8 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 18, 1:55 PM EST, 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 255 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 .SHORT TERM (TODAY-TONIGHT)... UPPER LEVEL LOW SPAWNING THE CURRENT SHOWERS AND A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE OHIO VALLEY AND SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES THIS AFTERNOON RESIDES NEAR DETROIT...WITH STRONG MID LEVEL JET AND UPPER LEVEL JET DIVING SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE MS VALLEY INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. MID LEVEL JET MAX MOVING THRU THE REGION THE NEXT FEW HOURS WILL SUSTAIN THE ACTIVITY THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AS IT ALL TRANSITS EASTWARD. HAIL AND SOME STRONG GUSTS MAY BE A CONCERN AND THE WATCH EXTENDS THROUGH 8 PM EDT...WITH A FEW SMALL HAIL REPORTS SO FAR ACROSS THE NORTHERN FORECAST AREA SO FAR THIS AFTERNOON. SHORT TERM MODELS CONTINUE RUN OF CLOSELY PACKED SOLUTIONS. WILL GO WITH A BLEND OF RUC AND THE NAM FOR THE SHORT TERM GRIDS. UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL TRACK EAST ACROSS LAKE ERIE THROUGH THE NIGHT...AND THE UPPER LEVEL JET WILL TRACK ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA OVERNIGHT. WITH A LESSER MID LEVEL JET OVERNIGHT...ALONG WITH THE COOLER TEMPS ALOFT EXITING TO THE EAST...DRY AIR IN PLACE...AND LOSS OF HEATING...PRECIP WILL BE HARD TO COME BY AFTER 23Z. WILL END PRECIP CHANCES DURING THE EVENING HOURS OF 23-01Z FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN ZONES. CLOUDS WILL DIMINISH OVERNIGHT FOR MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA...AS WELL AS THE GUSTY WINDS...FOG WILL BE UNLIKELY DUE TO THE DRY AIR IN PLACE. LOW TEMPS WILL DROP INTO THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 40S. FRIDAY MORNING CLOUDS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN REGIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA AS A WARM FRONT PUSHES NORTHWARD INTO THE TN AND LOWER OH VALLEY...WITH THE AREAS TO THE NORTH AND EAST STARTING THE DAY MOSTLY SUNNY. CU WILL DEVELOP ALONG WITH THE SLIGHT NORTHWARD PUSH OF THE WARM FRONT ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA DURING THE DAY EXPANDING THE CLOUD COVER ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION. WITH JET STREAK MOVING INTO THE AREA (WITH THE FA IN THE PREFERRED LEFT EXIT REGION)...STEEP LAPSE RATES AND BOUNDARY NEAR THE AREA A SLIGHT CHANCE WAS ADDED...EVEN THOUGH SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE MAY BE AN ISSUE. --SCHOTT .LONG TERM (FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)... PESKY UPPER LOW WILL FINALLY EXIT THE US TO THE NORTHEAST...AS STRONG RIDGING OVER THE WRN US WILL MOVE EASTWARD INTO THE PLAINS AND EVENTUALLY INTO THE OH VALLEY REGION. THIS WILL CREATE A WARM-UP FOR THE ENTIRE REGION...ALONG WITH SEVERAL CHANCES OF PRECIP. SO THE MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE WILL BE DETERMINING THE BEST CHANCES OF PRECIP WITH NORTHWEST FLOW SHORTWAVES AND WITH A QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT LOCATED NEAR THE TN/KY BORDER. FRIDAY NIGHT - SUNDAY... A WARM-FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXTENDING EASTWARD FROM A LOW PRESSURE CENTER IN KANSAS WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR CONVECTION FRIDAY NIGHT. WARM AIR ADVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE BOUNDARY COULD GENERATE SHWRS/STRMS ACROSS SW THIRD OF CWA AS EARLY AS FRI AFT. SPC HAS PUT THIS AREA IN A SLIGHT RISK...SO HAVE INSERTED POPS OVER THIS AREA. DID NOT INCLUDE THE REST OF THE CWA TOMORROW NIGHT DUE TO THE LIKELY EXAGGERATED QPF FIELD FROM GFS AND WEAKENING OF UPPER LEVEL WINDS. ANY STORMS THAT DO FORM WITHIN THE SLIGHT RISK AREA WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL GIVEN THE LOW FREEZING LEVELS AND STRONG VERTICAL WIND SHEAR. BOTH THE NAM AND GFS DEVELOP AN MCS OVER IA SATURDAY NIGHT...AND GIVEN NORTHWEST FLOW REGIME AND 50+F DEWPOINTS PRESENT OVER THE AREA...WOULD LIKELY HOLD TOGETHER AS IT DIVES SOUTHEAST. ATTM IT APPEARS THAT THE CONVECTIVE COMPLEX WOULD AFFECT MY INDIANA COUNTIES AROUND 3AM OR LATER EARLY SUNDAY MORNING...SO IT APPEARS THAT MOST OF SATURDAY WOULD REMAIN DRY. MY NWRN HALF OF THE CWA IS IN A DAY3 SLIGHT RISK...AGAIN WITH LARGE HAIL BEING THE MAIN THREAT. ALTHOUGH WITH ANY MCS...HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE IF IT HOLDS TOGETHER. THUS...HAVE INSERTED SLT CHC POPS ACROSS IN COUNTIES OVERNIGHT SATURDAY...AND THEN 30 CHC POPS SUNDAY CWA-WIDE. WILL KEEP THESE CHC POPS GOING THROUGH THE DAY GIVEN THAT THE FRONT WILL STILL BE AROUND. SUNDAY NIGHT - THURSDAY... TAPER OFF POPS SUNDAY NIGHT AND KEEP MONDAY DRY FOR NOW ASSUMING THAT SOME RIDGING MAY HELP TO INHIBIT CONVECTION FROM DEVELOPING. AT THIS TIME...THE MODELS DO NOT AGREE WELL ON DISTURBANCES TO AFFECT THE CWA FROM MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. THE STORM SYSTEM OVER THE PLAINS LOOKS TO APPROACH THE CWA WED NIGHT - THURSDAY TIMEFRAME...SO WOULD THINK THAT THIS WOULD BE THE BEST CHC FOR POPS. HOWEVER WITH Q-STNRY FRONT AROUND AND WARM AND MOIST AIR POOLING IN FROM THE SSW...COULD EASILY HAVE SHWRS/STRMS AT TIMES FROM MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WED DEPENDING ON THE DISTURBANCES. ALSO...SINCE THE FRONT APPEARS TO MOVE FURTHER NORTH...COULD BE CAPPED AT TIMES...MOSTLY ON TUESDAY WHICH IS THE ONLY DRY PERIOD FROM MONDAY NIGHT ON IN THE GRIDS. RIDGING LOOKS TO BE STRONG ENOUGH FROM THE GFS/ECMWF...AND IT IS IN LINE WITH SURROUNDING OFFICES. NOT A WHOLE LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN EXTENDED AT THIS TIME...SO DID NOT ALTER TOO MUCH FROM PREVIOUS EXTENDED FORECAST. AS FAR AS TEMPS GO...LOOKS LIKE A NICE WARM UP BY SUNDAY AND ESPECIALLY BY TUESDAY (ASSUMING LOCATIONS CAN REBOUND FROM ANY CONVECTION). UNTIL THEN...COULD BE A DECENT TEMP GRADIENT ACROSS THE CWA WITH THE FRONT. TEMPS ALREADY IN GRIDS LOOKED GOOD...JUST BUMPED UP A COUPLE OF DEGREES IN EXTENDED. OTHERWISE...JUST A TAD ABOVE MEX AND ENSEMBLE MOS. AL && .LMK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 363 ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY THROUGH 8PM EDT. IN...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 363 ACROSS PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA THROUGH 8PM EDT. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 330 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 INZ076>079-083-084-089>092-KYZ023>043-045>049-053>057-061>067- 070>078-081-082-190830- ORANGE IN-WASHINGTON IN-SCOTT IN-JEFFERSON IN-DUBOIS IN- CRAWFORD IN-PERRY IN-HARRISON IN-FLOYD IN-CLARK IN-HANCOCK KY- BRECKINRIDGE KY-MEADE KY-OHIO KY-GRAYSON KY-HARDIN KY-BULLITT KY- JEFFERSON KY-OLDHAM KY-TRIMBLE KY-HENRY KY-SHELBY KY-FRANKLIN KY- SCOTT KY-HARRISON KY-SPENCER KY-ANDERSON KY-WOODFORD KY- FAYETTE KY-BOURBON KY-NICHOLAS KY-NELSON KY-WASHINGTON KY- MERCER KY-JESSAMINE KY-CLARK KY-LARUE KY-MARION KY-BOYLE KY- GARRARD KY-MADISON KY-BUTLER KY-EDMONSON KY-HART KY-GREEN KY- TAYLOR KY-CASEY KY-LINCOLN KY-LOGAN KY-WARREN KY-SIMPSON KY- ALLEN KY-BARREN KY-MONROE KY-METCALFE KY-ADAIR KY-RUSSELL KY- CUMBERLAND KY-CLINTON KY- 230 PM CDT THU MAY 18 2006 /330 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ONGOING THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS FOR MAINLY SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA AND NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY...INCLUDING THE BLUEGRASS REGION OF KENTUCKY. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED DAMAGING WINDS. FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND BRIEF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM THAT OCCURS. MOST ACTIVITY WILL DIMINISH AFTER MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND EARLY SUNDAY MORNING ACROSS SOUTHERN INDIANA AND NORTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE BIGGEST THREATS. MORE THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL OCCUR AT TIMES FROM MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY AS A SURFACE BOUNDARY STAYS NEARLY STATIONARY ACROSS THE REGION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO RELAY WIND AND HAIL REPORTS THIS EVENING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. AL
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
138 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0137 PM HAIL BUCKNER 38.38N 85.43W
05/18/2006 E0.25 INCH OLDHAM KY TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
MRCSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 200 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 INZ076>079-090>092-KYZ029>043-045>049-054>057-066-067-182000- ORANGE IN-WASHINGTON IN-SCOTT IN-JEFFERSON IN-HARRISON IN- FLOYD IN-CLARK IN-BULLITT KY-JEFFERSON KY-OLDHAM KY-TRIMBLE KY- HENRY KY-SHELBY KY-FRANKLIN KY-SCOTT KY-HARRISON KY-SPENCER KY- ANDERSON KY-WOODFORD KY-FAYETTE KY-BOURBON KY-NICHOLAS KY- NELSON KY-WASHINGTON KY-MERCER KY-JESSAMINE KY-CLARK KY-MARION KY- BOYLE KY-GARRARD KY-MADISON KY-CASEY KY-LINCOLN KY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...PAOLI...SALEM...SCOTTSBURG...MADISON... CORYDON...NEW ALBANY...JEFFERSONVILLE...MOUNT WASHINGTON... SHEPHERDSVILLE...LOUISVILLE...LA GRANGE...BEDFORD...NEW CASTLE... SHELBYVILLE...FRANKFORT...GEORGETOWN...CYNTHIANA...TAYLORSVILLE... LAWRENCEBURG...VERSAILLES...LEXINGTON...PARIS...CARLISLE... BARDSTOWN...SPRINGFIELD...HARRODSBURG...NICHOLASVILLE... WINCHESTER...LEBANON...DANVILLE...LANCASTER...RICHMOND... LIBERTY...STANFORD 200 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 ...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING SMALL HAIL... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA INTO NORTH CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL KENTUCKY MAINLY EAST OF A LINE FROM LOUISVILLE TO BARDSTOWN TO LIBERTY THROUGH 4 PM EDT. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL PRODUCE PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL...WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA ALL HAZARDS RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS SHOULD STORMS INTENSIFY. DK
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
304 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0230 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 S BEDFORD 38.54N 85.32W
05/18/2006 TRIMBLE KY TRAINED SPOTTER
TREE DOWN ACROSS HWY 42 NEAR TANDY FARMS. ESTIMATED WINDS
40-50MPH.
&&
ALPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
308 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0232 PM TSTM WND DMG CAMPBELLSBURG 38.53N 85.21W
05/18/2006 HENRY KY LAW ENFORCEMENT
A FEW TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN CAMPBELLSBURG...NEW
CASTLE AND PENDLETON. WINDS ESTIMATED AT 40-50MPH.
&&
ALSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 313 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 KYZ035>037-182015- FRANKLIN-HARRISON-SCOTT- 313 PM EDT THU MAY 18 2006 ...GUSTY WINDS THIS AFTERNOON... AT 310 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF FALMOUTH TO 13 MILES SOUTH OF WILLIAMSTOWN TO 9 MILES WEST OF GEORGETOWN...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AROUND ONE INCH PER HOUR...SMALL PEA OR MARBLE SIZE HAIL...AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 45 TO 50 MPH... ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. THESE STORMS WILL BE... NEAR GEORGETOWN BY 325 PM EDT. NEAR CYNTHIANA BY 335 PM EDT. THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 75 IN KENTUCKY BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 125 AND 136. JA
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 122 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:31 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
An auto dealership reported minor roof damage and some signs blown over.
Trees were downed in the city and along U.S. Highway 62. One tree in the city of Cynthiana was downed on a house.
Trees were downed.
A tree was blown on to a passing vehicle on U.S. Highway 68 near Catnip Road, killing the driver.
Trees were downed.
Trees were downed.
Five people were injured when a movie gallery and a nearby restaurant were heavily damaged by thunderstorm winds.
Trees were downed.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind, Jessamine | 2006-05-18 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, May 2006
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: 5507092, 5507093, 5507094, 5507095, 5507098, 5507099, 5507096, 5507100, 5507097.