NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Williamsburg, 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 Williamsburg, Kentucky since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 25 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 25
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
21 deaths in all
What the records show for Williamsburg
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Williamsburg; the strongest was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm with 47 mph winds when its centre passed 33 miles away. The record near Williamsburg begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Helene in 2024. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Williamsburg has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 74% of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site. The highest rating among the 25 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 16, 2025, came within 25 miles. Of the 25, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 12 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 9. Of the 281 Kentucky cities, 89% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Williamsburg. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 56 times since 1968, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Williamsburg has more hail reports within 10 miles than 54% of the 281 Kentucky cities.
Compare Williamsburg's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Williamsburg
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 13 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Williamsburg: 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 Williamsburg
By decade
- 2020s3(1 EF3+)
- 2010s3(1 EF3+)
- 2000s6
- 1990s3
- 1980s2(1 EF3+)
- 1970s6(2 EF3+)
- 1960s2(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2025 | EF4 | 25 mi | 60.08 mi | 18 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 21 mi | 16.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 9, 1988 | F3 | 23 mi | 5 mi | 1 / 15 |
| Jul 27, 2014 | EF3 | 19 mi | 4.66 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 16 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 21 |
| Mar 12, 1967 | F3 | 3 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 12, 1967 | F3 | 2 mi | 23.6 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 8, 1980 | F2 | 18 mi | 11.2 mi | 2 / 9 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F2 | 19 mi | 18.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 13 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 18 mi | 19.8 mi | 0 / 22 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 21 mi | 27.4 mi | 0 / 11 |
The strongest 12 of 25, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Williamsburg
The Storm Prediction Center has 56 hail reports within 10 miles of Williamsburg since 1968, made on 40 separate days. Of these, 33 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 31, 1998. The most recent report is from May 8, 2025. May has the most reports, 18.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Williamsburg
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Williamsburg, KY, 2 miles north of Williamsburg at 940 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 25°F. December is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 52.1 inches over 87 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 20 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 113 nights a year. Snowfall averages 11.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 52.1 inches is more than at 65 of the 93 Kentucky stations used on this site (70%). Jellico, TN, 9 miles south, has its own station (Newcomb, TN): 54.6 inches a year, 2.5 more than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 25 | 4.2 | 8 | 4.1 |
| Feb | 49 | 27 | 4.5 | 7 | 2.6 |
| Mar | 59 | 33 | 5.1 | 9 | 2.0 |
| Apr | 69 | 41 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 52 | 4.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 61 | 4.7 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 63 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 62 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 55 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 44 | 2.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 33 | 3.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 49 | 28 | 5.2 | 8 | 2.5 |
| Year | 68 | 44 | 52.1 | 87 | 11.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Williamsburg, KY (940 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 Williamsburg
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 214 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Williamsburg: 139 thunderstorm wind reports, 37 flash floods, 31 floods, 6 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 4 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $4.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 86 mph, on July 13, 2003. July has had the most flash floods, 15 of 37. Of the 281 Kentucky cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 215 have had fewer than Williamsburg.
February 21, 2014: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Williamsburg — 3 killed, $1,000 damage.
NWS: “A vehicle containing a deceased family of three was found submerged in Jellico Creek off Newman Campbell Rd. The family went missing late Thursday night and the vehicle was found early Saturday morning.”
February 6, 2020: flood 3 miles from the centre of Williamsburg — 1 killed, $4.0 million damage.
NWS: “Emergency Management reported extensive flooding in Williamsburg and elsewhere across Whitley County, especially east of town. Several swift water rescues were performed with one woman being diagnosed with hyperthermia.”
August 31, 2013: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Williamsburg — 1 injured, $10,000 damage.
NWS: “A tree fell destroying a fence, playhouse and hitting a child. The child suffered back and head injuries.”
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 Williamsburg's ZIP code 40769 have filed 16 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1984, and were paid $100,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 25% 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, 24 have fewer than Williamsburg.
Whitley County, which includes Williamsburg, has been named in 38 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 30 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 severe storms, 9 floods, 3 snowstorms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on May 29, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Whitley County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $18.0 million a year, the 33rd highest of 120 Kentucky counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $10.9 million (61%), 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.