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Hail in Nelson County, Kentucky
72 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 72 hail events in Nelson County, Kentucky, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 25 years.
April is the busiest month, with 24 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 47 events against 22 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.1% of the 6,621 hail events recorded in Kentucky; its 17.2 per 100 square miles compares with 16.8 statewide.
18 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 4.50 inches (grapefruit size).
Compared with Kentucky
| Measure | Nelson County | Kentucky | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 72 | 6,621 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 17.2 | 16.8 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 15.3 | 14.7 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 1 | 29 |
| Busiest month | April | May | May |
By year
Seasonality
2Feb
3Mar
11Apr
24May
16Jun
6Jul
3Aug
3Sep
0Oct
0Nov
3Dec
1
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 72 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Feb 2026 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 2025 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 2025 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Mar 2024 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Feb 2024 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Feb 2024 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Nov 2022 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Nov 2022 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2022 | Hail | 2.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2022 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2022 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 May 2022 | Hail | 2.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Mar 2021 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Mar 2021 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2018 | Hail | 2.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 Jul 2018 | Hail | 2.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 2018 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 2017 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 2017 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 2017 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 2017 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 2017 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Apr 2017 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Mar 2017 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Mar 2017 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Mar 2017 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 2016 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Dec 2015 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Apr 2015 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Apr 2015 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Apr 2015 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Apr 2015 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 Apr 2015 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Apr 2015 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 May 2011 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 2011 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 2011 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Apr 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Apr 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Mar 2010 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Mar 2010 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2009 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2009 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 17 Jun 2009 | Hail | 2.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 2009 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 2009 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 2007 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jan 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jan 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jul 2004 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Aug 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2002 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2002 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2002 | Hail | 2.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2002 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2002 | Hail | 4.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Mar 2002 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Mar 2002 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Mar 2002 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 8 Aug 2000 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Apr 1997 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Apr 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Apr 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 May 1996 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 1995 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 1995 | Hail | 2.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Nov 1989 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 1986 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | 1 | County |
| 30 Aug 1985 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 1981 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Nelson County had?
72 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 Nelson County?
19 Feb 2026 (Hail, 1.00 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Nelson County?
NCEI records no damage estimate for events of this type in the county.
How does Nelson County compare with Kentucky for hail?
17.2 events per 100 square miles against 16.8 statewide; the county holds 72 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.