Flooding and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, May 31, 2004

Name: Flooding and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, May 31, 2004
Start: 2004-05-31T01:00
End: 2004-05-31T03:00
Location: Kentucky

May 31, 2004 · NWS RLX · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

3 thunderstorm wind, 2 flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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: $20,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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 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 Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 30, 9:05 PM EST, 3 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 30, 9:05 PM EST, 3 hours 55 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1005 PM EDT SUN MAY 30 2004

.UPDATE FOR DISCUSSION...

.DISCUSSION...

1005 PM EDT SUN MAY 30 2004

QUICK UPDATE TO ADD TORNADO WATCH #344 TO KY ZONES...MOST OF OUR OH
ZONES...SOUTHWEST MOST WV ZONES.  THIS TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 4 AM EDT.  INCREASED POPS SLIGHTLY FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.
OTHERWISE NO CHANGES WITH THIS UPDATE.

KF

&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...

855 PM EDT SUN MAY 30 2004

CORRECT EXPIRATION TIME FOR TORNADO WATCH FOR WESTERN FRINGE
COUNTIES...10 PM THIS EVENING.  ANOTHER UPDATE EXPECTED AFTER 10 PM.
 OTHERWISE...HAVE INCREASED POPS WITH APPROACHING COLD FRONT
OVERNIGHT.  WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH BOW ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL OHIO
PUSH SOUTHWARD TOWARDS THE REGION...AS WELL AS MERGED STORMS TO OUR
SOUTH.  KEPT POPS IN A LITTLE LONGER ACROSS THE NE CORNER OF OUR CWA
MONDAY AFTERNOON...WITH SLUGGISH FRONT.

KF

&&

.AVIATION...

730 PM EDT SUN MAY 30 2004

WARM FRONT LIFTING NORTH THROUGH THE AREA. PRECIPITATION OUT AHEAD
AND WITH THE FRONT COULD CREATE SOME MVFR CONDITIONS.  HAVE TEMPO
TSRA IN THROUGH 04Z THIS EVENING...AND AGAIN MONDAY MORNING. COLD
FRONTAL PASSAGE BETWEEN 16 AND 20Z IN CWA.

DB

&&

.HYDROLOGY...

330 PM EDT SUN MAY 30 2004

A WARM FRONT IS PASSING THROUGH THE REGION BRINGING SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS.  AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA TONIGHT AND
EARLY MONDAY THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE HEAVY RAIN AND WATER
PROBLEMS. THIS SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO BE MONITORED CLOSELY FOR
POSSIBLE FLOOD WATCHES.

DB

&&

.RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

WV...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 4 AM MONDAY FOR WVZ005-006-007-013-024-025.

VA...NONE.

KY...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 4 AM MONDAY FOR KYZ101-102-103-105.

OH...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 4 AM MONDAY FOR OHZ066-067-075-
083-084-085-086-087.

Hazardous weather outlook, May 30, 5:00 PM EST, 8 hours before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED DATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
600 PM EDT SUN MAY 30 2004

KYZ101>103-105-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-VAZ003-004-WVZ005>011-
013>020-024>040-046-047-010800-
ATHENS OH-BARBOUR WV-BOONE WV-BOYD KY-BRAXTON WV-BUCHANAN VA-CABELL
WV-CALHOUN WV-CARTER KY-CLAY WV-DICKENSON VA-DODDRIDGE WV-FAYETTE
WV-GALLIA OH-GILMER WV-GREENUP KY-HARRISON WV-JACKSON WV-JACKSON
OH-KANAWHA WV-LAWRENCE OH-LAWRENCE KY-LEWIS WV-LINCOLN WV-LOGAN
WV-MASON WV-MCDOWELL WV-MEIGS OH-MINGO WV-MORGAN OH-NICHOLAS
WV-PERRY OH-PLEASANTS WV-POCAHONTAS WV-PUTNAM WV-RALEIGH WV-RANDOLPH
WV-RITCHIE WV-ROANE WV-TAYLOR WV-TYLER WV-UPSHUR WV-VINTON
OH-WASHINGTON OH-WAYNE WV-WEBSTER WV-WIRT WV-WOOD WV-WYOMING WV
600 PM EDT SUN MAY 30 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEASTERN OHIO...
NORTHEASTERN KENTUCKY...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...AND MOST OF WEST
VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...

A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM THIS MORNING. A TORNADO
WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM THIS MORNING. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE
THIS MORNING WITH BOTH WATCHES TO BE TERMINATED BY MID MORNING.
HOWEVER...ONGOING FLOODING OF STREAMS AND CREEKS ACROSS SOUTHERN
WEST VIRGINIA FROM OVERNIGHT RAINS WILL ONLY SLOWLY RECEDE...WITH
SOME RIVER FLOODING DEVELOPING TODAY.

* TORNADO WATCH..............SEE WWUS63 SDFSLSKY FOR DETAILS
                             SEE WWUS61 CLESLSOH FOR DETAILS *

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO SEVERE WEATHER EXPECTED.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

JMV

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 30, 11:06 PM EST, 1 hour 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1206 AM EDT MON MAY 31 2004

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

1135 PM     HAIL             OCEANA                  37.69N 81.63W
05/30/2004  0.75 INCH        WYOMING            WV   PUBLIC

&&

XXX

Local storm report, May 30, 11:17 PM EST, 1 hour 43 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1217 AM EDT MON MAY 31 2004

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

1210 AM     HAIL             CRAB ORCHARD            37.74N 81.23W
05/31/2004  0.75 INCH        RALEIGH            WV   PUBLIC

&&

JFC

Local storm report, May 30, 11:40 PM EST, 1 hour 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1240 AM EDT MON MAY 31 2004

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

1230 AM     TSTM WND DMG     BAILEYSVILLE            37.58N 81.67W
05/31/2004                   WYOMING            WV   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            TREES DOWN IN AND NEAR BAILEYSVILLE.

&&

JFC

The radar

The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:00 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Carter

When: May 31, 1:00 AM EST
Where: Carter County, Olive Hill
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.300, -83.167

Large branches were snapped off.

Thunderstorm Wind, Boyd

When: May 31, 1:15 AM EST
Where: Boyd County, Ashland
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 38.467, -82.633

Trees were blown down in the city.

Flood, Boyd

When: May 31, 1:15 AM EST to 3:00 AM EST
Where: Boyd forecast zone
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.360, -82.688 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Carter

When: May 31, 1:15 AM EST to 3:00 AM EST
Where: Carter forecast zone
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.318, -83.049 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A narrow band of heavier rain, on the order of 2 to 3 inches, fell overnight from repetitive thunderstorms across eastern Carter County into Boyd County. Williams and Rush Creeks flooded along the county line. Two homes in Boyd County were flooded.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lawrence

When: May 31, 1:40 AM EST
Where: Lawrence County, Louisa
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.117, -82.600

Trees were blown into power lines.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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, May 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: 5397786, 5397867, 5397869, 5397870, 5397868.