A warm front moved slowly north across western Kentucky during the afternoon. Large clusters of thunderstorms produced very heavy rain.
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.
A warm front moved slowly north across western Kentucky during the afternoon. Large clusters of thunderstorms produced very heavy rain. A cold front moved southeast into the Lower Ohio Valley during the night, preceded by more thunderstorms. These storms produced a report of wind damage and a tornado. Rainfall for the 24-hour period ranged from 2 to 4 inches across most of western Kentucky, with isolated amounts of 4 to 7 inches. The isolated higher amounts were mostly from Madisonville to Marion.
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 Apr 3, 12:33 PM CST, 3 hours 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
133 PM CDT THU APR 3 2008
.DISCUSSION...
WARM FRONT IS STILL SOUTH OF PAH FA...BUT ELEVATED STORMS WERE
OVERRUNNING THE BOUNDARY AND OFFERING ISOLD SVR THREAT INTO OZARKS
OF SEMO ALREADY. ANTICIPATE ISOLD SVR THREAT TO CONTINUE ALONG/IN
ADVANCE OF WARM FRONT AS IT LIFTS NORTH THIS PM/EVENING...LAYING
OUT SOMEWHERE ROUGHLY ALONG THE LOWER OH RIVER VALLEY. THEN FOCUS
SHIFTS TO WEST AS COLD FRONT COMES IN. STRONG TO SVR (STILL IN
SWODY1-2 SLGT RISK) STORMS ALONG/IN ADVANCE OF COLD FRONT WILL
ALSO BRING NEXT BOUT OF LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS. THIS MORNING-EARLY PM
RAINS HAVING BROUGHT FORECAST REALIZED .5-1.5 RAINS...THE
OVERNIGHT ROUND LOOKS TO BRING AN ADDITIONAL 2-3 WHICH SHOULD
BRING US CLOSE TO REALIZING OUR 4-5 HPC/FORECAST BULLSEYES. FFA
CONTINUES.
MAIN MODEL TREND IS SLOWER COLD FROPA W/SVR RISK & HEAVY RAIN
THREAT MORESO IN THE OVERNIGHT HOURS (03-09Z OR EVEN 06-12Z)
VERSUS YESTERDAY RUNS WHICH SHOWED 00-06Z AS PRIMARY THREAT HOURS.
EITHER WAY MODELS STILL SHOW FROPA BY 12Z TONIGHT SO HEAVIEST RAIN
THREAT FOR MOST OF THE AREA IS OVER BY THEN AND 18Z FFA END TIME IS
FINE. HOWEVER 2NDARY WAVE DEVELOPS AND RIDES ALONG THE STALLING
BOUNDARY THRU 18Z...SO SOME LOCALLY HEAVIER SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE
ACROSS MAINLY THE PENNYRILE OF WRN KENTUCKY. STILL THINK 18Z END
TIME IS GOOD THOUGH WELL LINGER A POP THRU THE PM HOURS IN THE SE
ESP...AND FLOOD WARNINGS MAY LINGER TOO.
DONT ANTICIPATE WELL SEE TRUE CLEARING TIL UPPER TROF
PASSAGE...WHICH IS NOT TIL SAT AM. AFTER THAT SURFACE HIGH RIDGE
MOVES INTO MID MS VALLEY FROM WEST AND SATURDAY SHOULD FINISH OUT
AS A NICE DAY. THIS WILL BEGIN A 24-48 HOUR TRANQUIL PERIOD AS THE
HIGH SLOWLY MIGRATES EAST AND UP THE OH VALLEY.
AFTER THAT THE MEDIUM-LONG RANGE PORTION OF THE FORECAST LOOKS TO
OFFER A MORE ZONAL FLOW PATTERN THAT RETURNS CHANCE POPS TO THE
PACKAGE ALMOST DAILY. WE TIME THE VARIOUS IMPULSES AND TRY TO
NARROW THE POPS DOWN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. OVERALL THE GFS & ECMWF
NOW OFFER A TRANSITIONING THEME FROM THE ZONAL FLOW PATTERN TO A
CENTRAL U.S. TROF BY THE END OF THE PERIOD...WHICH MIGHT OFFER OUR
NEXT BEST CHANCE FOR STRONGER STORMS BY THE END OF THE WEEK.
WE USED A MOS BLEND FOR THE NEAR TERM TEMP APPROACH AND FOLLOWED
THE HPC LEAD WITH COLLABORATIVE TWEEKS FOR THE MEDIUM TO LONG
RANGE TEMP FORECAST.
&&
.AVIATION...
IFR CIGS/MVFR VSBYS THE RULE IN OTHERWISE RELATIVE LULL BETWEEN
DEPARTING AM-EARLY PM RAINS AND INCOMING CONVECTION ASSOCIATED
WITH WARM FRONT...STILL PERCHED JUST TO THE SOUTH AT 18Z...AND
FORECAST TO LIFT NORTH THRU EARLY TONIGHT. ANTICIPATE ELYS GOING
SLY WITH WARM FROPA AND INCREASING CHANCES OF CONVECTION BEGINNING
ESP AFT 03Z. IFR CIGS MAY BRIEFLY RECOVER TO MVFR FLIGHT CATEGORY
BUT DETERIORATE TO IFR/EVEN LIFR AFT 03Z AS COLD FRONT APPROACHES.
LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS W/IFR-LIFR CIGS/VSBYS WILL HIT W/COLD
FROPA FORECAST 06Z-12Z TIME FRAME. AFT 12Z SOME IMPROVEMENT BUT
STILL LINGERING IFR-MVFR CIGS THRU END OF PLANNING PERIOD.
&&
.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KY...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR BALLARD-CALDWELL-
CALLOWAY-CARLISLE-CHRISTIAN-CRITTENDEN-DAVIESS-FULTON-
GRAVES-HENDERSON-HICKMAN-HOPKINS-LIVINGSTON-LYON-MARSHALL-
MCCRACKEN-MCLEAN-MUHLENBERG-TODD-TRIGG-UNION KY-WEBSTER.
MO...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR BOLLINGER-BUTLER-
CAPE GIRARDEAU-CARTER-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID-PERRY MO-
RIPLEY-SCOTT-STODDARD-WAYNE MO.
IL...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR ALEXANDER-EDWARDS-
FRANKLIN-GALLATIN-HAMILTON-HARDIN-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-
MASSAC-PERRY IL-POPE-PULASKI-SALINE-UNION IL-WABASH-WAYNE
IL-WHITE-WILLIAMSON.
IN...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-
SPENCER-VANDERBURGH-WARRICK.
&&
HUMPHREYHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 420 AM CDT THU APR 3 2008 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-041000- 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- 420 AM CDT THU APR 3 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE QUAD STATE TODAY INTO EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN IS FORECAST FOR THE QUAD STATE WITH SOME READINGS UP TO 5 INCHES POSSIBLE FOR STORM TOTALS. THESE HEAVY RAINS MAY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING...PROLONG ONGOING FLOODING...OR CAUSE A SECONDARY RISE IN RIVER LEVELS. THERE IS ALSO A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE ENTIRE QUAD STATE TODAY AND ESPECIALLY OVERNIGHT. THE PRIMARY SEVERE THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WIND AND HAIL BUT AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS POSSIBLE AS WELL. THE BEST CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI WITH THE THREAT DECREASING TOWARD SOUTHWEST INDIANA. REFER TO THE LATEST WATCHES...WARNINGS ...AND STATEMENTS FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE QUAD STATE THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THE BEST CHANCE OF HEAVY RAIN WILL OCCUR BEFORE SUNRISE FRIDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACTIVATE TODAY AND OVERNIGHT. IN ADDITION PLEASE FORWARD HEAVY RAINFALL MEASUREMENTS OR FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. KH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 141 PM CDT THU APR 3 2008 MOZ076-086-087-100-107>111-031930- BOLLINGER MO-BUTLER MO-CAPE GIRARDEAU MO-CARTER MO-PERRY MO- RIPLEY MO-SCOTT MO-STODDARD MO-WAYNE MO- 141 PM CDT THU APR 3 2008 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING SOUTHEAST MISSOURI... AT 135 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...MOVING EAST AT 55 TO 60 MPH. THROUGH 230 PM...THESE STORMS WILL REMAIN CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL OF UP TO DIME SIZE ALONG WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN. AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE AS WELL. COMMUNITIES WITH GREATEST IMPACT OVER THE NEXT HOUR INCLUDE ZALMA...GRASSY...MARBLE HILL...ADVANCE...HANDY...AND HUNTER. RJP
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
219 PM CDT THU APR 03 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0205 PM HAIL 11 N MARBLE HILL 37.46N 89.98W
04/03/2008 E0.25 INCH BOLLINGER MO LAW ENFORCEMENT
PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL.
&&
CWPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
234 PM CDT THU APR 03 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0228 PM HAIL JACKSON 37.38N 89.65W
04/03/2008 E0.75 INCH CAPE GIRARDEAU MO EMERGENCY MNGR
PENNY SIZE HAIL REPORTED BETWEEN JACKSON AND
BURFORDVILLE.
&&
CWPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
238 PM CDT THU APR 03 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0235 PM HAIL MOUNDS 37.11N 89.20W
04/03/2008 E0.75 INCH PULASKI IL LAW ENFORCEMENT
PENNY SIZE HAIL REPORTED JUST WEST OF MOUNDS.
&&
CWPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
446 PM CDT THU APR 03 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0445 PM FLASH FLOOD DELTA 37.20N 89.74W
04/03/2008 CAPE GIRARDEAU MO LAW ENFORCEMENT
THREE TO FOUR INCHES OF WATER OVER HWY P JUST SOUTH OF
DELTA. FARTHER SOUTH...NEARLY 2 FEET OF WATER OVER THE
ROADWAY.
&&
CWPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
447 PM CDT THU APR 03 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0445 PM FLASH FLOOD JACKSON 37.38N 89.65W
04/03/2008 CAPE GIRARDEAU MO LAW ENFORCEMENT
WATER OVER THE ROADWAY ON HIGHWAY 61 NORTH OF
JACKSON...JUST ON THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE CITY LIMITS.
HOWEVER...ROAD HAS NOT CLOSED.
&&
CWThe Paducah radar (KPAH), 40 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:01 UTC.
14 flood, 7 flash flood, 2 heavy rain, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Three feet of water surrounded a house in Salem. Water entered two other houses.
Major flash flooding occurred in Madisonville. Seven families were evacuated from homes on one street. Fourteen people were evacuated by boat from a mobile home park. A Red Cross shelter was opened for evacuees. One car was stranded on Main Street in Madisonville, where between one and two feet of water was over portions of the street. A one-mile section of U.S. Highway 41 was closed. The parking lot of Parkway Plaza Mall in Madisonville was underwater. Standing water was over sections of a street near the mall. Ditches along Highway 112 were overflowing near Earlington. Flooding was reported at the Madisonville Country Club.
High water was reported along County Highway 601.
Roads were flooded throughout the city of Owensboro. Rainfall for the 24-hour period ending at midnight was 3.5 inches.
In Marion, some families were evacuated due to high water. The rescue squad assisted a mother and two children on Highway 1077 in Shady Grove. About a foot of water was over U.S. Highway 60 about three miles west of Marion. U.S. 60 was under several feet of water east of Marion, where a tractor-trailer became stranded. Several feet of water flooded U.S. Highway 641. Highway 91 was flooded and covered with large amounts of mud and rock.
Five to six inches of water was over Highways 136, 56, and 140. Numerous areas countywide experienced flash flooding. A considerable amount of debris was deposited on roads. Rainfall for the 24 hours ending at 6 A.M. April 4 was 6.7 inches.
Five or six large trees were down. A farm shop was damaged. A power pole was damaged. A small metal building about 8 by 8 feet was destroyed.
Water was over eight highways, including U.S. Highway 60 at milepost 2 and U.S. Highway 62 at milepost 1.
Between 100 and 200 trees were uprooted or snapped. Most of the downed trees were around Fairbanks. At Fairbanks, an old grocery store and mobile home were both deroofed. Near Bell City, about 30 percent of the roof on a large farm equipment building was blown off. Some siding was removed from another. The damage path was broken. The peak wind was estimated at 90 mph.
Ten state roads were closed due to high water, including Kentucky 130 at the 15 mile marker. U.S. Highway 60 was covered with water at the 22 mile marker but remained open.
Seven state roads were closed by high water, including Highway 136.
Water was over Kentucky Highway 307.
A young girl drowned in floodwaters on Highway 855 between Frances and Salem shortly before sunrise. The child was a passenger in a vehicle driven by her mother. The vehicle plunged into about eight feet of water that was over the road at a creek crossing. The vehicle immediately began floating, and both the mother and child exited. The mother lost her grip on the child, and the child immediately went under water. A boat was used to locate the child within ten minutes. Rescue workers retrieved the child, who was caught up in debris or tree limbs in about eight feet of water. The child was given CPR and rushed to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The area is known to flood by local residents, and it was marked by an orange high water sign. The mother was new to the area and likely unfamiliar with the flooding problems there. About 5.5 inches of rain had fallen the night before the drowning. Countywide, numerous roads were covered with water. Several roads were closed for a few days, including Highway 120.
Water was over eight roads, mainly lesser travelled secondary roads. No closures were reported. Massac Creek was three to four inches over Old Cairo Road at Maxon Road.
Seven state highways were covered by water, including U.S. Highway 641 near the Lyon County line. State Route 139 was covered with water north of Princeton near the 14 mile marker. A bridge was washed out on a secondary road near Creswell. Other less travelled roads across the county were covered.
Many roads were covered by water. Highways 295 and 819 were closed in places.
A vehicle was swept off a secondary road in the southeastern part of the county. The fire and rescue team used a boat to rescue the driver. Ten state roads were closed by high water, including Kentucky Highway 56 at the 9 mile marker.
Water was over U.S. Highway 62 at the 4 mile marker, where flaggers slowed traffic. Two back roads were closed.
Due to flooding of the Clarks River, Highway 1462 was closed.
Near Mortons Gap, the entrance to the southbound Pennyrile Parkway on-ramp was under two to three feet of water. Highway 813 at Mortons Gap was under an inch of water. Countywide, many roads were covered with water. Roads were closed, especially in the north portion of the county. Highway 109 was closed for a few days. Main Street in Madisonville was partially closed. Flooding caused significant damage to at least three businesses in a mall in Madisonville. Up to six inches of water on the floor of a grocery store damaged inventory. Additional damage to inventory occurred when power was cut to the mall for safety reasons. The mall parking lot was flooded up to a depth of three feet, and a car was submerged over the headlights.
Countywide, many roads were covered with water. Some roads were closed, including Highway 132 between Clay and Dixon.
Kentucky Highway 70 was covered with water at the 5 mile marker, but it was not closed. Many secondary roads were covered with water. Two roads were closed, including Highway 2590 at Milton Creek and a street in Central City.
Kentucky 85 was closed at the 6 mile marker. Six other state highways were covered by water, including U.S. Highway 431 at the 9 mile marker.
Water was over six state roads. About a dozen county or secondary roads were closed. Significant flooding of the Little River occurred. A couple of roads were closed at bridges over the Little River.
The north fork of the Little River off of U.S. Highway 68 was out of its banks. The floodwaters covered a road, which was closed. U.S. Highway 41 was flooded at the 5 mile marker, but was not closed. Rainfall was 2.5 inches.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flood, Crittenden | 2008-04-04 | 2 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kentucky, 2008Warnings in Kentucky, April 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: 87759, 87763, 87769, 87789, 87757, 87765, 87238, 89585, 87234, 89576, 89578, 89587, 89431, 89437, 89559, 89561, 89575, 89586, 89590, 89440, 89555, 89556, 89579, 89589, 89442.