NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit West Liberty, 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 West Liberty, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Opal in 1995. Since 1950, 21 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 2 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 21
- EF3 or stronger
- 2
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
12 deaths in all
What the records show for West Liberty
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed West Liberty; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 43 miles away. The record near West Liberty begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Opal in 1995, a tropical storm 32 miles away. None of the 6 systems has come since 2000. West Liberty has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 52% of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site. The highest rating among the 21 tornadoes within 25 miles is EF3, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 2, 2012, came within 2 miles. Of the 21, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 12 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2023. Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 91% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than West Liberty. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 39 times since 1973, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 77% have more hail reports within 10 miles than West Liberty.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near West Liberty
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 2 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 17 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 43 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 West Liberty: 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 West Liberty
By decade
- 2020s1
- 2010s7(2 EF3+)
- 2000s4
- 1990s7
- 1970s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 2 mi | 84.99 mi | 10 / 118 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 15 mi | 49.04 mi | 2 / 37 |
| Feb 29, 2012 | EF2 | 4 mi | 6.32 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 18, 1995 | F2 | 23 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 29, 1972 | F2 | 11 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| May 16, 2023 | EF1 | 19 mi | 0.67 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 7, 2014 | EF1 | 25 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 28, 2011 | EF1 | 15 mi | 0.25 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 14, 2009 | EF1 | 12 mi | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F1 | 20 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F1 | 4 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F1 | 16 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 21, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in West Liberty
The Storm Prediction Center has 39 hail reports within 10 miles of West Liberty since 1973, made on 29 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on March 2, 2012. The most recent report is from April 30, 2025. May has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in West Liberty
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is W Liberty 3NW, KY, 4 miles west of West Liberty at 780 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 43°F and 22°F. July is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 47.0 inches over 87 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 30 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 141 nights a year. Snowfall averages 12.3 inches a year, most of it in February. That 47.0 inches is more than at 13 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (14%). Salyersville, 16 miles southeast, has its own station (Jackson, KY): 52.1 inches a year, 5.1 more than here, and a July average high of 85°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 22 | 3.7 | 7 | 3.7 |
| Feb | 47 | 24 | 3.2 | 7 | 4.7 |
| Mar | 57 | 30 | 4.3 | 9 | 1.4 |
| Apr | 69 | 38 | 3.9 | 8 | 0.1 |
| May | 76 | 49 | 4.5 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 58 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 63 | 5.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 61 | 3.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 53 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 40 | 3.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 30 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Dec | 47 | 26 | 4.2 | 8 | 2.1 |
| Year | 67 | 41 | 47.0 | 87 | 12.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at W Liberty 3NW, KY (780 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 West Liberty
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 228 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of West Liberty: 186 thunderstorm wind reports, 19 flash floods, 18 floods and 5 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $884,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on August 4, 2004. May has had the most flash floods, 5 of 19. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 96 have had fewer than West Liberty.
September 12, 2020: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of West Liberty — $150,000 damage.
NWS: “Morgan County Dispatch reported that Cow Branch Road was closed near the community of Lenox due to water over the road, making it impassable. The EM then reported that cars had been washed down the creek, and houses had been inundated from the high water.”
September 12, 2020: flash flood 3 miles from the centre of West Liberty — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Emergency Management reported extensive flash flooding and damage along War Creek Road as War Creek quickly swelled out of its banks. This led to damages to cars and houses along the road.”
September 12, 2020: flash flood 1 mile from the centre of West Liberty — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Law enforcement reported portions of Prestonsburg Street and Spaws Creek Road had been closed due to flood waters over the road after two rounds of heavy rain moved through the location.”
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 West Liberty's ZIP code 41472 have filed 36 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1981, and were paid $1.0 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 33% 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, 68 have fewer than West Liberty.
Morgan County, which includes West Liberty, has been named in 34 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1978, 27 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 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 Morgan County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.8 million a year, the 91st highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.1 million (75%), 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 West Liberty
- Sandy Hook, KY13 mi
- Salyersville, KY16 mi
- Clearfield, KY18 mi
- Morehead, KY21 mi
- Campton, KY21 mi
- Frenchburg, KY22 mi
- Staffordsville, KY22 mi
- Salt Lick, KY23 mi
- Hagerhill, KY25 mi
- Olive Hill, KY25 mi
- Paintsville, KY26 mi
- Jackson, KY28 mi
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