States › Kentucky › Bell County › Hail
Hail in Bell County, Kentucky
60 hail events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Hail.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
NCEI records 60 hail events in Bell County, Kentucky, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 22 years.
April is the busiest month, with 14 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 36 events against 23 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.9% of the 6,621 hail events recorded in Kentucky; its 16.7 per 100 square miles compares with 16.8 statewide.
3 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 2.75 inches (baseball size).
Compared with Kentucky
| Measure | Bell County | Kentucky | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 60 | 6,621 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 16.7 | 16.8 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 25.1 | 14.7 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 1 | 29 |
| Busiest month | April | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
3Mar
10Apr
14May
14Jun
5Jul
6Aug
3Sep
0Oct
2Nov
3Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
NWS hail-size descriptors
- under 1 in
- pea to quarter
- 1–1.74 in
- quarter to golf ball
- 1.75–2.74 in
- golf ball to baseball
- 2.75–3.99 in
- baseball to softball
- 4 in and larger
- softball and larger
Hail size in inches as recorded by NCEI; events without a size are not binned.
Recorded events
All 60 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 May 2025 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 2025 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 2025 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 May 2025 | Hail | 1.00 in | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Apr 2024 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2022 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2022 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 2021 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 2021 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 2021 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jul 2013 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Mar 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Mar 2012 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Mar 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Mar 2012 | Hail | 2.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Mar 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Mar 2012 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Mar 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Mar 2012 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Feb 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Apr 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 2010 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 May 2010 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2010 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Feb 2009 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Feb 2009 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 9 Jul 2008 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jul 2008 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jul 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jul 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 2007 | Hail | 1.00 in | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 2007 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2007 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Oct 2006 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Oct 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Apr 2006 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Apr 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Apr 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Aug 2005 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Aug 2005 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jun 2005 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Nov 2002 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Nov 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Nov 2002 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Aug 2002 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 2001 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2000 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 1996 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 1993 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 Mar 1991 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Jul 1990 | Hail | 2.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 May 1986 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Bell County had?
60 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of hail became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded hail event in Bell County?
8 May 2025 (Hail, 1.00 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Bell County?
The hail of 8 May 2025, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $10K.
How does Bell County compare with Kentucky for hail?
16.7 events per 100 square miles against 16.8 statewide; the county holds 60 of the state's 6,621 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Hail hub and the county page.