Alert archive / Kentucky / Tornado Warnings in 1995

Tornado Warning 5, NWS Jackson, KY

May 18, 1995Perry County, Kentucky

NWS Jackson, KY issued this tornado warning at May 18, 1995, 5:34 PM EDT for Perry County, Kentucky. It was in force for 11 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 18, 1995, 5:34 PM EDT (21:34 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 1995, 5:45 PM EDT
In force
11 min
Issued by
NWS Jackson, KY
Area
Whole counties

County Perry County, KY

The nearest sounding before it

Huntington/Tri S, WV (KHTS), launched 12:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 140 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Huntington/Tri S, WV at 12:00Z on 1995-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 550 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Huntington/Tri S, WV at 12:00Z on 1995-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 371 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
550 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-87 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
971 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
67 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
371 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
379 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
4.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KJKL 182133
TORJKL
KYC193-182145-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
534 PM EDT THU MAY 18 1995
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  545 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION   ...
 
IN SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY
 
   ...SOUTHERN PERRY COUNTY
 
AT 530 PM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A POSSIBLE TORNADO 20 MILES SOUTH OF
HAZARD OR NEAR THE TOWN OF LEATHERWOOD IN SOUTHERN PERRY COUNTY. THIS
STORM WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MPH AND WILL AFFEC SOUTHERN PERRY
THROUGH 545PM. TOWNS IN THE PATH INCLUDE DELPHIA AND TILFORD.
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBiENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 18, 12:00 PM EDT, 5 hours 34 minutes before
KYZ069-086>088-106-108>118-120-181600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KENTUCKY
NOON EDT THU MAY 18 1995

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY TODAY...
.TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT TIL 3 PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
BELL...BREATHITT...CLAY...FLOYD...HARLAN...KNOTT...KNOX...LESLIE...
LETCHER...MAGOFFIN...PERRY...PIKE

AT 12 NOON...NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED ON RADAR IN
SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY...HOWEVER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL
POSSIBLE. AN AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN IN CENTRAL KENTUCKY
WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY BY 2 PM.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES
AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN
THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS
DS
CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS OR CUSHIONS TO
COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.

STAMPER
Special weather statement, May 18, 12:03 PM EDT, 5 hours 31 minutes before
KYZ069-086>088-106-108>118-120-181600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KENTUCKY
NOON EDT THU MAY 18 1995

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY TODAY...
.TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT TIL 3 PM FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
BELL...BREATHITT...CLAY...FLOYD...HARLAN...KNOTT...KNOX...LESLIE...
LETCHER...MAGOFFIN...PERRY...PIKE

AT 12 NOON...NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED ON RADAR IN
SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY...HOWEVER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL
POSSIBLE. AN AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN IN CENTRAL KENTUCKY
WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY BY 2 PM.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOES
AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PERSONS IN
THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS
DS
Special weather statement, May 18, 12:48 PM EDT, 4 hours 46 minutes before
KYZ069-086>088-106-108>118-120-181800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KENTUCKY
1248 PM EDT THU MAY 18 1995

.TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM FOR ALL COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST
KENTUCKY EXCEPT MORGAN...WOLFE...LEE...OWSLEY AND JACKSON...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

NO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE INDICATED ON RADAR IN SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY
AT 1245 PM. AN AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WAS LOCATED OVER
JACKSON COUNTY AND JUST WEST OF JENKINS IN LETCHER COUNTY. MORE
STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVEtRE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS LIVING IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND PEOPLE IN
FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD MONITOR WATER LEVELS CLOSELY.

WHP
Special weather statement, May 18, 1:08 PM EDT, 4 hours 26 minutes before
KYZ069-086>088-106-108>118-120-181900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KENTUCKY
108 PM EDT THU MAY 18 1995

THE TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY.
THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY
THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE GROUNDS ARE SATURATED OVER SOUTHEAST
KENTUCKY AND WITH MORE RAIN ON THE WAY FLASH FLOODING WILL BE A THREAT
THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

IF YOU LIVE IN A FLOOD PRONE AREA BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR RAPIDLY RISING
WATER AND MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF THIS IS OBSERVED. IF YOU ARE
TRAVELLING WATCH FOR WATER COVERED ROADS AND DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
ANY ROADS COVERED WITH FLOWING WATER.

WHP

The office that day

Everything else NWS Jackson, KY issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 18, 8:24 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLJackson, Lee, Owsley, Wolfe51 min
May 18, 8:46 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLMorgan29 min
May 18, 10:09 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLKnott, Leslie, Perry36 min
May 18, 10:09 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLFloyd36 min
May 18, 10:25 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLLetcher, Pike35 min
May 18, 3:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLJackson, Lee35 min
May 18, 3:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLWolfe35 min
May 18, 4:01 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLOwsley29 min
May 18, 4:06 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLClay, Knox39 min
May 18, 4:23 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningJKLKnox22 min
May 18, 4:23 PM EDTTornado WarningJKLKnox67 min
May 18, 4:44 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningJKLClay31 min
May 18, 4:44 PM EDTTornado WarningJKLClay61 min
May 18, 5:04 PM EDTTornado WarningJKLPerry26 min
May 18, 5:20 PM EDTTornado WarningJKLLetcher40 min
May 18, 5:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningJKLFloyd, Knott, Pike47 min
May 18, 7:21 PM EDTTornado WarningJKLJackson39 min
May 18, 7:38 PM EDTTornado WarningJKLLee, Wolfe37 min
May 18, 7:50 PM EDTTornado WarningJKLJackson40 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Kentucky, 1995Every tornado warning in 1995Tornadoes in 1995

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.