Danville
Population 17,736 (2025)
73 tornadoes have tracked within 25 miles of Danville since 1950, 5 of them rated EF3 or F3 or stronger; the most recent was on October 19, 2025.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths within 25 miles since 195073
- Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger3
At a glance
Tornado paths within 25 miles, tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles and wildfire perimeters within 25 miles of the city centre. Storm events, flood insurance claims and disaster declarations are for Boyle County. Earthquakes within 50 miles, volcanoes within 100 miles and smoke days are measured from the city centre; river and tide gauges, tsunami and landslide records and the drought index are for Boyle County.
Strongest tornado
F4
April 3, 1974, 31.9 mile path
Strongest tropical cyclone
TS
Tropical storm (unnamed), 1888, 27.8 miles away
Tornadoes
About one tornado a year since 1950, 5 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
April 3, 1974
F4, 31.9 mile path
10 yards wide; 7 killed along the whole path.
Most recent
Sunday, October 19, 2025
EF1, 0.7 mile path
Within the past year.
Every recorded tornado
| Oct 19, 2025 | EF1 | 0.7 | 0 | 0 |
| May 30, 2025 | EF1 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 |
| May 30, 2025 | EF2 | 5.5 | 14 | 1 |
| Apr 3, 2025 | EF1 | 8.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 1.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2, 2024 | EF1 | 2.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 18, 2023 | EF0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 2, 2023 | EF1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | EF1 | 0.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | EF1 | 3.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF1 | 0.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF1 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF1 | 7.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF1 | 3.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF2 | 0.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF1 | 1.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF3 | 14.5 | 31 | 1 |
| Apr 3, 2018 | EF1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 24, 2018 | EF1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 4, 2016 | EF1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 28, 2011 | EF1 | 8.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 24, 2010 | EF1 | 1.8 | 0 | 0 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF3 | 21.1 | 15 | 2 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF1 | 7.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 6, 2008 | EF1 | 0.9 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 6, 2008 | EF2 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 6, 2008 | EF1 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 18, 2007 | EF0 | 0.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 2, 2006 | F2 | 8.7 | 2 | 0 |
| May 11, 2003 | F1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 11, 2003 | F2 | 7.0 | 8 | 1 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 9, 2000 | F1 | 1.5 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 20, 2000 | F1 | 1.8 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 20, 2000 | F1 | 1.0 | 4 | 0 |
| Aug 19, 1999 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| May 13, 1998 | F0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 28, 1996 | F0 | 12.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 28, 1996 | F0 | 10.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 5, 1996 | F0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 20, 1996 | F1 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 20, 1996 | F2 | 12.0 | 7 | 0 |
| May 18, 1995 | F2 | 1.0 | 8 | 0 |
| May 18, 1995 | F2 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 13, 1995 | F0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov 14, 1993 | F1 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 18, 1992 | F0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 18, 1992 | F0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 8, 1991 | F1 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 21, 1990 | F1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2, 1989 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 7, 1985 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 12, 1983 | F0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 2, 1980 | F1 | 5.6 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 2, 1980 | F1 | 0.1 | 1 | 0 |
| Oct 1, 1977 | F2 | 2.0 | 16 | 0 |
| Apr 21, 1976 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 4.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 31.9 | 28 | 7 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 16.2 | 10 | 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 21.1 | 98 | 1 |
| Jun 27, 1973 | F1 | 0.9 | 0 | 0 |
| May 25, 1973 | F1 | 0.1 | 2 | 0 |
| Apr 21, 1972 | F2 | 5.1 | 0 | 0 |
| May 6, 1971 | F1 | 30.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 23, 1968 | F2 | 3.3 | 3 | 0 |
| May 14, 1967 | F0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 12, 1967 | F2 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 4, 1955 | F3 | 8.9 | 2 | 0 |
| Aug 2, 1954 | F2 | 15.1 | 0 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
- Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.
Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
3 passed within 50 miles since 1851; none at hurricane strength.
Strongest within 50 miles
August 21, 1888
Unnamed storm, Tropical storm
27.8 miles at closest approach, winds near 52 mph.
Most recent
September 27, 2024
Helene, Remnant low
47.1 miles at closest approach.
Every storm within 100 miles
- Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.
National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.
Wildfire and smoke
No large wildfire has been mapped within 25 miles since satellite mapping began in 1984.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2023: 53 days
Heavy smoke on 13 days in 2023, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
14.6 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
9 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 34 so far in 2026.
- A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.
NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Floods and flood insurance
15 federal flood insurance claims since 1984, with $169,000 paid.
Flood insurance figures are for Boyle County, the county that contains Danville.
Claims by ZIP code
| 40468 | 7 | $52,000 |
| 40422 | 5 | $34,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flash Flood18
- Flood6
- Heavy Rain1
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).
OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 201 of 1,581 months since 1895 (13%); the longest spell lasted 32 months.
The drought index is for Boyle County, the county that contains Danville.
201
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
63
Months in extreme drought
13%
Share of all months, severe or worse
Lowest reading
January 1931
−6.80, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
32 months
October 1899 to May 1902.
Latest month
September 2026
+1.40, slightly wet
Last severe month: December 2023.
- The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.
NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.
Earthquakes and landslides
9 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more within 50 miles since 1980; none reached magnitude 4.
2
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
0
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
0
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
August 22, 1980
Magnitude 3.1
5 km SSW of Lawrenceburg, Kentucky; 25.8 miles away, 3.1 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
December 28, 2025
Magnitude 3.1
11 km ENE of Lancaster, Kentucky; 17.5 miles away.
- Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
- Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Mapped landslides
Landslides mapped in Boyle County.
4
Landslides mapped, probable or better
1
With a recorded date
1
Source inventory
Mapped by KY GS (4).
- Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.
USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.
Severe weather and other events
220 events in the National Weather Service record for Boyle County, 168 of them since 1996.
27
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
3
Hail, 2 inches or larger
68
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
31
Winter weather events since 1996
0
Heat events since 1996
5
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
April 25, 2015
3.00 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
November 9, 2000
81 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 1 | 0 |
Costliest events since 1996
- Feb 15, 2003Ice Storm, Boyle$800,000
National Weather Service narrative
Light to occasionally moderate freezing rain began on the evening of the 15th, and continued through the evening of the 16th. Reports of ice accumulations of an inch were common along and north of Interstate 64, from Frankfort to Winchester. The hardest hit areas were in and around the cities of Frankfort and Lexington, where up to an inch and a quarter of ice accumulation was observed. A 78 year old male in Lawrenceburg in Anderson County died of injuries sustained when he was struck by a falling, ice covered, tree limb. After the storm, it is estimated that nearly 125,000 residents were without power for up to five days or more. Most of the property damage was reported in the…
- Jul 19, 1996Flash Flood$500,000
National Weather Service narrative
Several roads were washed out, a roof collapsed from a bank and several homes were flooded across the county as up to 7 inches of rain fell from the late afternoon into the evening over about a 5 hour period. Also, 2 people were rescued from high waters, several cars were swept away and 2 people were rescued from a truck by emergency personel. The county judge declared a disaster emergency for Boyle county.
- Apr 3, 2018Tornado$250,000
National Weather Service narrative
A small tornado touched down from a supercell thunderstorm on top of a tall hill along Highway 1822 and quickly destroyed one large barn used to store hay, severely damaging another medium sized barn, and destroyed fencing. The tornado did some damage to a grain silo along with some tree damage. An antique horse sled was picked up and moved about 10 feet. ||The tornado briefly lifted in a valley before striking a residence on the east side of Highway 1822 and lifting the roof off a family residence. Insulation from the roof was thrown eastward and also rotated back and covered the back of the house. ||Further east on Webster Rd, another one story family residence sustained…
- Apr 25, 2015Hail$80,000
National Weather Service narrative
Tennis ball size hail fell on the north side of Danville, as reported by the public.
- Mar 2, 1997Thunderstorm Wind$50,000
National Weather Service narrative
2 businesses and 2 mobile homes had roofs blown off in the southeastern part of Danville. The structures also recieved further minor damage. Many barns were also flattened, and numerous trees were downed. Also, in the western part of the county, a church had eextensive damage estimated at $20,000, and many trees were down there also. Most of the damage in the western part of the county was along highway 68.
- Apr 5, 2017Thunderstorm Wind$30,000
National Weather Service narrative
The Boyle County emergency manager reported trees and power lines down at Highway 34 and Taylor Road.
- Jul 14, 2016Thunderstorm Wind$25,000
National Weather Service narrative
Local media reported several trees and power lines down across the county.
- May 2, 2010Flash Flood$25,000
National Weather Service narrative
There were numerous reports of flooded and closed roads countywide. Five homes were evacuated due to rising water in a subdivision of Perryville.
- May 8, 2009Flash Flood$20,000
National Weather Service narrative
A long-lived bow echo that had produced widespread wind damage over southern Illinois moved east into Kentucky during the late morning hours. As it moved east, the system encountered a strengthening low-level jet across the Ohio Valley, which helped modify the motion of the line, resulting in training storms of extremely heavy rain that caused flash flooding. Individual storms developing ahead of the line continued to produce damaging winds, with two storms producing tornadoes, before the main area of convection moved through. ||NWS damage surveys determined the tornado in south-central Kentucky to be EF-1 in intensity, while the east-central Kentucky was ranked as a strong EF-3.…
- Apr 14, 2015Flood$20,000
National Weather Service narrative
The public reported that several mobile homes were flooded.
- Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.
Weather records
From Lexington Bluegrass Airport, 28.7 miles from the city centre, with records from 1872.
- All-time high
- 108°F2 times, most recently Jul 15, 1936
- All-time low
- −21°FJan 24, 1963
- Warmest night
- 83°FJul 8, 1874
- Coldest day
- −3°F2 times, most recently Jan 12, 1918
- Wettest day
- 8.04 inAug 2, 1932
- Snowiest day
- 13.4 inJan 26, 1943
- Hottest year
- 2024mean 59.8°F
- Coldest year
- 1917mean 52.3°F
- Wettest year
- 201871.98 in
- Driest year
- 193024.89 in
- Snowiest season
- 55.4 in1916-17
Median first snow
November 27
Earliest: October 19, 1972
Median last snow
March 22
Latest: May 20, 1894
0 of 137 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Lexington Bluegrass Airport (USW00093820), 962 ft elevation, 28.7 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1872 to October 27, 2026; 100.0% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.
NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.
Federal disaster declarations
21 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Winter Storm, January 24, 2026.
Declarations for Boyle County.
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | EM-3633-KY |
| Apr 3, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3626-KY |
| Feb 16, 2025 | Severe Storm | EM-3624-KY |
| Apr 10, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4702-KY |
| Mar 31, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-4592-KY |
| Mar 28, 2020 | Biological | DR-4497-KY |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3469-KY |
| Apr 30, 2015 | Snowstorm | DR-4216-KY |
| May 11, 2010 | Severe Storm | DR-1912-KY |
| Feb 5, 2009 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-1818-KY |
| Jan 28, 2009 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3302-KY |
| Sep 10, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3231-KY |
| Jun 10, 2004 | Severe Storm | DR-1523-KY |
| Jun 3, 2003 | Severe Storm | DR-1471-KY |
| May 7, 2002 | Severe Storm | DR-1414-KY |
| Mar 3, 1998 | Severe Storm | DR-1207-KY |
| Mar 4, 1997 | Severe Storm | DR-1163-KY |
| Jan 13, 1996 | Snowstorm | DR-1089-KY |
| Mar 16, 1994 | Snowstorm | DR-1018-KY |
| Mar 16, 1993 | Snowstorm | EM-3104-KY |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | DR-420-KY |
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).
OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.
Sources and vintage
Every number on this page comes from these public records.
- Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
- Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
- Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
- Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
- Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
- Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00093820.
- River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
- Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
- Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.
Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.