Scattered thunderstorms produced numerous lightning strikes as they moved southeast across the Lower Ohio Valley.
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 episode as NWS PAH wrote it up.
Scattered thunderstorms produced numerous lightning strikes as they moved southeast across the Lower Ohio Valley.
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 Jul 17, 3:08 PM CST, 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 408 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2007 .SHORT TERM... /TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/ MAIN CONCERN CONTINUES TO BE POPS AND HEAT THROUGH FRIDAY. RUNNING WAY BEHIND DUE TO ACTIVE CONVECTION AND A COUPLE OF UPDATES. SORRY FOR THE DELAY. NO CONVERGENCE ALONG OUTFLOW BOUNDARY EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI HAS EFFECTIVELY KILLED OFF THAT PART OF THE MCS...WHILE OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI SOME MEAGER CONVERGENCE IS SUSTAINING DEEP UPDRAFTS. HOWEVER...THE INSTABILITY APPARENTLY IS NOT GREAT ENOUGH TO GENERATE SEVERE STORMS AT THIS TIME. LEFT THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE WATCH GOING AT SPC REQUEST...BUT SOUTHEAST MISSOURI IS THE ONLY PLACE THAT MAY SEE ANY SEVERE. REGARDLESS THE WATCH SHOULD BE OVER BY 00Z. SPENT ALOT OF TIME TRYING TO ACCOUNT FOR SHORT TERM TRENDS IN ALL GRID ELEMENTS...WITH MOST ELEMENTS RECOVERING TO PREVIOUS FORECAST TREND BY 06Z. HAVE REMOVED ALL POPS FROM THE GRIDS AFTER 00Z EXCEPT OVER FAR NORTHEAST ZONES JUST IN CASE ANOTHER NOCTURNAL MCS CAN SCRAPE BY THAT AREA. THE MODELS INDICATE THAT THE FLOW ALOFT WILL BECOME MORE ZONAL...WHICH SHOULD TAKE ANY COMPLEX ON A MORE EASTERLY TRACK AND WELL NORTH OF OUR AREA. HAVE THE SLIGHT CHANCE OVER THE NORTHEAST ALL DAY WEDNESDAY...AND AFTER NOON IN THE SOUTHERN PENNYRILE...JUST IN CASE SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS OR STORMS CAN GET GOING UNDER LESSER CAPPING. THE MODELS ARE NOT AS AGRESSIVE WITH DEVELOPMENT IN THE SOUTHEAST FOR WEDNESDAY AS THEY WERE FOR TODAY...SO MOST OF THE AREA MAY BE DRY TOMORROW...BARRING ANOTHER ROGUE MCS EVENT. WILL KEEP THE SLIGHT MCS POP OVER THE FAR NORTHEAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT...IN CASE SOMETHING GETS GOING AND MOVES OFF THE FRONT TO OUR NORTH. FOR THURSDAY THE GFS IS OVERDONE WITH SURFACE A SURFACE LOW AND THEREFORE BRINGS THE FRONT THROUGH CONSIDERABLY FASTER THAN THE NAM. THE GFS SEEMS TO BE SUFFERING FROM CONVECTIVE FEEDBACK ISSUES...AND IS NOT PREFERRED. WILL SHOW LOW CHANCES IN THE NORTH WITH SLIGHTS IN THE SOUTH THURSDAY AFTERNOON...AND THEN GO WITH 60S EVERYWHERE THURSDAY NIGHT AS THE FRONT FINALLY MOVES THROUGH THE ENTIRE REGION. TRIED TO DRY IT OUT OVER THE NORTH FRIDAY...BUT KEPT 20-30 POPS OVER THE SOUTHERN 2/3 OF THE AREA. AS FOR TEMPERATURES...GENERALLY STAYED CLOSE TO CONSENSUS GUIDANCE THROUGH THE PERIOD. LONE EXCEPTION WAS ON THURSDAY WHEN GUIDANCE LOOKS TOO LOW WITH RAGING SOUTHWEST FLOW IN THE LOW LEVELS AND A SLOWER FRONTAL PASSAGE EXPECTED. HEAT INDICES WILL FLIRT WITH TRIPLE DIGITS IN MOST AREAS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...BUT NOT QUITE CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO MENTION IN A HEADLINE AT THIS TIME. && .LONG TERM... /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/ LONG TERM STILL APPEARS DRY...WITH A SLOW RETURN OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY. 00Z GFS ENSEMBLE MEAN AND 00Z OPERATIONAL GFS REMAIN CONSISTENT WITH PREVIOUS RUNS. PRONOUNCED 500 MB RIDGE OVER THE WESTERN STATES WILL EXPAND EAST ACROSS THE PLAINS...AND EVENTUALLY TO THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY BY TUESDAY. AT THE SURFACE...HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT LAKES REGION SATURDAY WILL SINK SLOWLY SOUTH ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY. THIS HIGH WILL MOVE TO THE CAROLINAS EARLY NEXT WEEK. SOUTHWEST RETURN FLOW WILL END THE WEEKEND REPRIEVE FROM HEAT AND HUMIDITY. THE OUTLIER MODEL IS THE 00Z ECMWF...WHICH WILL BE DISREGARDED. THIS MODEL HANGS BACK A PIECE OF THE EASTERN 500 MB TROUGH OVER THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY THIS WEEKEND...THEN CLOSES IT OFF NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION... EAST TO WEST LINE OF CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTH ACROSS THE TAF SITES THROUGH 00Z. OUTFLOW WINDS AHEAD OF THIS LINE ARE GUSTING MOSTLY 25 TO 35 KNOTS. ORGANIZATION OF CELLS ALONG THE LINE IS DECREASING WITH TIME...WHICH SUGGESTS THAT ANY PERIODS OF MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS WILL BE MINIMAL. AFTER 00Z...CONDITIONS WILL DEPEND HEAVILY ON RAINFALL AMOUNTS AT EACH TAF SITE. EXPECT WIDESPREAD MVFR VSBYS IN FOG/HAZE DUE TO MOIST BOUNDARY LAYER. WHERE LOW LEVELS ARE SATURATED FROM RAINFALL...A PERIOD OF IFR VSBYS IS POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT. CURRENT INDICATIONS ARE RAINFALL WILL BE TOO BRIEF TO GREATLY IMPACT FOG POTENTIAL OVERNIGHT. ANY FOG WILL BURN OFF EARLY WEDNESDAY FOLLOWED BY THE FORMATION OF SCATTERED CU TOWARD NOON. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE. MO...NONE. IL...NONE. IN...NONE. && SHORT TERM...DRS LONG TERM....MY AVIATION...MY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 1157 AM CDT TUE JUL 17 2007 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-181000- JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON- WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE- HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH- WARRICK-SPENCER-FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES- LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL- UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN- MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER- RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID- 1157 AM CDT TUE JUL 17 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A LARGE COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST INTO NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...AND THEN OVERSPREAD THE AREA NORTH OF A CARBONDALE ILLINOIS TO CALHOUN KENTUCKY AREA BY LATE AFTERNOON. GIVEN VERY HOT AND REASONABLY MOIST AIRMASS OVER THE REGION...A FEW STORMS MAY GENERATE SOME DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...AND POSSIBLY SOME VERY ISOLATED HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE. THE STORMS WILL BE MOVING AT 30 TO 40 MPH TO THE SOUTHEAST INITIALLY...BUT THEY WILL LIKELY SLOWDOWN THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY IN OUR NORTHWESTERN AREAS. THE ACTIVITY SHOULD CONTINUE TO SPREAD SOUTH AND EAST INTO THE EVENING HOURS...AND THE SEVERE THREAT SHOULD WAIN BY 10 PM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY ISOLATED HEAT OF THE DAY THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY MUCH LIKE TODAY. IN ADDITION...HEAT INDEX VALUES COULD APPROACH 100 DEGREES ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON THURSDAY. THE SLIGHT RISK COVERS AN AREA ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM JACKSON MISSOURI...TO VIENNA ILLINOIS...TO PROVIDENCE KENTUCKY. A GOOD CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS FORECAST FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY OVER THE ENTIRE AREA...AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL CANNOT BE RULED OUT. DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH CLOUD COVER AND THE COVERAGE OF THUNDERSTORMS...HEAT INDEX VALUES COULD AGAIN REACH NEAR THE 100 DEGREE MARK ON THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY NORTH OF A CARBONDALE ILLINOIS TO CALHOUN KENTUCKY THIS AFTERNOON...AND SOUTHWARD TO A VAN BUREN MISSOURI...TO PADUCAH TO MADISONVILLE KENTUCKY LINE THIS EVENING. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY ALSO BE REQUESTED THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT THROUGHOUT THE AREA. DRS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 150 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2007 ILZ077-078-083-087-INZ081-082-085>087-172100- EDWARDS-WABASH-WHITE-GALLATIN-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH- WARRICK- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALBION...MOUNT CARMEL...CARMI... SHAWNEETOWN...FORT BRANCH...PETERSBURG...POSEYVILLE... EVANSVILLE...BOONVILLE 150 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2007 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA... AT 145 PM...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM JUST NORTH OF MCLEANSBORO ILLINOIS TO 8 MILES EAST OF PRINCETON INDIANA. THIS LINE WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH...SMALL HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED AS THIS LINE OF STORMS MOVES THROUGH EVANSVILLE...POSEYVILLE...CARMI...AND MCLEANSBORO OVER THE NEXT HOUR. MONITOR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. JGG/ML
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 310 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2007 MOZ086-087-172115- BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MARBLE HILL...CAPE GIRARDEAU...JACKSON 310 PM CDT TUE JUL 17 2007 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH CAPE GIRARDEAU... AND BOLLINGER COUNTIES... AT 307 PM...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM 8 MILES NORTHEAST OF JACKSON...TO 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF MARBLE HILL MOVING SOUTH AT 30 MPH. REPORTS OF PEA SIZED HAIL HAVE BEEN RECEIVED WITH THIS STORM. IN ADDITION TO SMALL HAIL...WIND GUSTS OF UP TO 50 MPH...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE AS THIS STORM MOVES THROUGH MARBLE HILL...JACKSON...AND CAPE GIRARDEAU THROUGH 400 PM. JGG/ML
The Paducah radar (KPAH), 14 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:14 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Two persons were injured when lightning struck as they baled hay. The first person was hooking up a tractor to another piece of equipment when the lightning struck, causing burns on the arm. A second person standing further away was knocked unconscious. Neither person was critically injured.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, July 2007
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: 40706.