2 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
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 Louisville, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 19, 1:00 PM EST, 2 hours 50 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 200 PM EDT WED MAY 19 2004 .SHORT RANGE (DAYS 0-3)... BAND OF NUMEROUS TS HAVE DEVELOPED THIS AFTERNOON ALONG MESOSCALE BOUNDARY DRAPED ACROSS CEN KY AND PARTS OF SRN IND. ENVIRONMENT EQUATORWARD OF FRONT OVER IN/IL CHARACTERIZED BY PWS AROUND 150-200% OF NORMAL AND CAPES NEARING 2500 J/KG. GIVEN THIS AND THAT MEAN STORM MOTIONS ARE MORE OR LESS PARALLEL TO THE BOUNDARY, PERIODS OF HVY RAIN (MAYBE LOCALIZED FLOODING) CERTAINLY POSSIBLE, THRU THE EARLY EVE HOURS. FRZ LEVELS ARE SOMEWHAT LOWER THAN YESTERDAY, SO HAIL POTL WOULD BE HIGHER. STORMS MAY ORGANIZE INTO SMALL LINE SEGMENTS GIVEN INSTABILITY/SHEAR PROFILES, AS EVIDENCED BY TS CLUSTER NEAR KEVV ATTM. THOSE COULD PRODUCE SVR WINDS, PER SWODY1 SLIGHT RISK. THINKING BULK OF TS ACTIVITY WOULD BE ON THE WANE BY LATE EVENING. MID-LEVEL RIDGING BUILDS INTO THE REGION TOMORROW, WITH GENERALLY SCT FLAT CLOUDS UNDER WARMING MID-LEVEL TEMPERATURES. CONSENSUS OF GFS/ETA SUGGEST DEVELOPMENT OF SFC TROF ROUGHLY ALONG/NE OF MADISON TO LEXINGTON LINE BY THU AFTERNOON, WHERE SOME ISO TS COULD DEVELOP. GFSMOS GUIDANCE ALSO SUGGESTS ISO TS POSSIBLE MAINLY BLUEGRASS REGION FRI AFTERNOON, AS AIRMASS REMAINS WARM, MOIST, AND UNSTABLE. TREND CONTINUES INTO SAT, BUT OVERALL INSTABILITY LOOKS A BIT LESS. XXV .LONG RANGE (DAYS 4-7)... MID LVL RIDGE WILL STILL BE DOMINANT AT BEGINNING OF EXTENDED PERIOD. LATER SUNDAY INTO MONDAY MID LVLS HTS WILL BE ERODING WITH STRONG SWLY FLOW DVLPNG. SO FOR MON PM THROUGH WED WILL SEE MAINLY DIURNAL CHANCES OF TSTMS ONCE AGAIN IN THE FCST. BY ABOUT TUESDAY WILL SEE A REPETITIVE PATTERN COMPARED TO THIS WEEK AS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY STALLS OUT ACROSS CENTRAL OR SOUTHERN INDIANA...POSSIBLY ALLOWING CONVECTIVE SYSTEMS TO PROPAGATE INTO THE OH VLY WITH OUTFLOW BNDRY INDUCED CONVECTION. WARMER THAN CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMS TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE EXT PERIOD AS WELL. EXT MOS TEMPS ARE CONSISTENT TO PREV MODEL RUNS...LITTLE CHANGES TO TEMPS. JB && .LMK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IN...NONE. KY...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 410 PM EDT WED MAY 19 2004 INZ076>079-083-084-089>092-KYZ023>043-045>049-053>057-061>067- 070>078-081-082-200900- ADAIR KY-ALLEN KY-ANDERSON KY-BARREN KY-BOURBON KY-BOYLE KY- BRECKINRIDGE KY-BULLITT KY-BUTLER KY-CASEY KY-CLARK IN-CLARK KY- CLINTON KY-CRAWFORD IN-CUMBERLAND KY-DUBOIS IN-EDMONSON KY- FAYETTE KY-FLOYD IN-FRANKLIN KY-GARRARD KY-GRAYSON KY-GREEN KY- HANCOCK KY-HARDIN KY-HARRISON IN-HARRISON KY-HART KY-HENRY KY- JEFFERSON IN-JEFFERSON KY-JESSAMINE KY-LARUE KY-LINCOLN KY-LOGAN KY- MADISON KY-MARION KY-MEADE KY-MERCER KY-METCALFE KY-MONROE KY- NELSON KY-NICHOLAS KY-OHIO KY-OLDHAM KY-ORANGE IN-PERRY IN- RUSSELL KY-SCOTT IN-SCOTT KY-SHELBY KY-SIMPSON KY-SPENCER KY- TAYLOR KY-TRIMBLE KY-WARREN KY-WASHINGTON IN-WASHINGTON KY- WOODFORD KY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BARDSTOWN...BOWLING GREEN... CAMPBELLSVILLE...COLUMBIA...CORYDON...CYNTHIANA...DANVILLE... ELIZABETHTOWN...FRANKFORT...FRANKLIN...GLASGOW...HARDINSBURG... HARRODSBURG...JASPER...LEITCHFIELD...LEXINGTON...LOUISVILLE... NEW ALBANY...RICHMOND...RUSSELLVILLE...SHELBYVILLE...STANFORD... VERSAILLES...WINCHESTER 410 PM EDT (310 PM CDT) WED MAY 19 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH-CENTRAL INDIANA AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA THIS EVENING. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS. THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREATS ARE HIGH WIND GUSTS AND HAIL, ALONG WITH FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. DUE TO THE HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT IN THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE ORIENTATION OF THE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT ALONG AN OLD OUTFLOW BOUNDARY, PROLONGED PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN MAY OCCUR, WHICH COULD PRODUCE URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. HIGH INSTABILITY IS FORECAST TO REDEVELOP OVER PARTS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA THURSDAY, WHICH MAY PRODUCE ISOLATED STRONG OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS NORTHEAST OF A LOUISVILLE TO LEXINGTON LINE, WHERE A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS IS FORECAST BY THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER. IN ADDITION, THERE WILL BE A SMALL CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY OVER PARTS OF THE OUTLOOK AREA. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT.... SPOTTERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT FLOODING OR SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOUISVILLE. XXV
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 1237 PM EDT WED MAY 19 2004 INZ084-089-090-KYZ023>025-028>030-038-039-045>047-053>055-191925- ANDERSON KY-BOYLE KY-BRECKINRIDGE KY-BULLITT KY-CRAWFORD IN- HANCOCK KY-HARDIN KY-HARRISON IN-JEFFERSON KY-LARUE KY-MARION KY- MEADE KY-MERCER KY-NELSON KY-PERRY IN-SPENCER KY-WASHINGTON KY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BARDSTOWN...CORYDON...DANVILLE... ELIZABETHTOWN...HARDINSBURG...HARRODSBURG...LOUISVILLE 1237 PM EDT (1137 AM CDT) WED MAY 19 2004 ...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND FAR SOUTHERN INDIANA... STORMS HAVE QUICKLY FIRED JUST AFTER NOON ALONG A BAND FROM TELL CITY AND HARDINSBURG...EAST TO BARDSTOWN, SPRINGFIELD AND HARRODSBURG. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BE STRONG WITH SMALL HAIL, GUSTY WINDS TO 30 MPH AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. SCATTERED STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO THE AFTERNOON AND MAY ORGANIZE A BIT BETTER WITH A THREAT FOR ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH-CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTH-CENTRAL INDIANA. JB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 231 PM EDT WED MAY 19 2004 INZ083-089-191930- DUBOIS IN-PERRY IN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...JASPER 231 PM EDT WED MAY 19 2004 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT DUBOIS AND PERRY COUNTIES THROUGH 230 PM EST (330 PM EDT)... A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEASTERN WARRICK AND NORTHERN SPENCER COUNTY WILL MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS SOUTHERN DUBOIS AND NORTHERN PERRY COUNTIES THROUGH 230 PM EST. EXPECT TORRENTIAL RAINS...WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WITH THIS CLUSTER OF STORMS. IN ADDITION...SOME SMALL HAIL MAY BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. DUE TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS...RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS THE AREA WILL BE BETWEEN ONE HALF AND ONE INCH THROUGH THE PERIOD. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. JARVIS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 348 PM EDT WED MAY 19 2004 INZ090>092-KYZ029-030-192100- BULLITT KY-CLARK IN-FLOYD IN-HARRISON IN-JEFFERSON KY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LOUISVILLE...NEW ALBANY AND CORYDON 348 PM EDT WED MAY 19 2004 ...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT THE LOUISVILLE METRO AREA THROUGH 500 PM EDT... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH 500 PM EDT. ONE STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER SOUTHERN HARRISON COUNTY WILL MOVE SLOWLY EAST NORTHEAST AND AFFECT AREAS SUCH AS ELIZABETH...VALLEY STATION AND OTHER AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF I-265. A SECOND AND MORE STRONGER STORM LOCATED NEAR LEAVENWORTH WILL MOVE EAST AND AFFECT AREAS ALONG INTERSTATE 64. THIS WOULD INCLUDE THE CORYDON AREA AND EVENTUALLY THE WESTERN PORTION OF METRO LOUISVILLE. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE TORRENTIAL RAINS...WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH...AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. IN ADDITION...SOME SMALL HAIL IS POSSIBLE. RAINFALL RATES WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AVERAGE AROUND ONE INCH PER HOUR. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. JARVIS
The Louisville radar (KLVX), 41 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:51 UTC.
2 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees and power lines were downed in eastern Jefferson County.
Quarter size hail fell at the intersection of Hurstbourne and Shelbyville Road.
Fast flowing high water had stopped traffic on La grange Road in front of Central State Hospital. The road was closed at this location.
Four roads were closed by flood waters in central Harrison County.
A man was struck by lightning while working in a detached garage. He was treated and released from a local hospital.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, May 2004
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: 5396303, 5396302, 5396304, 5396305, 5396306.