Flash Flooding in Kentucky, May 17, 2002

Name: Flash Flooding in Kentucky, May 17, 2002
Start: 2002-05-17T03:45
End: 2002-05-17T13:00
Location: Kentucky

May 17, 2002 · NWS PAH · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

Thunderstorms dumped 2 to 4 inches of rain over parts of western Kentucky. 5 inches.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $8,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS PAH wrote it up.

Thunderstorms dumped 2 to 4 inches of rain over parts of western Kentucky. The National Weather Service office in Paducah measured 3.22 inches, bringing the rainfall total since May 1 to nearly 8.5 inches. Several houses on Kentucky 1129 near Cayce in Fulton County were surrounded by rising water, isolating them. Kentucky 239 in Fulton and Hickman Counties was one of dozens of state and county roads that were closed across western Kentucky. Other major roads were affected. Highway 121 at New Concord in Calloway County was closed. In Marshall County, Wadesboro Road was washed out and closed. At Mayfield, a roadway collapsed due to erosion along the side of a bridge.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 17, 2:00 AM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 17, 2:00 AM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
300 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

WILL BE BRIEF DO TO ONGOING FLOODING SITUATION...

CURRENT RADAR AND MODEL TRENDS INDICATE THE HIGHEST POTENTIAL FOR
HEAVY RAIN TODAY WILL BE OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST
AREA...ESPECIALLY SE MO AND WRN KY. SOME AREAS OF SE MO HAVE ALREADY
PICKED UP 2 TO 3 INCHES SINCE 00Z (2.64 AT CGI)...WITH MORE ON THE
WAY. ALREADY NUMEROUS FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS OUT...WITH MORE TO COME
IN THE NEAR FUTURE FARTHER SOUTH AND EAST.

WITH RIVERS ALREADY IN FLOOD...AND GROUNDS FAIRLY SATURATED FM
RECENT HEAVY RAINS...ITS PRETTY MUCH A NO BRAINER TO CONTINUE FLOOD
WATCH FOR TODAY...EVEN IN NORTHERN AREAS WHERE RAINFALL MAY NOT BE
AS HEAVY. SPC TARGETS SOUTHERN AREAS WITH SLIGHT RISK OF
SEVERE...THOUGH I REALLY THINK CURRENT CONVECTION IN THAT REGION IS
WORKING OVER THE AIRMASS FAIRLY WELL...AND WILL BE DIFFICULT TO
RECOVER DUE TO CLOUDS/PRECIP TODAY. STILL...CANNOT RULE OUT ISOLATED
STRONG ELEVATED STORMS.

WL KEEP LINGERING EARLY FRI NIGHT CHC...THEN CLEAR OUT AS DRY AIR
MOVES IN BEHIND DEPARTING FRONT. WEEKEND-EARLY NEXT WEEK STILL LOOKS
COOL/DRY.

SCATTERED FROST NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION SAT NIGHT NORTHERN AREAS AS
DEW POINTS SETTLE INTO THE MID 30S AND WINDS GO CALM. BIG QUESTION
WILL BE WHETHER SKIES STAY CLEAR...OR WRAP AROUND STRATO CU MAKE IT
INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTH.

.PAH...FLOOD WATCH TODAY ALL OF CWA.

MEFFERT

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 16, 10:10 PM CST, 5 hours 35 minutes before

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-100-
107>112-114-171008-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1110 PM CDT THU MAY 16 2002

...HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK FOR SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS...WESTERN KENTUCKY...AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA.

THREATS...
A HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR LATE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. THIS
HEAVY RAIN WOULD LIKELY INCREASE THE CURRENT FLOODING
PROBLEMS ACROSS PARTS OF THE AREA. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM
MIDNIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY FOR THE ENTIRE REGION.

DISCUSSION...
A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MAKE ITS WAY SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE QUAD
STATE AREA TONIGHT. MOISTURE LEVELS...ALONG WITH UPPER LEVEL
DYNAMICS...WILL BE ON THE INCREASE WITH ITS APPROACH. SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGION
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MAIN PERIOD OF CONCERN WILL START
AFTER MIDNIGHT AS THE FRONT APPROACHES THE NORTHERN SECTIONS OF THE
AREA. BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON...THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BE SOUTH
AND EAST OF THE REGION. THE POTENTIAL FOR THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL IS
AFTER THE FRONT PASSES. SO...THE EXTREME NORTHERN SECTIONS MAY SEE
THE HEAVIEST RAIN TONIGHT...WHILE THE MAJORITY OF THE AREA WILL SEE
THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL TOMORROW. RAINFALL AMOUNTS TONIGHT WILL LIKELY
AVERAGE 1 INCH OVER THE NORTHERN SECTIONS...WITH GENERALLY LESS THAN
AN INCH SOUTH.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION...
SPOTTERS...ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH RAIN GAUGES...WILL BE NEEDED TO
HELP MONITOR WATER LEVELS AND REPORT RAINFALL AMOUNTS.
SPOTTERS SHOULD ALSO REPORT ANY NEW ROAD CLOSURES DUE TO THE
RAINS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW.

OUTLOOK FOR FRIDAY...
THE FLOOD WATCH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY. THERE IS ALSO A
SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS GENERALLY SOUTH OF THE OHIO
RIVER...MAINLY DURING THE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS. LARGE
HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN WILL THE MAIN THREATS. AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 AND
A HALF INCHES OF RAIN ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY.

Local storm report, May 16, 10:43 PM CST, 5 hours 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1143 PM CDT THU MAY 16 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....
1134 PM                              MO   FLOODING
05/16/02   CAPE GIRARDEAU                 AT HWY 61 BETWEEN
                                          FRUITLAND AND JACKSON
                                          FLOODING OVER ROADWAY
                                          REPORTED BY CAPE
                                          GIRARDEAU COUNTY SHERIFFS
                                          OFFICE

Local storm report, May 16, 11:31 PM CST, 4 hours 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1231 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1222 AM    CYPRESS                   IL   0.50 INCH HAIL
05/16/02   JOHNSON                        REPORTED BY JOHNSON
                                          COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE

1226 AM                              MO   FLOODING
05/16/02   BOLLINGER                      FLOODING OF HWY 51 AND
                                          HWY A...AND HWY 34 W OF
                                          MARBLE HILL REPORTED BY
                                          BOLLINGER COUNTY SHERIFFS
                                          OFFICE

Local storm report, May 16, 11:31 PM CST, 4 hours 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1231 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1222 AM    CYPRESS                   IL   0.50 INCH HAIL
05/17/02   JOHNSON                        REPORTED BY JOHNSON
                                          COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE

1226 AM                              MO   FLOODING
05/17/02   BOLLINGER                      FLOODING OF HWY 51 AND
                                          HWY A...AND HWY 34 W OF
                                          MARBLE HILL REPORTED BY
                                          BOLLINGER COUNTY SHERIFFS
                                          OFFICE

...CORRECTED FOR DATE OF REPORT...

Local storm report, May 17, 1:27 AM CST, 2 hours 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
227 AM CDT FRI MAY 17 2002

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0155 AM    JONESBORO                 IL   FLOODING
05/17/02   UNION                          HWY 127 IN JONESBORO AND
                                          HWY 146 JUST WEST OF
                                          JONESBORO REPORTED BY
                                          UNION COUNTY SHERIFFS
                                          OFFICE

The radar

The Paducah radar (KPAH), 40 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:43 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Graves

When: May 17, 3:45 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Graves County, Countywide
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.723, -88.651 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Marshall

When: May 17, 3:45 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Marshall County, Countywide
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.884, -88.329 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, McCracken

When: May 17, 3:45 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: McCracken County, Countywide
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 37.054, -88.713 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Ballard

When: May 17, 5:25 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Ballard County, Countywide
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.058, -88.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Carlisle

When: May 17, 5:25 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Carlisle County, Countywide
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.853, -88.971 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Calloway

When: May 17, 5:58 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Calloway County, Countywide
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.621, -88.272 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Muhlenberg

When: May 17, 7:56 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST
Where: Muhlenberg County, Countywide
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 37.216, -87.142 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Fulton

When: May 17, 7:59 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Fulton County, Countywide
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 36.554, -89.188 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Hickman

When: May 17, 7:59 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where: Hickman County, Countywide
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 36.678, -88.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kentucky in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Kentucky, May 2002

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5295913, 5295915, 5295916, 5295909, 5295911, 5295910, 5295917, 5295912, 5295914.