% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Waynesburg.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Waynesburg
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 49 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 Waynesburg: 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 Waynesburg
By decade
- 2020s11(1 EF3+)
- 2010s10
- 2000s12(1 EF3+)
- 1990s15
- 1980s6
- 1970s11(5 EF3+)
- 1960s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2025 | EF4 | 21 mi | 60.08 mi | 18 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F4 | 23 mi | 13 mi | 2 / 72 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 23 mi | 22.3 mi | 7 / 40 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF3 | 22 mi | 21.12 mi | 2 / 15 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 17 mi | 21.1 mi | 1 / 98 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 12 mi | 28.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 25 mi | 18 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 25 mi | 7.15 mi | 6 / 40 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF2 | 18 mi | 0.63 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF2 | 24 mi | 7.18 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 9, 2009 | EF2 | 24 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 2, 2006 | F2 | 7 mi | 8.7 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 67, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Waynesburg
The Storm Prediction Center has 35 hail reports within 10 miles of Waynesburg since 1983, made on 29 separate days. Of these, 30 were 1 inch across or larger, and 7 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.5 inches (grapefruit size), fell on May 1, 2002. The most recent report is from January 25, 2021. April and May have the most reports, 9 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Waynesburg
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Crab Orchard 6 N, KY, 14 miles northeast of Waynesburg at 1,025 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 27°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 25 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 91 nights a year. Snowfall averages 7.4 inches a year, most of it in January. That 50.4 inches is more than at 44 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (47%). Eubank, 7 miles south, has its own station (Somerset 2 N, KY): 53.2 inches a year, 2.8 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 27 | 3.7 | 7 | 3.0 |
| Feb | 50 | 30 | 3.5 | 7 | 1.8 |
| Mar | 59 | 36 | 4.7 | 8 | 1.0 |
| Apr | 70 | 45 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 54 | 5.1 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 61 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 3.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 46 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 37 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Dec | 48 | 30 | 4.0 | 7 | 1.4 |
| Year | 68 | 46 | 50.4 | 86 | 7.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Crab Orchard 6 N, KY (1,025 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 Waynesburg
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 138 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Waynesburg: 108 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 8 heavy rain events, 5 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $878,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 104 mph, on April 28, 2002. May has had the most flash floods, 5 of 16. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 68 have had fewer than Waynesburg.
May 26, 2004: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Waynesburg — 1 injured, $150,000 damage.
NWS: “Several homes and barns were damaged. The major portion of the roof was blown off one of the homes.”
April 28, 2002: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Waynesburg — $200,000 damage.
NWS: “Roofs were blown off houses. Barns were destroyed.”
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
Lincoln County, which includes Waynesburg, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1970, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 6 floods, 4 snowstorms, 3 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 Lincoln County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.3 million a year, the 78th highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.4 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 Waynesburg
- Eubank, KY7 mi
- Crab Orchard, KY10 mi
- Brodhead, KY11 mi
- Hustonville, KY12 mi
- Stanford, KY12 mi
- Science Hill, KY12 mi
- Mount Vernon, KY16 mi
- Somerset, KY18 mi
- Liberty, KY18 mi
- Junction City, KY19 mi
- Paint Lick, KY20 mi
- Lancaster, KY22 mi
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