Frequent wind gusts from 50 to 70 mph caused numerous problems in southwest Indiana. The low pressure center that was the remnant of Hurricane Ike raced northeast at 40 to 50 mph across Missouri and Illinois.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
Frequent wind gusts from 50 to 70 mph caused numerous problems in southwest Indiana. The low pressure center that was the remnant of Hurricane Ike raced northeast at 40 to 50 mph across Missouri and Illinois. The center passed between Carbondale, IL and St. Louis, MO on its way toward the northeastern states. The rapid speed of the low pressure system contributed to this high wind event. A peak wind gust of 64 mph was measured by the automated observing system at the Evansville airport. The highest sustained wind at the airport was 47 mph. An unofficial wind gust of 66 mph was measured at Newburgh.
Extensive tree damage occurred. Trees were uprooted and very large limbs were broken. Some trees fell on homes and vehicles, causing considerable damage. Other trees fell across roads, blocking them. Major roads were re-opened by nightfall, though smaller streets were blocked for up to two days. Blocked roads in Pike County included the major state roads, including Highways 61, 57, and 64. Roof and siding damage was reported on numerous structures. In Posey County, the north wall of the Mount Vernon water plant blew apart. Large signs were blown down. Numerous power poles and utility lines were down. Complete power restoration took several days. The Red Cross opened shelters in Evansville, Princeton, and Mount Vernon for those without power. In Winslow in Pike County, one person was trapped when a tree landed on a house. The person was rescued uninjured. In Evansville, a man was hospitalized after being trapped under a fallen tree for nearly an hour. Downed wires started a few field fires. A four-alarm field fire occurred near Newburgh in Warrick County. In Oakland City (Gibson County), an eight-square block area was evacuated for hours after a tree landed on a natural gas line. Railroad crossing gates were blown off in Chandler (Warrick County), and trees were cleared from railroad tracks. A sliding door was blown off a church near Evansville.
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 Sep 14, 5:35 AM CST, 3 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
635 AM CDT SUN SEP 14 2008
.UPDATE...
FOR 12Z TAF ISSUANCE.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
/ISSUED 355 AM CDT SUN SEP 14 2008/
THE ACCELERATING REMNANTS OF IKE WERE IN NRN AR AND RAPIDLY
PROGRESSING NEWD THIS MORNING. ACCORDINGLY...WINDS WERE INCREASING
ESPECIALLY IN THE WRN HALF OF THE REGION AND MAY REACH WIND
ADVISORY CRITERIA SOON IN SRN PARTS OF SERN MO. A TORNADO WATCH
WAS IN EFFECT JUST TO OUR SOUTH BUT SO FAR THE CONVECTIVE LINES
HAVE BEHAVED. IN FACT...NO LIGHTNING HAS BEEN SEEN EVEN DOWN IN
MS. SO FAR THE RAINFALL HAS BEEN MOSTLY ON THE LIGHT SIDE...AND
THE RAIN SHIELD WAS BEGINNING TO SURGE EWD.
ON THE ERN SIDE OF THE CIRCULATION WHERE THE PAH FCST AREA WILL BE
TODAY...CURRENT QPF ESTIMATES ARE THAT ABOUT AN INCH OF RAIN WILL
FALL ROUGHLY WEST OF A LINE FROM POPLAR BLUFF MO TO MT. VERNON
IL...AND SIGNIFICANTLY LESS ELSEWHERE. WITH A THE LOW LEVEL SHEAR
AND SOME SFC HEATING AVAILABLE...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF TSTM
RELATED WIND DAMAGE FOR LATER TODAY...INCLUDING ISOLD TORNADOES...
MAINLY EAST OF THE OHIO AND WABASH RIVERS.
THE REMNANTS OF IKE WILL MERGE WITH A MID LEVEL SHRTWV/SFC COLD
FRONT TODAY AND BE OUT OF THE AREA QUICKLY. NO PCPN IS IN THE FCST
AFTER 00Z MON. THE REST OF THE 7 DAY FCST WILL BE RAIN FREE AND
COOLER AS CYCLONIC MID LEVEL FLOW TRANSITIONS TO NWRLY FLOW...THEN
THE PRESSURE PATTERNS REALLY SLACKEN. THERE WILL PROBABLY BE A
SLIGHT WARMING TREND TO NEAR NORMAL TEMPS TOWARD DAY 7 ESPECIALLY
IN THE AFTERNOONS.
&&
.AVIATION...
MVFR CIGS AND VSBYS WILL PREVAIL THIS MORNING. HEAVIER SHOWERS
WITHIN THE CONVECTIVE BANDS MAY BRIEFLY DROP CIGS AND VSBYS TO THE
LOWER END OF THE MVFR RANGE...ESPECIALLY AT KCGI AND KPAH. CIGS WILL
BREAK UP THIS EVENING ACROSS KCGI/KPAH HOWEVER SCT CU WILL LINGER.
KEVV/KOWB SHOULD SEE MVFR CIGS THROUGH OVERNIGHT PERIOD. DID NOT GET
FANCY WITH WINDS...GRADUALLY TURNED THEM TOWARD THE NORTHWEST BEHIND
THE COLD FRONT.
&&
.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KY...WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON
FOR BALLARD-CALDWELL-CALLOWAY-CARLISLE-CHRISTIAN-CRITTENDEN-
GRAVES-HICKMAN-LIVINGSTON-LYON-MARSHALL-MCCRACKEN-TODD-
TRIGG.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING
FOR DAVIESS-HENDERSON-HOPKINS-MCLEAN-MUHLENBERG-UNION KY-
WEBSTER.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR FULTON.
MO...WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON
FOR BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-MISSISSIPPI-PERRY MO-SCOTT.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR BUTLER-CARTER-
NEW MADRID-RIPLEY-STODDARD-WAYNE MO.
IL...WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON
FOR ALEXANDER-JACKSON-JOHNSON-MASSAC-POPE-PULASKI-UNION IL-
WILLIAMSON.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING
FOR EDWARDS-FRANKLIN-GALLATIN-HAMILTON-HARDIN-JEFFERSON-
PERRY IL-SALINE-WABASH-WAYNE IL-WHITE.
IN...WIND ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING
FOR GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-SPENCER-VANDERBURGH-WARRICK.
&&
PUBLIC....DB
AVIATION...MLHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 924 AM CDT SUN SEP 14 2008 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-151000- 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- 924 AM CDT SUN SEP 14 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY...AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ...VERY DANGEROUS WINDS... 20 TO 40 MPH SUSTAINED WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED THIS MORNING AND GUSTS COULD REACH 60 MPH AT TIMES. NEARLY THE ENTIRE AREA HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A HIGH WIND WARNING...WHICH EXPIRES AT 100 PM. PEAK WINDS WILL THEN SUBSIDE TO A LITTLE MORE MANAGEABLE LEVEL...AVERAGING ANYWHERE FROM 15 TO 30 MPH WITH THE OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 50 MPH AS A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH 400 PM FOR THE REST OF THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...EXCEPT FOR THE EVANSVILLE TRI-STATE AREA WHERE THE ADVISORY STAYS IN EFFECT UNTIL 700 PM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT HIGH WINDS AND DAMAGE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 841 AM CDT SUN SEP 14 2008 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-141800- 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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOUNT VERNON...FAIRFIELD...ALBION... MOUNT CARMEL...PINCKNEYVILLE...WEST FRANKFORT...MCLEANSBORO... CARMI...CARBONDALE...HERRIN...HARRISBURG...SHAWNEETOWN... JONESBORO...VIENNA...GOLCONDA...ELIZABETHTOWN...CAIRO... MOUND CITY...METROPOLIS...FORT BRANCH...PETERSBURG...POSEYVILLE... EVANSVILLE...BOONVILLE...ROCKPORT...HICKMAN...CLINTON... BARDWELL...WICKLIFFE...PADUCAH...MAYFIELD...SMITHLAND...BENTON... MURRAY...MARION...EDDYVILLE...CADIZ...PRINCETON...MORGANFIELD... DIXON...MADISONVILLE...HOPKINSVILLE...HENDERSON...OWENSBORO... CALHOUN...GREENVILLE...ELKTON...PERRYVILLE...MARBLE HILL... CAPE GIRARDEAU...PIEDMONT...VAN BUREN...DONIPHAN...POPLAR BLUFF... BLOOMFIELD...SIKESTON...CHARLESTON...NEW MADRID 841 AM CDT SUN SEP 14 2008 ...HIGH WINDS KNOCKING OUT POWER... ...CREWS WORKING TO FIX POWER OUTAGES...REQUEST YOU STAY OFF ROADS... AT 815 AM...THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR FOR NEW MADRID COUNTY MISSOURI REPORTED WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES DUE TO THE HIGH WINDS AND MADE A SPECIAL REQUEST THAT RESIDENTS STAY OFF ROADWAYS AS CREWS WERE WORKING HARD TO RESTORE POWER. THIS SAME MESSAGE COULD BE APPLICABLE TO ALL RESIDENTS IN THE HIGH WIND WARNING OR ADVISORY...AS YOU TOO MAY EXPERIENCE POWER OUTAGES AND CREWS WILL NO DOUBT BE WORKING TO RESTORE ANY OUTAGES AS WELL. IT WILL HELP WORK CREWS IMMENSELY IF TRAFFIC WAS KEPT TO A MINIMUM. FOR THOSE IN THE WARNING...WINDS WILL BE SUSTAINED 25 TO 35 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 60 MPH UNTIL LATE MORNING TO NOON. FOR THOSE IN THE ADVISORY...EXPECT 20 TO 30 MPH WINDS WITH OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO 50 MPH. THE WARNING EXPIRES AT 100 PM AND THE ADVISORY EXPIRES AT 400 PM FOR ALL BUT THE EVANSVILLE TRI-STATE AREA...WHERE THE ADVISORY EXPIRES AT 700 PM.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
853 AM CDT SUN SEP 14 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0604 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG ELLSINORE 36.93N 90.75W
09/14/2008 CARTER MO TRAINED SPOTTER
POWER LINES DOWN IN CITY.
0635 AM NON-TSTM WND GST NEELYVILLE 36.56N 90.51W
09/14/2008 E55.00 MPH BUTLER MO TRAINED SPOTTER
SEVERAL TREES DOWN
0635 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG ELLSINORE 36.93N 90.75W
09/14/2008 CARTER MO TRAINED SPOTTER
POWER LINES DOWN IN CITY
0637 AM NON-TSTM WND GST DONIPHAN 36.62N 90.82W
09/14/2008 E58.00 MPH RIPLEY MO TRAINED SPOTTER
TREES DOWN
0722 AM NON-TSTM WND GST DONIPHAN 36.62N 90.82W
09/14/2008 E71.00 MPH RIPLEY MO LAW ENFORCEMENT
0728 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG 1 W POPLAR BLUFF 36.76N 90.43W
09/14/2008 BUTLER MO TRAINED SPOTTER
TREE DOWN ON HOUSE
0745 AM TSTM WND DMG CHARLESTON 36.92N 89.34W
09/14/2008 MISSISSIPPI MO LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN MANY COMMUNITIES IN
MISSISSIPPI COUNTY.
0758 AM NON-TSTM WND GST LONE OAK 37.04N 88.67W
09/14/2008 E50.00 MPH MCCRACKEN KY NWS EMPLOYEE
TOPS OF 2 TREES BROKE OFF AND DOWN ON GROUND
0758 AM NON-TSTM WND GST CALVERT CITY 37.03N 88.35W
09/14/2008 E60.00 MPH MARSHALL KY NWS EMPLOYEE
SMALL BRANCHES BLOWN DOWN
0805 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG FRUITLAND 37.45N 89.64W
09/14/2008 CAPE GIRARDEAU MO EMERGENCY MNGR
2 ROOFS BLOWN OFF METAL TRAILERS...POWER LINES DOWN ALONG
WITH TREES
0805 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG CAPE GIRARDEAU 37.31N 89.55W
09/14/2008 CAPE GIRARDEAU MO EMERGENCY MNGR
MANY TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN. ALSO AN INTERSTATE 55
SIGN BLEW ACROSS ROADWAY
0820 AM NON-TSTM WND GST MAYFIELD 36.74N 88.65W
09/14/2008 E50.00 MPH GRAVES KY TRAINED SPOTTER
0825 AM TSTM WND DMG NEW MADRID 36.59N 89.55W
09/14/2008 NEW MADRID MO EMERGENCY MNGR
MANY TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN ALL OVER THE COUNTY.
0847 AM NON-TSTM WND GST LONE OAK 37.04N 88.67W
09/14/2008 E60.00 MPH MCCRACKEN KY TRAINED SPOTTER
TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES DOWN
&&
DHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
910 AM CDT SUN SEP 14 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0844 AM NON-TSTM WND GST CALVERT CITY 37.03N 88.35W
09/14/2008 E66.00 MPH MARSHALL KY NWS EMPLOYEE
0859 AM NON-TSTM WND GST LONE OAK 37.04N 88.67W
09/14/2008 E60.00 MPH MCCRACKEN KY TRAINED SPOTTER
SEVERAL COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES WITH WINDOWS BLOWN OUT
&&
DLLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
954 AM CDT SUN SEP 14 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0854 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG MAYFIELD 36.74N 88.65W
09/14/2008 GRAVES KY TRAINED SPOTTER
0900 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG PADUCAH 37.07N 88.64W
09/14/2008 MCCRACKEN KY TRAINED SPOTTER
WIDESPREAD TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN THROUGHOUT
MCCRACKEN COUNTY
0925 AM NON-TSTM WND GST POSSUM TROT 37.01N 88.43W
09/14/2008 E70.00 MPH MARSHALL KY TRAINED SPOTTER
0925 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG PADUCAH 37.07N 88.64W
09/14/2008 MCCRACKEN KY TRAINED SPOTTER
SEMI-TRUCK BLOWN OVER ON INTERSTATE 24.
0925 AM NON-TSTM WND GST CALVERT CITY 37.03N 88.35W
09/14/2008 E74.00 MPH MARSHALL KY NWS EMPLOYEE
SHINGLES BLOWN OFF HOUSE
&&
DLLThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, September 2008
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: 125774, 125775, 125772, 125773, 125778, 125779.