Alert archive / Kentucky / Tornado Watches in 2006
Tornado Watch 397
The Storm Prediction Center issued this tornado watch at May 25, 2006, 5:16 PM CDT for 4 states. It was in force for 8 hr.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 25, 2006, 5:16 PM CDT (22:16 UTC)
- Expired
- May 26, 2006, 1:00 AM CDT
- In force
- 8 hr
- Issued by
- the Storm Prediction Center
- Largest hail expected
- 3 in
- Strongest gust expected
- 70 kt
All 98 counties
Alexander County, IL, Gallatin County, IL, Hardin County, IL, Jackson County, IL, Johnson County, IL, Massac County, IL, Pope County, IL, Pulaski County, IL, Saline County, IL, Union County, IL, Williamson County, IL, Adair County, KY, Allen County, KY, Ballard County, KY, Barren County, KY, Boyle County, KY, Breckinridge County, KY, Butler County, KY, Caldwell County, KY, Calloway County, KY, Carlisle County, KY, Casey County, KY, Christian County, KY, Clinton County, KY, Crittenden County, KY, Cumberland County, KY, Daviess County, KY, Edmonson County, KY, Fulton County, KY, Garrard County, KY, Graves County, KY, Grayson County, KY, Green County, KY, Hancock County, KY, Hardin County, KY, Hart County, KY, Henderson County, KY, Hickman County, KY, Hopkins County, KY, Jessamine County, KY, Larue County, KY, Lincoln County, KY, Livingston County, KY, Logan County, KY, Lyon County, KY, Madison County, KY, Marion County, KY, Marshall County, KY, McCracken County, KY, McCreary County, KY, McLean County, KY, Meade County, KY, Mercer County, KY, Metcalfe County, KY, Monroe County, KY, Muhlenberg County, KY, Nelson County, KY, Ohio County, KY, Pulaski County, KY, Rockcastle County, KY, Russell County, KY, Simpson County, KY, Taylor County, KY, Todd County, KY, Trigg County, KY, Union County, KY, Warren County, KY, Washington County, KY, Wayne County, KY, Webster County, KY, Bollinger County, MO, Cape Girardeau County, MO, Dunklin County, MO, Mississippi County, MO, New Madrid County, MO, Pemiscot County, MO, Perry County, MO, Scott County, MO, Stoddard County, MO, Benton County, TN, Carroll County, TN, Cheatham County, TN, Clay County, TN, Dickson County, TN, Dyer County, TN, Gibson County, TN, Henry County, TN, Houston County, TN, Humphreys County, TN, Lake County, TN, Macon County, TN, Montgomery County, TN, Obion County, TN, Pickett County, TN, Robertson County, TN, Stewart County, TN, Sumner County, TN, Weakley County, TN
What SPC expected
The probabilities SPC published with the watch, for the watch area over its life.
- Two or more tornadoes
- 40%
- One or more EF2 to EF5 tornadoes
- 20%
- Ten or more severe wind reports
- 60%
- One or more gusts of 65 knots or more
- 30%
- Ten or more severe hail reports
- 80%
- One or more hailstones of 2 inches or more
- 30%
- Six or more combined severe hail and wind reports
- 90%
Warnings issued inside it
111 tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for its counties while it was in force.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 25, 5:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Bollinger | 41 min |
| May 25, 5:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Williamson | 25 min |
| May 25, 5:26 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Hancock | 34 min |
| May 25, 5:35 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | PAH | Stoddard | 40 min |
| May 25, 5:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Johnson | 51 min |
| May 25, 5:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Pope, Saline | 43 min |
| May 25, 5:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Breckinridge | 43 min |
| May 25, 5:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Cape Girardeau | 57 min |
| May 25, 5:50 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Gallatin | 25 min |
| May 25, 5:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Meade | 52 min |
| May 25, 5:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Daviess, Henderson, McLean, Webster | 50 min |
| May 25, 5:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Bollinger | 35 min |
| May 25, 6:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | New Madrid, Scott | 74 min |
| May 25, 6:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Alexander, Pulaski, Union | 53 min |
| May 25, 6:10 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | PAH | Stoddard | 50 min |
| May 25, 6:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Johnson, Massac | 44 min |
| May 25, 6:30 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | PAH | Daviess | 45 min |
| May 25, 6:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Hardin | 44 min |
| May 25, 6:40 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | PAH | Mississippi, New Madrid, Scott | 65 min |
| May 25, 6:41 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Breckinridge | 34 min |
| May 25, 6:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Gallatin | 30 min |
| May 25, 6:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Ohio | 26 min |
| May 25, 6:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Crittenden, Union, Webster | 39 min |
| May 25, 6:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Meade | 31 min |
| May 25, 7:01 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Nelson | 44 min |
| May 25, 7:07 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Stoddard | 53 min |
| May 25, 7:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Mercer, Woodford | 46 min |
| May 25, 7:15 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Hardin | 45 min |
| May 25, 7:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Grayson | 39 min |
| May 25, 7:27 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Fayette, Jessamine, Scott | 48 min |
| May 25, 7:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Gallatin, Saline | 46 min |
| May 25, 7:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Breckinridge, Hancock | 43 min |
| May 25, 7:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Hopkins | 24 min |
| May 25, 7:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Mississippi, New Madrid, Scott | 66 min |
| May 25, 7:45 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Fulton, Hickman | 90 min |
| May 25, 7:47 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | McLean, Muhlenberg | 43 min |
| May 25, 7:48 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Clark, Madison | 42 min |
| May 25, 7:51 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Stoddard | 54 min |
| May 25, 7:55 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LMK | Grayson | 35 min |
| May 25, 7:55 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Carlisle | 65 min |
| May 25, 7:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Alexander, Pulaski | 64 min |
| May 25, 8:02 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Larue, Nelson | 43 min |
| May 25, 8:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Washington | 35 min |
| May 25, 8:11 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LMK | Hardin | 34 min |
| May 25, 8:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Breckinridge | 47 min |
| May 25, 8:14 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Gallatin | 46 min |
| May 25, 8:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Daviess | 16 min |
| May 25, 8:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Ballard | 58 min |
| May 25, 8:24 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Hardin | 51 min |
| May 25, 8:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Massac | 65 min |
| May 25, 8:26 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LMK | Madison, Marion | 77 days |
| May 25, 8:29 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Larue | 46 min |
| May 25, 8:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Union | 43 min |
| May 25, 8:33 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Graves | 87 min |
| May 25, 8:35 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | LMK | Breckinridge | 3 hr |
| May 25, 8:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Lake, Obion | 54 min |
| May 25, 8:37 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Mercer | 38 min |
| May 25, 8:38 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | New Madrid | 67 min |
| May 25, 8:43 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LMK | Hancock, Washington | 120 days |
| May 25, 8:44 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Scott, Stoddard | 61 min |
| May 25, 8:45 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | LMK | Hardin | 3 hr |
| May 25, 8:52 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Carlisle | 68 min |
| May 25, 8:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Daviess, Hopkins, McLean, Webster | 49 min |
| May 25, 9:06 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Garrard, Jessamine | 24 min |
| May 25, 9:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Marion | 47 min |
| May 25, 9:16 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Fulton | 29 min |
| May 25, 9:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Calloway | 24 min |
| May 25, 9:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Green, Taylor | 47 min |
| May 25, 9:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Lake, Obion | 62 min |
| May 25, 9:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OHX | Stewart | 45 min |
| May 25, 9:35 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Madison | 25 min |
| May 25, 9:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Grayson | 39 min |
| May 25, 9:40 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Stoddard | 50 min |
| May 25, 9:43 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | LMK | Larue, Marion | 3 hr |
| May 25, 9:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Muhlenberg | 37 min |
| May 25, 9:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Adair, Casey | 46 min |
| May 25, 10:04 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Butler, Edmonson | 41 min |
| May 25, 10:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | New Madrid | 50 min |
| May 25, 10:12 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OHX | Benton | 33 min |
| May 25, 10:13 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Hart | 17 min |
| May 25, 10:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Fulton | 43 min |
| May 25, 10:19 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Lincoln | 31 min |
| May 25, 10:23 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OHX | Houston | 26 min |
| May 25, 10:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Obion, Weakley | 47 min |
| May 25, 10:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JKL | Pulaski | 44 min |
| May 25, 10:31 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Green | 29 min |
| May 25, 10:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | JKL | Rockcastle | 39 min |
| May 25, 10:36 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Hart | 24 min |
| May 25, 10:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Taylor | 44 min |
| May 25, 10:46 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | PAH | Fulton | 119 min |
| May 25, 10:53 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Warren | 52 min |
| May 25, 10:56 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Green | 31 min |
| May 25, 10:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | Fulton | 48 min |
| May 25, 11:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | PAH | New Madrid | 28 min |
| May 25, 11:10 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Henry, Weakley | 50 min |
| May 25, 11:12 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | LMK | Russell, Warren | 120 days |
| May 25, 11:13 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | PAH | Fulton | 20 min |
| May 25, 11:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Obion | 25 min |
| May 25, 11:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Adair | 24 min |
| May 25, 11:28 PM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | MEG | Obion | 2 hr |
| May 25, 11:30 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OHX | Benton | 15 min |
| May 25, 11:41 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | LMK | Barren | 34 min |
| May 25, 11:46 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Obion | 44 min |
| May 25, 11:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Carroll | 41 min |
| May 26, 12:14 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OHX | Humphreys | 31 min |
| May 26, 12:23 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | OHX | Dickson, Hickman | 37 min |
| May 26, 12:24 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Weakley | 51 min |
| May 26, 12:37 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | PAH | Fulton | 113 min |
| May 26, 12:41 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Obion | 29 min |
| May 26, 12:45 AM CDT | Flash Flood Warning | LMK | Adair, Russell | 3 hr |
| May 26, 12:47 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MEG | Gibson | 28 min |
Discussions around it
SPC mesoscale discussions over the same counties from four hours before the watch to its end.
The nearest sounding before it
Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 105 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1538 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -43 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 975 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 38 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 10 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 50 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.2
- Supercell composite
- 1.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WWUS20 KWNS 252217
SEL7
SPC WW 252217
ILZ000-KYZ000-MOZ000-TNZ000-260600-
URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 397
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
515 PM CDT THU MAY 25 2006
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
SOUTHERN AND WESTERN KENTUCKY
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
NORTHWEST TENNESSEE
EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY MORNING FROM 515 PM
UNTIL 100 AM CDT.
TORNADOES...HAIL TO 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND
GUSTS TO 80 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE
AREAS.
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 50 STATUTE
MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 120 MILES EAST OF BOWLING
GREEN KENTUCKY TO 35 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CAPE GIRARDEAU MISSOURI.
FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU7).
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 AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION...CONTINUE...WW 392...WW 393...WW
394...WW 395...WW 396...
DISCUSSION...EXTREMELY UNSTABLE AIR MASS COUPLED WITH 50KT OF DEEP
LAYER SHEAR WILL SUPPORT RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF SUPERCELLS. ALONG
WITH VERY LARGE HAIL...TORNADOES ARE EXPECTED WITH MOST INTENSE
STORMS.
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 3 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE
WIND GUSTS TO 70 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO
550. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25035.
...HALESSPC that day
Everything else SPC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 8:59 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Edwards, Wabash | 91 min |
| May 25, 12:00 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas and 10 more | 2 hr |
| May 25, 1:34 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Clark, Clay, Crawford, Cumberland, Edgar, Edwards and 11 more | 7 hr |
| May 25, 2:50 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Clark, Crawford, Edgar, Edwards, Hamilton, Jasper and 5 more | 85 min |
| May 25, 3:51 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alexander, Johnson, Massac, Pulaski, Union | 54 min |
| May 25, 4:44 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Alexander, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson and 9 more | 91 min |
| May 25, 2:21 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bath, Boyd, Bracken, Campbell, Carter, Elliott and 8 more | 54 min |
| May 25, 2:43 PM CDT | Tornado Watch | SPC | Anderson, Boone, Bourbon, Bracken, Bullitt, Campbell and 22 more | 8 hr |
| May 25, 4:54 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Barry, Butler, Carter, Christian, Douglas, Greene and 18 more | 6 hr |
| May 25, 9:27 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Watch | SPC | Anderson, Bedford, Benton, Bledsoe, Bradley, Campbell and 52 more | 9 hr |
| May 25, 11:08 AM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bedford, Bledsoe, Bradley, Cannon, Carroll, Coffee and 28 more | 97 min |
| May 25, 2:14 PM CDT | Mesoscale Discussion | SPC | Bedford, Bradley, Chester, Coffee, Decatur, Franklin and 20 more | 91 min |
Nearby
Tornado Watches in Kentucky, 2006Tornado Watches in Tennessee, 2006Tornado Watches in Illinois, 2006Every tornado watch in 2006
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.