Severe thunderstorms developed along and ahead of a cold front moving through Eastern Kentucky during the afternoon and evening hours of August 16th. The storms caused large hail and wind damage.
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 JKL wrote it up.
Severe thunderstorms developed along and ahead of a cold front moving through Eastern Kentucky during the afternoon and evening hours of August 16th. The storms caused large hail and wind damage. Numerous reports of trees down were received, along with some structural damage. Some of the wind damage occurred along what is known as an outflow boundary, or a line of strong winds, out ahead of the main line of thunderstorms.
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 Jackson, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 16, 4:14 PM EST, 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 514 PM EDT THU AUG 16 2007 .SHORT TERM.../THE REST OF TONIGHT/...UPDATED QUICK UPDATE TO ADD THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH TO OUR NORTHERN 7 COUNTIES. THIS AREA IS IN THE PROXIMITY OF THE FNTL BNDRY THAT IS SAGGING SOUTH AND THE ADDED LIFT COUPLED WITH THE EXTREME HEAT AND RESULTANT CONVECTIVE TEMPS IS KICKING OFF A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS GENERALLY ALONG AND NORTH OF I-64. THE PREVIOUS SHORT TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... /TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/ UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. FCST SOUNDINGS HAD CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURES AROUND 100 DEGREES... WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE SEEING ATTM. HOWEVER...SLIGHTLY DRIER AIR HAS MIXED DOWN ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA. SUSPECT THIS WILL HELP RETARD INITIALIZATION OF ANY CONVECTION A BIT LONGER...BUT STILL CAN NOT RULE OUT SOME ISOLATED ACTIVITY. THEREFORE LEFT A SLIGHT POP IN A FIRST PRE PERIOD IN THE ZONES FOR LOCATIONS THAT CONTINUE TO FALL UNDER THE HEAT ADVISORY. UPSTREAM THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX IS CURRENTLY INTERACTING WITH CONVECTION WHICH HAS FIRED ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. THIS ALONG WITH VERY HIGH SFC TEMPS HAS ALLOWED FOR AN EXPLOSION IN THE STRENGTH THESE THUNDERSTORMS WHICH ARE CURRENTLY MOVING UP THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. LIGHTNING STRIKES JUMPED FROM AROUND 150 TO 600+ IN LESS THAN ONE HOUR. THIS AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EASTWARD INTO A VERY UNSTABLE AIR MASS. THEREFORE...INCREASED POPS INTO THE LIKELY CATEGORY IN OUR NORTH...BEFORE TAPERING THEM DOWN THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT AS THE FRONT AND ASSOCIATED CONVECTION LOSES ANY FAVORABLE SFC HEATING. EXPECTATIONS ARE THAT A SEVERE WATCH BOX WILL BE ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY...PROBABLY ALONG THE INTERSTATE 64 CORRIDOR...OR POSSIBLY NORTH OF THE MOUNTAIN PARKWAY SOMETIME LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR THIS EVENING. THE NAM CONTINUES TO LOOK TOO AGGRESSIVE WITH THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT WHILE THE GFS MAY BE A BIT SLOW. CONSEQUENTLY CONTINUED TO USE A BLEND OF THE NAM AND GFS FOR THE REST OF THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. FOLLOWING THIS MINDSET...THIS WOULD KEEP A TIER OF COUNTIES IN OUR SOUTH UNDER THE THREAT OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORM IN THE MORNING...ISOLD ELSEWHERE. THEREAFTER...WEATHER REMAINS DRY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION. FOR TEMPS...LEANED TOWARDS THE WARMER NAM MOS FOR OVERNIGHT LOWS AS IT HAS BEEN PERFORMING WELL. LEANED TOWARDS THE WARMER MAV MOS GUIDANCE FOR HIGHS AS THIS IS WHERE IT HAS PERFORMED BEST. ONLY EXCEPTION WAS SATURDAY NIGHT...SUNDAY MORNING LOWS. NAM AND MAV MOS CAME IN WITH AS MUCH AS A 10 TO 15 DEGREES DIFFERENCE. SPLIT THE POT HERE...RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE. HOWEVER...WOULD NOTE THAT LAST WEEK THE MAV MOS PERFORMED VERY WELL WITH COOLER AIR UNDER SIMILAR CONDITIONS. SO MAV MOS MAY HAVE BEEN THE BETTER WAY TO GO. .LONG TERM.../SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/ THIS FCST STARTS WITH A WARM FNT WELL NORTH OF THE CWFA AND HIGH PRESS BUILDING IN. PCPN TRAVELING UP THE MS RVR VALLEY AND THEN EAST ACROSS THE GT LKS JUST NORTH OF THE FNTL BNDRY. THIS WRM FNT CONTINUES ITS NORTHERLY MVMT AND PUSHES THE PCPN AHEAD OF IT WITH RESULTING WX TO BE DRY AND HOT ACROSS ERN KY. STILL LOOKING AT SLIGHT CHC POP EACH AFTN AND EARLY EVENING IN A STRICTLY DIURNAL PATTERN. WITH THE STRONG HEATING AND A DEFINITE INVERTED V APPEARANCE TO THE SOUNDINGS...ANY CONVECTION THAT IS ABLE TO INITIATE...WILL BE ELEVATED AND THE ONLY HAZARD WILL BE FROM POSSIBLE MICROBURSTS. && .AVIATION.../18Z TO 18Z/ VFR CONDITIONS CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA. A COLD FRONT OVER OHIO INTO INDIANA WILL DROP SLOWLY SOUTH TODAY...PASSING THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT. LATEST SOUNDINGS PUT OUR CONVECTIVE TEMP AROUND 101-102 WHICH DOES...IN FACT...LOOK REACHABLE. EXPECT SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON ALTHOUGH THEY WILL PROBABLY BE VERY ELEVATED...AND IF THE FNT CAN GET CLOSE ENUF TO IMPACT THE AREA WITH SOME ADDITIONAL LIFT...ALONG AND IN THE VICINITY OF THE FRONT. MENTIONED VCTS IN THE TAFS DURING THE MOST FAVORABLE TIMES FOR TSRA...GENERALLY FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. MENTIONED VCSH AFTER THIS PERIOD...WITH A CB CLOUD TYPE TO INDICATE SOME ISOLATED TSRA IN THE AREA...GENERALLY EXPECTED WITH THE FNTL PASSAGE. THE FRONT SHOULD BE MOVING SOUTH OF THE AREA BY FRIDAY MORNING. COULD BE SOME LINGERING SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS EARLY...BUT THINGS SHOULD BEGIN TO CLEAR OUT LATER ON IN THE DAY. DID MENTION SOME MVFR FOG AT LOZ AND SME TOWARD FRIDAY MORNING. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR KYZ068-079-080-083- 084. && SHORT TERM...RAY/DUSTY LONG TERM....DUSTY AVIATION...DUSTY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 449 AM EDT THU AUG 16 2007 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-069-085>088-104-106>120-171200- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-JACKSON-WHITLEY- KNOX-BELL-HARLAN-ELLIOTT-MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-LEE- BREATHITT-KNOTT-OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-LETCHER-MARTIN-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING... OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD...IRVINE...STANTON...FRENCHBURG...MCKEE... CORBIN...WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE...MIDDLESBORO...PINEVILLE... HARLAN...SANDY HOOK...WEST LIBERTY...PAINTSVILLE...CAMPTON... SALYERSVILLE...PRESTONSBURG...BEATTYVILLE...JACKSON...HINDMAN... BOONEVILLE...HAZARD...MANCHESTER...HYDEN...WHITESBURG...INEZ... PIKEVILLE 449 AM EDT THU AUG 16 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AN ISOLATED STORM OR TWO COULD REACH SEVERE LIMITS...WITH DAMAGING WINDS AS THE PRIMARY THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY MORNING AND AGAIN FROM SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. KYZ068-079-080-083-084-171200- ROCKCASTLE-PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOUNT VERNON...SOMERSET...LONDON... MONTICELLO...WHITLEY CITY 449 AM EDT THU AUG 16 2007 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. DANGEROUSLY HOT WEATHER EXPECTED TODAY WITH HEAT INDICES REACHING AND EXCEEDING 105 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. AN ISOLATED STORM OR TWO COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AS THE PRIMARY THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY MORNING AND AGAIN FROM SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AR
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 535 PM EDT THU AUG 16 2007 KYZ050-162200- MONTGOMERY- 535 PM EDT THU AUG 16 2007 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT NORTHERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY THROUGH 600 PM EDT THURSDAY EVENING... AT 535 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR JUDY...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER THEN LIGHTNING IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE A HAZARD. RAY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 544 PM EDT THU AUG 16 2007 KYZ108-112-162230- WOLFE-BREATHITT- 544 PM EDT THU AUG 16 2007 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT SOUTHERN WOLFE AND NORTHERN BREATHITT COUNTIES THROUGH 630 PM EDT THURSDAY EVENING... AT 544 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR FLAT...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR WIDECREEK AROUND 550 PM EDT...BETHANY AROUND 555 PM EDT...HOLLONVILLE AROUND 600 PM EDT...WILHURST AROUND 605 PM EDT...SIMPSON AROUND 610 PM EDT. RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER THEN LIGHTNING IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE A HAZARD. RAY
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 74 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:56 UTC.
16 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Large trees down between Owingsville and I-64.
Numerous trees down and power outages as well.
Tree down along Highway 15.
One tree down on Oakwood Dr. in Jackson.
One tree down at Route 30 and Mill Branch Road.
Two trees down in neighborhood off of Quicksand Road.
Numerous trees down countywide.
Tree down in yard.
Piece of sheet metal lifted and dropped through the roof of a YMCA building. Part of the building was under construction.
Two trees down on Kentucky 1426. One tree fell on a vehicle.
Two trees and power lines down on Highway 550 between Mousie and Hindman.
Estimated winds at 50 to 60 mph with small limbs down.
Trees down on Highway 292 in Riverfront area, right on Martin county line.
Trees down in vicinity of Elkhorn City along Highway 80 and U.S. Highway 460.
Trees down countywide.
Numerous trees down at the intersection of Highway 57 and Taylors Mill Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, August 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: 51067, 51068, 51070, 51071, 51074, 51076, 51080, 51081, 51083, 51042, 51085, 51086, 51046, 51087, 51090, 51092, 51064.