A cold front with strong upper level support collided with a very moist air mass over the lower Ohio Valley. The result was a widespread outbreak of severe thunderstorms, and six confirmed tornadoes.
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 LMK wrote it up.
A cold front with strong upper level support collided with a very moist air mass over the lower Ohio Valley. The result was a widespread outbreak of severe thunderstorms, and six confirmed tornadoes. The storms produced property damage, downed trees and power lines, and large hail.
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 Oct 18, 5:48 PM EST, 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 648 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2007 .AVIATION (00Z TAFS):... DEALING WITH SUPERCELLS FOR THE SHORT TERM ...ESPECIALLY SDF VCNTY. LATER TONIGHT HAVE TO DEAL WITH LIKELY SQUALL LINE OF TSTMS MOVING WEST TO EAST ACROSS FA STARTING 4-6Z SDF AND 7-9Z LEX. WILL GO WI SCT TO BKN SC DEVELOPING FRIDAY MORNING ACROSS NRN KY WITH OUR REGION BEING ON THE SOUTHERN FRINGES OF THE WRAP AROUND CLOUDINESS ASSOCIATED WITH DEEP LOW WELL TO OUR NORTH. --21 && .MESOSCALE UPDATE... ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER THREAT CONTINUES TO UNFOLD ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. CURRENTLY WATCHING A COUPLE OF SUPERCELLS ACROSS HARRISON COUNTY INDIANA. THIS WILL AFFECT FLOYD AND CLARK COUNTIES OF SOUTHERN INDIANA IN THE NEXT HOUR. ADDITIONAL DISCRETE SUPERCELLS ARE ALSO MOVING NE ACROSS FAR NW KENTUCKY. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT HANCOCK KY, PERRY AND CRAWFORD COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN INDIANA WITHIN THE NEXT 60-90 MINUTES. FURTHER WEST...CELLS ALONG COLD FRONT CONTINUE TO ORGANIZE WELL. THIS LINE IS ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY FROM THE WABASH RIVER AND WILL AFFECT OUR AREA LATER TONIGHT. -JARVIS .SHORT TERM (TONIGHT)... ...ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER EVENT EXPECTED TONIGHT... FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS A TORNADO WATCH WHICH WAS ISSUED AT 1840Z AND RUNS TILL 4Z TONIGHT FOR WRN TWO THIRDS OF CWA. ATMOSPHERE IS ON THE RECOVERY FROM THIS MORNINGS CONVECTION. BETTER INSTABILITY IS STARTING TO NOSE IN FROM THE WSW AS CLOUDS BREAK UP ALLOWING SFC HEATING. CAPES APPROACHING 1000 J/KG OVER FAR WRN CWA. THINKING SCATTERED T-STORMS MAY DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE FRONT EARLY THIS EVENING OVER WRN CWA WHICH IS IN THE WATCH AREA. EXPECTING CONVECTION TO REMAIN WEST AND SOUTH ALONG THE BEST INSTABILITY AXIS UNTIL THEN. MAIN EVENT STILL ON TRACK FOR TONIGHT. ONLY MINOR TWEAKS TO THE GRIDS FOR TONIGHT. LAPS 50 TO 60 KT BULK SHEAR WILL MAKE QUITE A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR DAMAGING WINDS AS WAS OBSERVED WITH CONVECTION OVER IL AND MO YESTERDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING. GOOD LL SHEAR ESPECIALLY OVER WEST CENTRAL KY AND SOUTHERN INDIANA WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AN ISOLATED TORNADO THREAT. THINKING IS THAT CELLS WILL PROBABLY INITIATE OVER WRN KY AND IN/IL EARLY THIS EVENING AND EVOLVE INTO A SQUALL LINE ESPECIALLY BY THE TIME THE COLD FRONT REACHES CENTRAL AND ERN PORTIONS OF CWA AROUND 5Z TO 9Z. BE SURE TO TURN ON YOUR WEATHER RADIOS THIS EVENING TO REMAIN ALERT OF SEVERE WEATHER UPDATES. --AML && .LONG TERM (FRI THRU THU)... WELL BE PUTTING ALL OUR RESOURCES INTO THE POTENTIAL WIDESPREAD SEVERE EVENT LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT...AND HENCEFORTH WILL BE MAKING NO OR JUST SUBTLE CHANGES IN THIS PERIOD. STILL LOOKS LIKE A WARM WEEKEND...TRENDING SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER AT THE START OF THE NEW WORKWEEK WITH NEXT SIGNIFICANT CHANCE OF RAIN ON MONDAY. DK && LMK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE. IN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 400 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2007 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- 400 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2007 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. ...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT FOR ALL OF SOUTH-CENTRAL INDIANA AND MOST OF CENTRAL KENTUCKY... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER SOUTHERN INDIANA AND WEST CENTRAL KENTUCKY EARLY TONIGHT WELL AHEAD OF AN ADVANCING COLD FRONT. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS...LARGE HAIL... AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED. A MORE ORGANIZED THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT AS THUNDERSTORM CELLS MERGE INTO A SQUALL LINE AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THIS LINE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN INDIANA AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY BETWEEN 9 PM EDT TONIGHT AND 3 AM EDT FRIDAY. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THESE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS ALONG WITH DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS. LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THESE STORMS TONIGHT. SINCE THESE SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE OUTLOOK AREA AT NIGHT...WE HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO SET YOUR NOAA WEATHER RADIO TO ALERT MODE SO THAT YOU CAN BE AWAKENED IN THE EVENT THAT A WARNING IS ISSUED WHILE YOU ARE ASLEEP. MANY SEVERE WEATHER FATALITIES OCCUR LATE AT NIGHT. OUTSIDE OF ALL THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...SOUTHERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE VERY GUSTY TONIGHT. GUSTS NEAR 30 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE OUTLOOK REGION...SO MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION ON WEST-TO-EAST ROADWAYS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN NEXT MONDAY AND TUESDAY AS ANOTHER SYSTEM MOVES EAST INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS AND EMERGENCY MANAGERS SHOULD KEEP WATCH FOR SEVERE WEATHER THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...AND REPORT ANY SIGNIFICANT HAZARDOUS WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. AML/DK
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
540 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0537 PM TSTM WND DMG 5 SW HAWESVILLE 37.85N 86.82W
10/18/2007 HANCOCK KY LAW ENFORCEMENT
1 TREE DOWN IN CHAMBERS AREA ALONG WITH PEA SIZE HAIL
&&
LDPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
543 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0540 PM HAIL 4 NE JASPER 38.43N 86.88W
10/18/2007 M0.75 INCH DUBOIS IN TRAINED SPOTTER
HAIL COVERING GROUND
&&
LDPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
628 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0626 PM TSTM WND GST NEW AMSTERDAM 38.10N 86.28W
10/18/2007 E80 MPH HARRISON IN PUBLIC
&&
LDPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
639 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0635 PM TSTM WND DMG 8 S CORYDON 38.10N 86.13W
10/18/2007 HARRISON IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
NUMEROUS TRESS DOWN
&&
LDPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
643 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2007
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0642 PM TSTM WND GST LANESVILLE 38.24N 85.98W
10/18/2007 E60 MPH HARRISON IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
1/2 INCH HAIL IN ADDITION
&&
LDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 644 PM EDT THU OCT 18 2007 INZ089-KYZ023-024-190045- PERRY IN-HANCOCK KY-BRECKINRIDGE KY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...TELL CITY...HAWESVILLE...HARDINSBURG 544 PM CDT THU OCT 18 2007 ...MORE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT THE AREA WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR... AT 543 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING SEVERAL STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS FAR NORTHWEST KENTUCKY. THESE STORMS WERE JUST SOUTHWEST OF THE OWENSBORO AREA AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT HANCOCK AND PERRY COUNTIES WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR OR SO. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION LATER THIS EVENING. RESIDENTS OF HANCOCK AND PERRY COUNTIES AS WELL AS SURROUNDING AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO IMMEDIATE ACTION IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA ALL HAZARDS WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. JARVIS
The Louisville radar (KLVX), 37 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:05 UTC.
25 thunderstorm wind, 6 tornado, 4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail 1.25 inch in diameter fell in the Crescent Hill area with a storm that later produced a brief EF0 tornado farther east.
A gas station awning was damaged and a large oak tree was felled by winds estimated at 70 kts in the Hillcrest area of Louisville.
The EF-0 tornado touched down briefly at a grocery store at 2200 Brownsboro Road. It blew out windows in the grocery and in a dry cleaners located in the same structure. A shopping cart corral was blown into a car, and a large power pole was blown down.
The tornado crossed into Hancock County from Daviess County, KY, near Highway 1389. It continued northeast, with intermittent touchdowns, until it lifted in the southwest outskirts of Hawesville. A mobile home was destroyed along Highway 1389. Several barns and sheds were blown down near the intersection of highways 271 and 1389. Most of the damage, however, was in the form of large trees being uprooted or snapped. The parent thunderstorm crossed into Perry County, IN, where it later produced another tornado to the northeast of Cannelton.
Trees were downed in the Brownsboro Road area.
A building along Big Bend Road sustained roof damage. Several trees were downed.
Thunderstorm winds estimated at nearly 70 mph by law enforcement caused unspecified structural damages.
A few trees were downed.
The EF-2 tornado began one mile east northeast of Stinnettsville, and moved to the northeast through Rosetta, where most of the damage occurred. A church was destroyed. A nearby home lost a large section of roof. Two large outbuildings were destroyed. A 16 foot trailer was moved and wrapped around a tree. Winds moved a 4500 pound tractor seven feet. A pickup truck was thrown 75 feet and flipped over. Numerous trees along the tornado path were uprooted or snapped.
Trees and power lines were downed. A trained spotter estimated at 70 mph wind gust.
Trees and power lines were downed.
Power lines were downed.
The tornado touched down a mile north northwest of Flaherty, and lifted near Camp Carlson in the southern portion of Fort Knox. Damage from the tornado was consistent with an EF-1 tornado. Most of the damage was concentrated near the intersection of U.S. 60 and County Road 1882. The Rock Inn sustained roof damage, and a service station canopy was knocked over. The tornado also uprooted large trees along the damage path.
Trees and power lines were downed.
A tree was blown on to a house. One person was injured.
The roof was blown off a building in Hartford.
Power lines were downed in several parts of the Louisville Metro area.
The tornado damaged two outbuildings near the initial touchdown point. It also downed trees, and the damage pattern of the trees indicated a rotary circulation. At this point the tornado moved out over a wooded and largely inaccessible area, where it may have been on the ground intermittently. Most of the structural damage occurred in about the last three quarters of a mile of the damage path. In this stretch, a few houses had chimney and roof damage. The tornado also knocked down some vertical columns on a porch overhang. The roof was blown off a cinder block garage, and three of the garage walls were collapsed.
Trees were downed.
Trees were downed.
Straight line winds destroyed an old barn and uprooted some trees near the Trimble County line.
Thunderstorm winds damaged a carport and a chimney at one home, and blew a tree on to another house on the Oldham County line. Minor damage was also sustained to metal sections of nearby outbuildings.
A large section of roof was blown off the Dart Plant building on U.S Highway 31W. Several tobacco barns and warehouses, and other industrial buildings suffered structural damage on east Main Street.
Over a dozen trees were downed in and around Hodgenville.
An outbuilding and a home damaged in Windyville.
Barns were blown down. The roof was blown off a metal building.
The tornado touched down about three quarters of a mile southwest of Bradfordsville near the intersection of Bradfordsville and Thornton Roads. A mobile home was rolled over and two homes suffered shingle damage. An outbuilding also sustained minor damage, and several small trees were downed. From here, the tornado moved east-northeast into Bradfordsville, doing significant tree damage, snapping power poles, and destroying several outbuildings, one of which collapsed onto a speedboat. When the tornado lifted, the parent thunderstorm continued to cause extensive tree damage on the eastern side of Bradfordsville. Structural and tree damage from the tornado was consistent with an EF-0 tornado.
Several trees were downed.
Trees were downed.
Trees were blown on to power lines.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kentucky, 2007Warnings in Kentucky, October 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 57891, 57937, 62337, 61631, 57939, 60131, 57902, 57893, 62566, 57961, 57920, 57905, 57963, 60130, 57906, 60189, 57908, 57894, 60190, 62568, 57922, 57923, 57897, 62340, 62341, 57913, 57914, 57915, 57916, 60129, 57917, 57924, 57926, 57918, 57919.