Damaging Winds in Kentucky, May 19, 2005

Name: Damaging Winds in Kentucky, May 19, 2005
Start: 2005-05-19T13:34
End: 2005-05-19T14:10
Location: Kentucky

May 19, 2005 · NWS PAH · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

4 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: $10,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 19, 1:00 PM CST, 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 19, 1:00 PM CST, 34 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
200 PM CDT THU MAY 19 2005

.DISCUSSION...

KPAH 88D RADAR MOSAIC SHOWS CONVECTION CONTINUING TO DEVELOP IN THE
AFTERNOON HEAT. LAPS DATA REVEALS FA AIR MASS (CAPE) DESTABILIZED
INTO THE 1600-2100 J/KG2 RANGE. INHIBITING FACTORS SEEM TO BE LACK
OF WELL DEFINED SURFACE CONVERGENT BOUNDARY...WITH BROAD SWLYS NOTED
ACROSS FA WITHIN INSTABILITY AXIS. HOWEVER...WIDESPREAD CONVECTIVE
DEVELOPMENT MAY WELL YIELD SOME OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES TO PERHATSM WATCHES
REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR DIURNALLY MOST UNSTABLE PART OF DAY...THRU 02Z.

AFT 02Z...EXPECT VERY BRIEF LULL...THEN PERHAPS OUR BEST STRONG TO
SVR STORM THREAT...AS COLD FRONT IS DRIVEN SOUTHWARD BY SEWARD
DIVING UPPER LOW AND STRONG DYNAMICAL PVA IS ROTATED AROUND IT.
BELIEVE BEST POPS WL BE ALONG AHEAD OF SAID FRONT/LOW PASSAGE...ESP
FROM 06Z-12Z. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE ANOTHER BOX FOR THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS.

THE MODEL DIVERGENCE ON THE UPPER LOW TRACK IS PERHAPS LEAST THIS
RUN BUT STILL SIGNIFICANT. NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT THOUGH...IT
APPEARS THE LOW IS FAR ENOUGH AWAY TO LINGER ONLY A VERY EARLY
FRIDAY POP IN OUR FAR SERN MOST COUNTIES.

THE PRIMARY MEDIUM TO LONG RANGE IMPACT OF THE DIFFERING UPPER LOW
TRACKS ARE ON TEMPS AND ANY SUBSEQUENT CHANCES OF PCPN DOWN THE
ROAD. THE NGM MOS HAS BACKED OFF ITS EXTREME HIGHS AT 24 AND 48
HOURS...BUT IS STILL THE WARM MODEL. THE ETA HAS WARMED AND THE GFS
HAS MAINTAINED THE COOLER APPROACH...PROBABLY PER PMDHMD THAT ITS
CONVECTIVE FEEDBACK HAS SLOWED THE OVERALL PATTERN EVOLUTION. THE
NET RESULT WAS THAT OUR CONFIDENCE IN RETURN PCPN CHANCES ON DAYS 3
AND 6 WAS MINIMAL...SO WE KEPT THE FORECAST DRY IN HOPES OF SOME
BETTER MODEL CONFIDENCE OVER THE NEXT FEW RUNS. ALSO...WEVE NUDGED
OFF A TOTAL GFS BIAS TO A BETTER GFS/NAM BLEND GIVEN THE
AFOREMENTIONED AND THE PMDHMD MODEL TRENDS ASSESSMENT (PRO NAM).

&&

.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KY...SVR TSM WATCH 288 TIL 7PM AND 289 TIL 9PM ALL COUNTIES.
MO...SVR TSM WATCH 288 TIL 7PM ALL COUNTIES.
IL...SVR TSM WATCH 288 TIL 7PM ALL COUNTIES.
IN...SVR TSM WATCH 289 TIL 9PM ALL COUNTIES.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, May 19, 10:44 AM CST, 2 hours 50 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1144 AM CDT THU MAY 19 2005

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-100-
107>112-114-201000-
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...HERRIN...HARRISBURG...CARMI...
CARBONDALE...CAIRO...OWENSBORO...MURRAY...MAYFIELD...HOPKINSVILLE...
EVANSVILLE...MADISONVILLE AND HENDERSON
1144 AM CDT THU MAY 19 2005

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM FOR SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI...SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...AND FAR WESTERN MOST PORTIONS OF
SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND WESTERN KENTUCKY.

AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL KEEP THE CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS...INCLUDING THE SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS...IN THE FORECAST FOR THE ENTIRE AREA THROUGH TONIGHT.

LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND ARE THE PRIMARY THREATS TO BE EXPECTED
WITH ANY POTENTIAL SEVERE THUNDERSTORM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

ON FRIDAY MORNING THERE WILL BE A LINGERING CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY IN WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS HAVE BEEN ACTIVATED IN THE WATCH AREA...AND JUST OUTSIDE OF
THE WATCH AREA...SPOTTERS SHOULD BE ON ALERT FOR THEIR POSSIBLE
ACTIVATION REQUEST LATER TODAY OR TONIGHT.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Christian

When: May 19, 1:34 PM CST to 1:38 PM CST
Where: Christian County, Oak Grove
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $4,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 36.667, -87.433

Along Interstate 24, speed limit signs and informational signs were blown down between mile markers 86 and 89. A large sign was blown across U.S. Highway 41A near Oak Grove, and a billboard was blown down. Near Pembroke, winds estimated near 60 MPH by a trained spotter blew down several trees on Highway 115. The peak wind gust measured at Fort Campbell was 55 MPH.

Thunderstorm Wind, Todd

When: May 19, 1:50 PM CST
Where: Todd County, 1 mi N of Elkton
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.833, -87.150

Numerous trees were blown down in the northern part of the county. From Elkton north, about six trees were blown down across roads.

Thunderstorm Wind, Union

When: May 19, 1:55 PM CST
Where: Union County, Morganfield
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $4,000
Reported by: UTILITY COMPANY
Coordinates: 37.683, -87.917

A few small trees, some power lines, and a power pole were down. Most of the damage was in a corridor along U.S. Highway 60 through Union County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Henderson

When: May 19, 2:10 PM CST
Where: Henderson County, Smith Mills
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: UTILITY COMPANY
Coordinates: 37.800, -87.767

Power lines were blown down.

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kentucky in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in Kentucky, May 2005

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: 5446434, 5446435, 5445709, 5446436.