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Shively, KY Tornado History — 119 Tornadoes Since 1950

Kentucky · 25-mile radius · NOAA Storm Prediction Center

How many tornadoes has Shively, KY had?

Shively has had 119 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 11 strong to violent (EF3+) tornadoes.

When was the most recent tornado near Shively?

The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Shively was an EF0 on December 28, 2025.

When is tornado season in Shively?

April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Shively, with 28 on record. April through June account for 68 of the 119 tornadoes on record near Shively.

At a Glance

Tornadoes Since 1950
119
Within search radius
Violent (EF3+)
11
9.2% of total
Peak Month
April
28 on record
Per Year Avg
1.6
Across 76 years

Recent Tornado Activity Near Shively

The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 69 total, averaging 3.5 per year over this window.

2026 0+5 prelim
2025 5
2024 7
2023 10
2022 4
2021 2
2020 0
2019 1
2018 3
2017 2
2016 0
2015 3
2014 1
2013 2
2012 7
2011 10
2010 1
2009 1
2008 6
2007 4

Striped bars mark preliminary reports not yet confirmed by NWS survey — excluded from the confirmed counts.

Preliminary tornado reports near Shively since December 29, 2025

These are 5 preliminary reports, not confirmed tornadoes. They have not yet been through an NWS damage survey, and are not counted in the confirmed totals above.

Preliminary reports are revised, merged, and sometimes withdrawn — historically about 23% are consolidated downward once surveys complete. Ratings are omitted until a survey assigns one.

Confirmed records above are complete through December 29, 2025. NOAA publishes the confirmed archive annually, so tornadoes after that date appear here first and move into the totals above once finalized.

Preliminary EF1° July 21, 2026
1 SSW West Point, Hardin County, KY
A brief EF1 tornado occurred along Railroad Trestle Road... causing tree damage to the area. The tornado was on the ground for less than 1 minute. (LMK)
Preliminary EF0° June 27, 2026
1 N Memphis, Clark County, IN
EF0 Tornado with 85 mph winds was on the ground for 0.3 miles and had a width of 25 yards. (LMK)
Preliminary EF0° June 22, 2026
1 E Valley City, Harrison County, IN
NWS survey confirmed an 85 mph EF0 tornado occurred with a width of 100 yards and length of 0.85 miles. (LMK)
Preliminary EF1° June 22, 2026
3 ENE Memphis, Clark County, IN
NWS storm survey team determined an EF1 tornado with 100 mph winds impacted portions of central Clark County on June 21... 2026. The tornado was 3.05 miles in length an (LMK)
Preliminary March 16, 2026
1 SW Fort Knox, Hardin County, KY
Point where long track tornado entered Hardin County a second time. Refer to public information statement issued by the office for more details on this tornado. (LMK)

Within 25 miles of Shively. Quoted text is the report narrative exactly as filed. Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center preliminary storm reports, updated daily.

What storm spotters reported near Shively

3 local storm reports have been filed within 25 miles of Shively and since confirmed into the NOAA archive, the earliest on April 2, 2025 and the most recent on December 28, 2025. They are already counted in the Shively totals above; quoted below is the narrative each reporting office filed at the time.

EF0° December 29, 2025
2 NW Central, Harrison County, IN
Brief EF0 tornado with peak winds around 75 mph touched down near the intersection of Lickford Bridge and Hill Grove Rds northwest of Central... IN. Most noticeable dam (LMK)
EF3° April 3, 2025
1 SSW Jeffersontown, Jefferson County, KY
NWS storm survey team determined an EF3 tornado with 145 mph winds impacted portions of Jefferson County on April 3... 2025. The tornado was 9.68 miles in length and wa (LMK)
EF1° April 3, 2025
1 NW New Albany, Floyd County, IN
An NWS storm damage survey determined an EF1 tornado occurred in New Albany. The maximum sustained wind speed was 100 mph and the maximum width was 500 yards... though (LMK)

Source: National Weather Service and trained-spotter local storm reports, relayed by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center.

Tornadoes by Decade

1960s 6
1970s 15
1980s 6
1990s 15
2000s 19
2010s 30
2020s 28

Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating

F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.

EF0 32
EF1 65
EF2 11
EF3 5
EF4 4
EF5 2

Tornadoes by Month

Jan 11
Feb 3
Mar 12
Apr 28
May 21
Jun 19
Jul 10
Aug 0
Sep 4
Oct 8
Nov 0
Dec 3

Casualties on Record Near Shively

65 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Shively since 1950, across 8 events. 872 injuries have been reported across all events. 1974 was the deadliest year on record near Shively.

The deadliest single event was an F5 on April 3, 1974, which caused 31 fatalities along a 32.0-mile track.

Notable Tornadoes Near Shively

Deadliest Tornado
F5 on April 3, 1974 — 31 fatalities, 32.0 mi path, 440 yd wide.
Costliest Tornado
F4 on April 3, 1974 — est. ~$275.0M (NOAA damage class, pre-1996 estimate).
Widest Tornado
F4 on April 3, 1974 — 1,200 yards wide.
Longest Path
F5 on April 3, 1974 — 68.0 mile track.
Most Recent
EF0 on December 28, 2025.

What the record shows near Shively

The 2010s were the busiest decade near Shively, with 30 of the 119 confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles; the 2020s have produced 28 so far. The Shively record runs from the 1960s to today.

Of the tornadoes rated near Shively, 97 reached EF0 or EF1 and 22 reached EF2 or stronger. The most intense on record near Shively is rated EF5, of which 2 are logged.

Across the last 20 years Shively has averaged 3.5 confirmed tornadoes a year within 25 miles, 69 in total. 2011 was the busiest of them with 10, and 3 of those years passed with none at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many tornadoes has Shively, KY had?
Since 1950, 119 tornadoes have been recorded within 25 miles of Shively. Data source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center.
What was the deadliest tornado near Shively?
The deadliest tornado on record within 25 miles of Shively was an F5 on April 3, 1974, which caused 31 fatalities.
When is tornado season in Shively?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Shively, with 28 tornadoes on record. Tornadoes can occur any time of year, but spring months (April–June) generally see the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
Has Shively been hit by an EF4 or EF5 tornado?
Within 25 miles of Shively, there have been 2 EF5 and 4 EF4 tornadoes recorded since 1950. EF4 and EF5 tornadoes are the most destructive ratings on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with winds above 166 mph.
When was the most recent tornado near Shively?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Shively was an EF0 on December 28, 2025.
How do I get tornado warnings for Shively?
Vortex delivers real-time tornado warnings, severe thunderstorm alerts, and SPC outlook updates for any US location via push notification and phone call. Alerts are sourced directly from the National Weather Service and updated within seconds of issuance.

Official Resources

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