Flash Flooding in Kentucky, April 30, 2004

Name: Flash Flooding in Kentucky, April 30, 2004
Start: 2004-04-30T15:52
End: 2004-04-30T17:00
Location: Kentucky

April 30, 2004 · NWS PAH · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Numerous streets were flooded in McCracken and Ballard Counties. S.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

Numerous streets were flooded in McCracken and Ballard Counties. In Paducah, a railroad underpass on U.S. Route 45 experienced major flooding. A vehicle stalled in the floodwaters, and the underpass became impassable. At a K-Mart parking lot in Lone Oak, a vehicle was trapped by rising water. A line of thunderstorms produced very heavy rain that caused significant street flooding lasting about an hour in duration.

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 Apr 30, 1:30 PM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 30, 1:30 PM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
230 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2004

.DISCUSSION...

NEAR TERM CONCERN IS CONVECTIVE COMPLEX MOVING EAST NORTHEAST ACROSS
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. MORNING RUC/ETA MODELS INDICATED DESTABILIZATION
AHEAD OF THE COMPLEX THIS AFTERNOON...SUPPORTIVE OF THE CONTINUED
SLOW GROWTH OBSERVED ON SATELLITE AND RADAR. MCD 514 FROM THE SPC
HAS A GOOD HANDLE ON THIS MCS. LIMITED SHEAR /500 MB WINDS AROUND 30
KTS/ AND EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER SHOULD LIMIT SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL
TO JUST ISOLATED HAIL/WIND DMG. HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL IS ALSO A
CONCERN. RECEIVED A REPORT OF .7 INCH IN 30 MINUTES FROM VAN BUREN
MISSOURI IN CARTER COUNTY AT 19Z. THE STEADY MOVEMENT OF THIS
COMPLEX SHOULD MINIMIZE FLASH FLOOD POTENTIAL...ESPECIALLY GIVEN
PAST SEVERAL DAYS OF EXCELLENT DRYING CONDITIONS.

SHORT TERM CONCERN FOR TONIGHT IS WHETHER ANOTHER MCS WILL OCCUR
OVERNIGHT. A SURFACE COLD FRONT WAS NEAR A LINE FROM KSGF TO KUIN
/QUINCY IL/ AT 18Z. THIS FRONT WILL REACH SOUTHEAST MISSOURI WELL
AFTER MIDNIGHT. THERE IS A LARGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ETA/GFS QPF FOR
LATE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY...WITH THE GFS CRANKING OUT MUCH HEAVIER
PRECIP. THIS APPEARS DUE TO THE GFS SURFACE WAVE THAT MOVES
NORTHEAST ALONG THE FRONT INTO THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY EARLY SATURDAY.
CURRENT THINKING IS THAT THE GFS IS TOO STRONG WITH THE LOW AND TOO
WET. OUR STORM TOTAL QPF FORECAST GRIDS FOR THIS EVENT WILL TOTAL 1
TO 1.5 INCHES...WHICH IS IN CLOSE AGREEMENT WITH HPC. ISOLATED
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY IN SE MISSOURI
AND SW ILLINOIS WHERE ONGOING MCS IS SATURATING THE GROUND. IF
ANOTHER MCS BECOMES MORE CERTAIN LATE TONIGHT...A FLOOD WATCH WILL
NEED TO BE CONSIDERED.

SATURDAY APPEARS TO BE A VERY WET DAY AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES SLOWLY
SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER AROUND 18Z...AND TO KHOP AREA BY
00Z. HIGHEST POTENTIAL OF SURFACE BASED CONVECTION WILL BE SOUTH AND
EAST OF PAH...WHERE SOME DIURNAL HEATING WILL OCCUR PRIOR TO FRONTAL
PASSAGE. 500 MB WINDS ARE FORECAST TO BE SOMEWHAT STRONGER /NEAR 50
KNOTS PER GFS MODEL/...SO THE POTENTIAL FOR ORGANIZED CONVECTION
APPEARS HIGHER ON SATURDAY.

THE POST FRONTAL RAINFALL WILL LIKELY LINGER INTO THE EVENING HOURS
OVER WESTERN KENTUCKY SAT NIGHT...AND CLEARING WILL BE A SLOW
PROCESS. HOWEVER...SUNDAY SHOULD START OUT WITH PLENTY OF SUNSHINE
AS DRY NORTHERLY FLOW DEEPENS. A SECONDARY COLD FRONT OR TROUGH WILL
MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS SUNDAY. THESE SUBTLE
SECONDARY TROUGHS ARE SELDOM SHOWN WELL BY THE MODELS. REGARDLESS OF
THE SURFACE PATTERN...A WELL DEFINED 700 MB TROUGH /SHOWN BY ETA/
WILL LEAD TO PLENTY OF CLOUDS AND A SMALL CHANCE OF SHOWERS. THE 700
MB TROUGH WILL EXIT THE FORECAST AREA BY 12Z MONDAY.

MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY OF NEXT WEEK APPEARS DRY WITH A WARMING TREND.
RELIED MAINLY ON ECMWF FOR THE EXTENDED FORECAST...PER HPC
DISCUSSIONS. HOWEVER...THE MORNING GFS SHOWED A WEAK COLD FRONT
MOVING SOUTH ACROSS ILLINOIS ON WEDNESDAY. EVEN IF GFS SOLUTION
TURNS OUT CORRECT...LIMITED MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY ALONG THE
FRONT...COMBINED WITH A LACK OF UPPER SUPPORT...WOULD GREATLY LIMIT
PRECIP COVERAGE.

&&

.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IL...NONE.
IN...NONE.
KY...NONE.
MO...NONE.

&&

MY

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 30, 10:51 AM CST, 5 hours 1 minute before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1151 AM CDT FRI APR 30 2004

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-100-
107>112-114-011000-
ALEXANDER IL-BALLARD KY-BOLLINGER MO-BUTLER MO-CALDWELL KY-
CALLOWAY KY-CAPE GIRARDEAU MO-CARLISLE KY-CARTER MO-CHRISTIAN KY-
CRITTENDEN KY-DAVIESS KY-EDWARDS IL-FRANKLIN IL-FULTON KY-
GALLATIN IL-GIBSON IN-GRAVES KY-HAMILTON IL-HARDIN IL-HENDERSON KY-
HICKMAN KY-HOPKINS KY-JACKSON IL-JEFFERSON IL-JOHNSON IL-
LIVINGSTON KY-LYON KY-MARSHALL KY-MASSAC IL-MCCRACKEN KY-MCLEAN KY-
MISSISSIPPI MO-MUHLENBERG KY-NEW MADRID MO-PERRY MO-PERRY IL-PIKE IN-
POPE IL-POSEY IN-PULASKI IL-RIPLEY MO-SALINE IL-SCOTT MO-SPENCER IN-
STODDARD MO-TODD KY-TRIGG KY-UNION KY-UNION IL-VANDERBURGH IN-
WABASH IL-WARRICK IN-WAYNE MO-WAYNE IL-WEBSTER KY-WHITE IL-
WILLIAMSON IL-

...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
SATURDAY OVER MOST OF THE QUAD STATE REGION...

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THE SLIGHT RISK AREA IS WEST OF A LINE FROM NEAR EVANSVILLE TO
PADUCAH.

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS DEVELOPING OVER PORTIONS OF MISSOURI AND
ARKANSAS. IF THESE STORMS HOLD TOGETHER...THEY WILL MOVE ACROSS THE
QUAD STATE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. INDICATIONS ARE THAT DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE
HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS.

THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE QUAD STATE
REGION TONIGHT. A FEW OF THE STORMS TONIGHT MAY REACH SEVERE LIMITS
ACROSS MAINLY SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. THE MAIN
HAZARDS WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND HAIL. IN
ADDITION...ANY THUNDERSTORM MAY PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND
LOCALIZED FLOODING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER SATURDAY...MAINLY SOUTH OF
A LINE FROM DONIPHAN MISSOURI THROUGH CAPE GIRARDEAU...AND
EVANSVILLE INDIANA...TO PETERSBURG. THE MAIN HAZARDS WITH
ANY SEVERE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND AND HAIL...THOUGH AN
ISOLATED TORNADO OR TWO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. IN ADDITION...ANY
THUNDERSTORM MAY PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND LOCALIZED FLOODING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON...TONIGHT AND
SATURDAY. SPOTTERS SHOULD STAY TUNED TO THE LATEST WEATHER UPDATES
WITH REGARD TO THE CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER. RELAY ANY REPORTS OF
FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

MEFFERT/SPODEN

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 30, 3:23 PM CST, 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
423 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0411 PM     HAIL             CAIRO                   37.00N 89.18W
04/30/2004  0.50 INCH        ALEXANDER          IL   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0421 PM     HAIL             WICKLIFFE               36.97N 89.08W
04/30/2004  1.00 INCH        BALLARD            KY   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES ALSO REPORTED DOWN IN THE CITY OF WICKLIFFE

&&

NADOLSKI

Local storm report, Apr 30, 3:27 PM CST, 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
427 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0421 PM     TSTM WND GST     LA CENTER               37.07N 88.97W
04/30/2004  65 MPH           BALLARD            KY   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

NADOLSKI

Special weather statement, Apr 30, 3:35 PM CST, 17 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
435 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2004

ILZ075>077-081>083-085>087-089>091-094-KYZ001>013-302230-
BALLARD KY-CALDWELL KY-CALLOWAY KY-CARLISLE KY-CRITTENDEN KY-
EDWARDS IL-FRANKLIN IL-FULTON KY-GALLATIN IL-GRAVES KY-HAMILTON IL-
HARDIN IL-HICKMAN KY-JEFFERSON IL-JOHNSON IL-LIVINGSTON KY-LYON KY-
MARSHALL KY-MASSAC IL-MCCRACKEN KY-POPE IL-SALINE IL-TRIGG KY-
WAYNE IL-WHITE IL-WILLIAMSON IL-
435 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2004

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST THROUGH SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
AND EXTREME WESTERN KENTUCKY...

AT 430 PM...A LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED FROM
HICKMAN KENTUCKY TO NEAR PADUCAH KENTUCKY TO NEAR MOUNT VERNON
ILINNOIS. THIS LINE OF STORMS WAS MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. STRONG WINDS
FROM 40 TO 50 MPH...PEA TO DIME SIZE...AND TORRENTIAL RAINS CAN BE
EXPECTED WITH THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. FREQUENT DEADLY CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED. THIS LINE WILL AFFECT THE
COMMUNITIES OF MAYFIELD KENTUCKY...PADUCAH KENTUCKY AND HARRISBURG
ILLINOIS BY 5 PM.

PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR
NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL TELEVISION...RADIO OR CABLE TV FOR LATER
DEVELOPMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

MEFFERT

Local storm report, Apr 30, 3:40 PM CST, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
440 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0436 PM     TSTM WND GST     HEATH                   37.10N 88.79W
04/30/2004  50 MPH           MCCRACKEN          KY   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

NADOLSKI

Local storm report, Apr 30, 3:41 PM CST, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
441 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0436 PM     HAIL             LA CENTER               37.07N 88.97W
04/30/2004  0.75 INCH        BALLARD            KY   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

NADOLSKI

Local storm report, Apr 30, 3:50 PM CST, 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
450 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0447 PM     TSTM WND GST     LONE OAK                37.04N 88.67W
04/30/2004  60 MPH           MCCRACKEN          KY   NWS EMPLOYEE

            REPORTED ON I-24 IN LONE OAK

&&

NADOLSKI

The radar

The Paducah radar (KPAH), 20 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:50 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Ballard

When: April 30, 3:52 PM CST to 4:20 PM CST
Where: Ballard County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 37.058, -88.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, McCracken

When: April 30, 4:15 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where: McCracken County, Paducah
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 37.054, -88.713 (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 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Kentucky, April 2004

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: 5389554, 5389555.