Moderate to major flooding occurred on the Green River. The flooding was the result of a series of low pressure systems during the early and middle parts of the month.
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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.
Moderate to major flooding occurred on the Green River. The flooding was the result of a series of low pressure systems during the early and middle parts of the month. The heaviest rain fell on the 15th.
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 Dec 11, 3:55 AM CST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 355 AM CST TUE DEC 11 2007 .DISCUSSION... MAIN CONCERNS CONTINUE TO BE POPS THROUGH THURSDAY...THEN ATTENTION TURNS TOWARD A POSSIBLE WINTER STORM SYSTEM EARLY IN THE WEEKEND. CLUSTER OF SHOWERS WITH WARM ADVECTION JUST OFF THE SURFACE SHOULD LIFT NORTH OF THE AREA BY 12Z. SOME BREAKS IN THE OVERCAST SKY LOCATED OVER WESTERN TENNESSEE WILL LIKELY SPREAD OVER WEST KENTUCKY THIS MORNING...BRINGING A MUCH NEEDED DOSE OF SUNSHINE TO SOUTHEASTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA. THE 00Z GFS HAS TRENDED FASTER IN PUSHING THE PRECIPITATION THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT...LEAVING LITTLE FOR WEDNESDAY. IT IS FASTER THAN THE ENSEMBLE MEAN...WHICH IS IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THE 10/21Z SREF MEAN WITH THE SURFACE FRONT AND THE FINAL WAVE ALONG THE FRONT WEDNESDAY NIGHT. DECIDED TO FOLLOW THE SREF MEAN SOLUTION THROUGH THURSDAY. MUCH OF THE AREA SHOULD BE DRY TODAY...ESPECIALLY WEST KENTUCKY...BUT WILL LEAVE IN LOW POPS JUST TO BE SAFE. THE FRONT SHOULD REACH KMVN BY 00Z...SO WILL INDICATE LIKELY POPS THERE AFTER 21Z. CATEGORICAL POPS ARE WARRANTED TONIGHT WITH PLENTY OF ELEVATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS JUST BEHIND THE FRONT. BROKE THE POPS OUT INTO 6 HOUR GRIDS TO ACCOUNT FOR A LATER ARRIVAL OVER WEST KENTUCKY...GENERALLY AFTER 06Z. FOLLOWING THE SREF GIVES LIKELIES WEST AND CATEGORICALS SOUTH AND EAST WEDNESDAY MORNING. MUCH OF THE AREA WILL GET A BRIEF BREAK FROM THE RAIN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...BEFORE THE RAINFALL FROM THE MAIN MID/UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM AND SURFACE WAVE ARRIVES FROM THE SOUTHWEST. WENT WITH CATEGORICALS AGAIN WEDNESDAY NIGHT. INCREASED POPS FOR THURSDAY MORNING...WITH LOW LIKELY IN THE EAST AND CHANCE IN THE WEST. EVEN LEFT A SLIVER OF A SLIGHT CHANCE IN THE EAST THURSDAY AFTERNOON. CANNOT RULE OUT A STRAY THUNDERSTORM AMIDST THE SHOWERS NEAR AND IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE FRONT FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING IN THE SOUTHEAST. WIND FIELDS WILL BE IMPRESSIVE...SO IF SOME DECENT INSTABILITY DEVELOPS...LOOK OUT FOR A SEVERE STORM OR TWO. COULD SEE SOME MORE HEAVY RAIN...GIVEN HOW EFFICIENT IT WAS LAST NIGHT...SO MENTIONED HEAVY RAINFALL WITH MAIN SWATH OF PRECIPITATION TONIGHT. SOUNDINGS INDICATE THAT ALL THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD BE LIQUID THROUGH THURSDAY. AS FOR TEMPERATURES...MUCH OF WEST KENTUCKY MAY REACH THE 70S TODAY...ESPECIALLY IF THERE IS ANY SIGNIFICANT SUNSHINE. LEANED TOWARD THE WARMER MAV IN THE EAST...AND TOWARD THE COOLER MET IN THE CLOUDIER WEST. GENERALLY STAYED CLOSE TO THE WARMER MAV TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. STAYED CLOSE TO CONSENSUS FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. MADE SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE FORECAST FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THE 00Z GFS WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY THE ENSEMBLES...BRINGS A RATHER SHARP MID/UPPER LEVEL STORM SYSTEM OVER THE COOL SURFACE HIGH FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. SOUNDINGS FROM THE GFS SUPPORT A PURE SNOW FORECAST...SO WILL KEEP IT SIMPLE AND JUST MENTION SNOW FOR NOW. CANNOT RULE OUT AN INCH OR TWO AT THIS TIME. KNOCKED TEMPERATURES AND DEWPOINTS DOWN TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS SOLUTION AS WELL. && .AVIATION... IFR/LIFR CEILINGS AND IFR VISIBILITIES WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF THE TERMINAL FORECAST PERIOD AS SHALLOW EASTERLY FLOW IS OVERRIDDEN BY MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. A WEAKENING FRONTAL BOUNDARY SOUTH OF THE REGION SHOULD REDEVELOP TO OUR NORTH THIS MORNING...AS WINDS VEER AROUND TO A MORE SOUTHERLY DIRECTION. THIS WILL ENHANCE BOUNDARY LAYER MIXING...WHICH WILL ALLOW FOR BETTER VISIBILITIES BY LATE MORNING AND MUCH IMPROVED CEILINGS TO AT LEAST MVFR CATEGORY THIS AFTERNOON. CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES WILL AGAIN DETERIORATE TONIGHT AS THE FRONT TO OUR NORTH MOVES SOUTHEAST INTO THE AREA. WITH THE FRONT WILL COME YET ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT RAIN EVENT...WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE AS WELL. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE. MO...NONE. IL...NONE. IN...NONE. && PUBLIC.....DRS AVIATION...RP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 450 AM CST TUE DEC 11 2007 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-121100- 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- 450 AM CST TUE DEC 11 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SOME PATCHY DENSE FOG MAINLY OVER THE WESTERN HALF OF THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING WILL DISSIPATE BY 9 AM. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL SPREAD SOUTH THROUGH THE ENTIRE AREA BEGINNING NEAR MT VERNON ILLINOIS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE ENTIRE AREA THROUGH THE NIGHT. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED...BUT LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY LEAD TO SOME MINOR FLOODING PROBLEMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL COME TO A BRIEF STOP WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...BEFORE ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS MOVES THROUGH THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL AVERAGE ONE AND HALF INCHES FROM TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. THE HEAVY RAINS MAY TAX DRAINAGE SYSTEMS...LEADING TO SOME MINOR FLOODING PROBLEMS. A CHANCE OF SNOW IS FORECAST FOR THE ENTIRE QUAD STATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS THAT SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. HOWEVER...SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT ANY FLOODING PROBLEMS THEY ENCOUNTER THROUGH THURSDAY. DRS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
At the river gage at Paradise, the Green River crested at 390.27 feet on the 17th. This was 10.27 feet above flood stage, which classified as a major flood. Widespread flooding of low-lying areas around the river took place. There were no reports of any property damage.
At the river gage at Calhoun, the Green River crested at 28.02 feet on the 18th. This was a moderate flood. Flood stage is 23 feet. Several county roads were closed. Kentucky Highway 85 near Island was closed, along with West Second Street in Rumsey. A couple of streets in Livermore were closed. Some of the least travelled gravel farm roads were closed for more than a week until repairs could be made. In Livermore, the water levels came within a couple feet of shutting down the water plant that provides water to the city. A riverfront park in Calhoun was submerged. The Army Corps of Engineers Lock and Dam structure in Calhoun ceased operations after it went under water. Thousands of acres were flooded in the Island, Rumsey, and Jewel City areas. The acreage was mostly dormant cropland, woods, and fields.
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, December 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: 65277, 65278.