Strong rotation was observed within a thunderstorm for the duration of its path from Fulton County, east-northeast across Hickman and Graves Counties, to the Marshall/Calloway County line. A tornado tracked several miles across Hickman County.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 episode as NWS PAH wrote it up.
Strong rotation was observed within a thunderstorm for the duration of its path from Fulton County, east-northeast across Hickman and Graves Counties, to the Marshall/Calloway County line. A tornado tracked several miles across Hickman County. Several trees were down in southern Graves County, including two around Wingo and two others south of Mayfield. A funnel cloud was observed close to the ground by trained spotters at the Marshall/Calloway County line, just west of Highway 299.
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 29, 3:45 PM CST, 3 hours 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 445 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004 .DISCUSSION... RUNNING WAY BEHIND AGAIN...BUT MAIN CONCERN FOR THIS FORECAST CONTINUES TO BE THE POTENTIAL FOR WIDESPREAD SEVERE STORM ACTIVITY LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MOISTURE CONTINUES TO RETURN ACROSS THE AREA...WITH A FEW SHOWERS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE AREA. WITH A SHORT WAVE RIDGE ALOFT SLIDING OVER THE AREA...A NICE SUBSIDENCE INVERSION HAS SET UP ACROSS REGION...LIMITING THE AVAILABLE INSTABILITY. WILL KEEP A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE AREA TONIGHT...WITH BEST CHANCES TO THE NORTHEAST. THE INSTABILITY WILL CONTINUE TO BE LIMITED THROUGH THE NIGHT...SO SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED TONIGHT. THE ENTIRE AREA SHOULD QUICKLY FIND ITSELF IN THE WARM SECTOR SUNDAY. THERE MAY BE A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS OR STORMS IN THE NORTHEAST EARLY...BUT MUCH OF THE AREA WILL HAVE A DRY MORNING. THERE SHOULD BE PLENTY OF SUNSHINE TO REACH THE MID/UPPER 80S IN MOST LOCATIONS...BEFORE THE STORMS LIGHT UP NEAR THE COLD FRONT TO OUR WEST. THE ETA SCENARIO HAS BEEN VERY CONSISTENT IN THE 12Z RUNS THE LAST 2 DAYS...SO FOLLOWED IT PRETTY CLOSELY FOR THE MAIN EVENT. THE STORMS WILL EITHER DEVELOP IN OR REACH THE FAR WESTERN ZONES BY 00Z...AND THEN SPEED RAPIDLY THROUGH THE ENTIRE QUAD STATE THROUGH THE EVENING. THERE WILL NOT BE A HUGE CAP OVER THE WARM SECTOR SO A FEW...MORE ISOLATED STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. THE PREFERRED MODE OF STORM WILL BE SUPERCELLS IN THE EARLY STAGES...BUT WITH SIGNIFICANT DYNAMICAL FORCING AND A LINEAR FOCUS...THE STORMS WILL EVENTUALLY LINE OUT INTO SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND WESTERN KENTUCKY. TORNADOES AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS WITH THE DISCREET CELLS EARLY. THE DAMAGING WIND THREAT WILL INCREASE AS IT LINES OUT. THERE WILL STILL BE A TORNADO THREAT EVEN AFTER THE LINE DEVELOPS. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THE STORMS...BUT THE FAST MOVEMENT SHOULD KEEP ANY MAJOR FLOODING PROBLEMS AT BAY. THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD BE OUT OF THE AREA BY 09Z-10Z. WINDS WILL KICK BACK TO THE WEST OR SOUTHWEST QUICKLY MONDAY...WITH THE MAIN STORM SYSTEM STILL OFF TO THE NORTHWEST. WILL KEEP SOME LOW POPS FROM TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY AS THE REMNANTS OF THE MAIN STORM SYSTEM MOVE THROUGH THE REGION. MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL BE LACKING...HOWEVER...WITH SOME COLD AIR ALOFT...A FEW STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG. TEMPERATURES WILL BE PLEASANTLY COOL IN THE 50S AT NIGHT AND HIGHS WILL BE NEAR 80 THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK. THE FORECAST WILL BE DRY AFTER WEDNESDAY...WITH A MODEST WARMING TREND TOWARD NEXT WEEKEND. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE MO...NONE IL...NONE IN...NONE && DRS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 448 AM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-100- 107>112-114-301000- 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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SIKESTON...POPLAR BLUFF...PERRYVILLE... CAPE GIRARDEAU...PADUCAH...OWENSBORO...MURRAY...MAYFIELD... MADISONVILLE...HOPKINSVILLE...HENDERSON...EVANSVILLE...HERRIN... HARRISBURG...CARMI...CARBONDALE AND CAIRO 448 AM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...AND WESTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON...GENERALLY SOUTH OF A LINE EXTENDING FROM CARBONDALE ILLINOIS TO GREENVILLE KENTUCKY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL THEN AFFECT ALL OF THE QUAD STATE REGION TONIGHT. AT THIS TIME...NO ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED. HOWEVER...AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM CANNOT BE RULED OUT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR A SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER EVENT SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY NIGHT. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES. THE MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO RIVERS ARE FORECAST TO RISE OVER FLOOD STAGE AT MANY LOCATIONS. THE FLOODING IS FORECAST TO BE MAINLY MINOR...ALTHOUGH AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS WITH CROPS IN THE BOTTOMLANDS WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED. REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD STATEMENTS AND WARNINGS FOR MORE DETAILS. SOUTH WINDS AT 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 35 MPH ON SUNDAY WILL CAUSE ROUGH BOATING CONDITIONS ON AREA LAKES. THOSE OPERATING SMALL CRAFTS SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS...AND BE PREPARED TO DEAL WITH WHITE CAP CONDITIONS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED SUNDAY AND INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS SHOULD KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 607 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004 MOZ114-292330- NEW MADRID MO- 607 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004 ...STRONG STORM POSSIBLE OVER EASTERN NEW MADRID COUNTY MISSOURI THROUGH 630 PM... AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL UP TO THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH...RAINFALL AMOUNTS NEAR ONE INCH...AND GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH...WAS LOCATED OVER NEW MADRID MISSOURI AT 603 PM. THIS STORM WILL MOVE NEAR FARRENBURG IN EASTERN NEW MADRID COUNTY BETWEEN 620 PM AND 625 PM. SMITH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 700 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-100- 107>112-114-300900- 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 IL-PERRY MO-PIKE IN- POPE IL-POSEY IN-PULASKI IL-RIPLEY MO-SALINE IL-SCOTT MO-SPENCER IN- STODDARD MO-TODD KY-TRIGG KY-UNION IL-UNION KY-VANDERBURGH IN- WABASH IL-WARRICK IN-WAYNE IL-WAYNE MO-WEBSTER KY-WHITE IL- WILLIAMSON IL- 700 PM CDT SAT MAY 29 2004 ...SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK POSSIBLE FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON MONDAY... A SIGNIFICANT AND WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER EVENT IS SHAPING UP ACROSS THE QUAD STATE REGION STARTING LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS ON MONDAY. AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE COLD FRONT COMBINED WITH STRONG MID LEVEL WIND FLOW WILL MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS THE PLAINS INTO THE MISSISSIPPI...OHIO...AND TENNESSEE RIVER VALLEYS SUNDAY AFTERNOON. STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS IN THE LOWER LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE...AHEAD OF THE ADVANCING COLD FRONT...WILL PUSH VERY WARM...MOIST...AND UNSTABLE AIR INTO THE AREA. THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE RAPIDLY ACROSS THE REGION AND IS EXPECTED TO REACH A PINCKNEYVILLE ILLINOIS TO VAN BUREN MISSOURI LINE AROUND 7 TO 9 PM...A FAIRFIELD ILLINOIS TO NEW MADRID MISSOURI LINE BY 10 TO 11 PM...AND A ROCKPORT INDIANA TO HOPKINSVILLE KENTUCKY LINE BY 1 TO 2 AM MONDAY. DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON HOURS ON SUNDAY THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DISCREET TORNADIC THUNDERSTORMS...HOWEVER THE MAIN THREAT WILL BE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND JUST AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF PRODUCING VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...AND TORNADOES. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. PERSONS ACROSS THE QUAD STATE SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THEIR FAVORITE MEDIA SOURCE ON SUNDAY FOR THE ISSUANCE OF ANY WATCHES OR WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER SHOULD CONDITIONS WARRANT. JAP
The Paducah radar (KPAH), 53 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:32 UTC.
1 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
A damage survey found numerous trees down along the tornado path. There were no known structures within the damage area. Peak winds based on tree damage were estimated near 80 MPH. The tornado tracked from about 4 miles southwest of the small community of Fulgham to 2 miles east of Fulgham.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kentucky, 2004Warnings 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: 5398025, 5398027, 5398026.