76
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
1
Direct injuries
$20.3M
Property damage
Hail in McCracken County, Kentucky: 76 recorded events between 1956 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 2.5. That places the county #1,770 nationally and #22 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Hail in McCracken County, Kentucky: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for hail in McCracken County is the 2010s, when 23 of the county's 76 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the McCracken County archive, hail makes up 14.5% of all recorded severe weather across 9 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,770 for this hazard and #22 within Kentucky, putting it in the 43.2 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
May is the peak month for hail in McCracken County with 22 recorded events, while Feb is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2003 | MASSAC | 2.5 | 0 | 1 | $20.0M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 16, 2025 | CECIL | 1.75 | $0 |
| May 16, 2025 | HEATH | 1.25 | $0 |
| May 16, 2025 | HEATH | 1.75 | $25K |
| May 16, 2025 | GRAHAMVILLE | 1.75 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | LONE OAK | 1 | $0 |
| May 9, 2024 | MASSAC | 1.25 | $0 |
| May 7, 2023 | HEATH | 1 | $0 |
| Apr 15, 2023 | REIDLAND | 0.88 | $0 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | REIDLAND | 1.75 | $150K |
| Dec 6, 2021 | PADUCAH | 0.75 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from McCracken County
- Thunderstorm Wind 217
- Flash Flood 73
- Flood 70
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Hail up to the size of golf balls was reported in the Reidland area. Numerous houses in a subdivision near exit 16 off Interstate 24 sustained roof damage. The vast majority of the hailstones were smaller than quarters. Copious amounts of hail covered the ground in some places, especially along Interstate 24 around exit 16. There was enough hail to cause a vehicle accident near exit 16. Small drifts of hail were still visible along the interstate into the early afternoon hours.
A swath of large hail from quarter to half-dollar size extended from Lone Oak through the Barkley Airport area. Hailstones up to half-dollar size fell at the Paducah National Weather Service office. Vehicles were dented.
A severe thunderstorm tracked east across McCracken County, producing a swath of large hail from Barkley Regional Airport to downtown Paducah. At the National Weather Service office at Barkley Airport, dime to quarter size hail nearly covered the ground. Hail nearly the size of golf balls fell in the vicinity of the junction of Interstate 24 and U.S. Highway 60. A restaurant reported hail broke small holes in a drive-through menu board, as well as breaking neon lights around the building. Insurance companies reported about 25 claims for hail damage, mostly in the retail and restaurant area off Interstate 24. Most of the claims were for dings on vehicle roofs and hoods.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many hail events are on record in McCracken County, Kentucky?
76 hail events are recorded in McCracken County between 1956 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths.
What is the strongest hail recorded in McCracken County?
The strongest hail on record in McCracken County measured 2.5.
Where does the hail data for McCracken County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Hail in McCracken County, Kentucky.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/kentucky/mccracken-county/hail/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.