A few thunderstorms developed in the moist and unstable air over Eastern Kentucky during the afternoon of July 20th. A few of these storms became severe, producing damaging winds.
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.
A few thunderstorms developed in the moist and unstable air over Eastern Kentucky during the afternoon of July 20th. A few of these storms became severe, producing damaging winds. Later that evening, a line of severe thunderstorms moved southeast across the area, producing numerous reports of downed trees.
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 Jul 20, 2:09 PM EST, 2 hours 31 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 309 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008 .SHORT TERM.../TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...UPDATED NOT MUCH AGREEMENT AMONGST THE MODELS FOR DAYS 1 AND 2 OF THE FORECAST. THE GFS...NAM12 AND NGM MODELS ALL MOVE SMALL AREAS OF QPF ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY BETWEEN 0Z TONIGHT AND 12Z TOMORROW. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE ALREADY ONGOING. ACROSS CENTRAL KENTUCKY ALONG AN AREA OF CONVERGENCE LEFT OVER FROM AN MCS THAT FORMED OVER EASTERN IOWA AND SOUTHWESTERN WISCONSIN. BASED ON LATEST RADAR TRENDS AND THE ENVIRONMENT THESE STORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO IN EASTERN KENTUCKY...IT APPEARS THAT CONVECTION WILL BE ABLE TO PERSIST THROUGH 3 OR 4Z TONIGHT. AFTER THAT THE SHOWERS AND STORMS SHOULD DIE OFF RAPIDLY DUE TO LOSS OF HEATING. GENERAL THINKING IS THAT ANOTHER MCS WILL FORM TONIGHT OVER EASTERN IOWA AND NORTHWESTERN ILLINOIS AND BEGIN TO PUSH A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY SLOWLY SOUTHWARD TOWARD THE OHIO RIVER. ENERGY AND CONVERGENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMNANTS OF THIS MCS WILL AGAIN BRING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS TO THE FORECAST AREA...PARTICULARLY NORTH OF THE MOUNTAIN PARKWAY...WHERE THE BEST LIFT AND UPPER DYNAMICS WILL BE LOCATED. WITH THIS IN MIND...WILL GO WITH THE BEST CHANCE OF RAIN NORTH OF THE MOUNTAIN PARKWAY...WITH ONLY A SLIGHT JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THE PARKWAY...WITH LITTLE IF ANY RAIN CHANCES SOUTH OF THE HAL ROGERS PARKWAY AND THE HIGHWAY CORRIDOR. DECIDED TO GO WITH THE GFS NOTION OF THE FRONT ONLY STUBBORNLY MAKING ITS WAY SOUTHWARD OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. ALL MODELS AGREE THAT THE FRONT WILL FINALLY MAKE A DEFINITE SOUTHWARD PUSH AFTER 18Z TUESDAY. MODEL TIME HEIGHT CROSS SECTIONS SUGGEST THAT THE FRONT WILL SLOWED DOWN ONCE AGAIN LATE IN THE DAY ON TUESDAY...SPARKING MORE NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STORMS ALONG IT AS THE PEAK HEATING OF THE DAY KICKS IN. THE BEST MOISTURE AND RAIN CHANCES WILL ACCOMPANY THE FRONT AS IT DRIFTS SOUTHEASTWARD TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY...WITH A GOOD CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS BOTH DAYS. WENT CLOSER TO BUT A FEW DEGREES COOLER THAN THE EXTREMELY WARM MAVMOS FOR DAYTIME HIGHS ON MONDAY ACROSS THE BOARD...AS IT APPEARS THAT PLENTY OF SUNSHINE AND SCATTERED CLOUDS WILL ALLOW THINGS TO WARM UP QUITE A BIT. MODEL SOUNDINGS ALSO SUPPORTIVE OF THE WARMER TEMPERATURES...WITH 850HPA TEMPS IN THE LOWER 90S. WITH THE FRONT MAKING ITS WAY...AND EVENTUALLY STALLING...ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA ON TUESDAY...WENT WITH COOLER TEMPS ACROSS THE BOARD...GOING A DEGREE OR SO COOLER THAN THE MAVMOS NUMBERS...AS IT APPEARED THE METMOS WAS TOO WARM. MADE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO SKY...WEATHER...AND QPF GRIDS PER THE MODIFICATIONS MADE TO TIMING OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND POP FORECAST. DEWPOINTS WERE ALSO ADJUSTED DOWNWARD TOWARD THE MORE REASONABLE LOOKING MAVMOS NUMBERS FOR TOMORROW AND TUESDAY. CURRENT TRENDS IN SURFACE OBS ALSO SUPPORT SLIGHTLY COOLER DEWPOINTS THAN THE MORE EXTREME LOOKING METMOS NUMBERS...SO THE DOWN TREND IN DEWS FOR TOMORROW AND TUESDAY SEEMED REASONABLE. A FEW SLIGHT TWEAKS WERE MADE TO THE WIND FORECAST BASED ON CHANGES MADE TO TIMING OF FRONTAL BOUNDARY. .LONG TERM.../WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/...UPDATED GENERAL MODEL AGREEMENT CONTINUES WITH ADVERTISING NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY AND NEW ENGLAND AS REINFORCING NORTHERN STREAM ENERGY ALLOWS FOR DEEPER CUTOFF LOWS TO DEVELOP ACROSS EASTERN CANADA. A COLD FRONT WILL BE SLOWLY EXITING OFF TO THE SOUTHEAST ON WEDNESDAY...WITH ENOUGH LINGERING MOISTURE TO FUEL SOME ISOLATED CONVECTION...ESPECIALLY IN THE CUMBERLAND VALLEY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTROL FOR THURSDAY...BEFORE ANOTHER COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST AND THEN LINGERS IN THE VICINITY OF EASTERN KENTUCKY THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK. TIMING IS ALWAYS QUESTIONABLE THIS FAR OUT...SO HAVE LEFT SCATTERED POPS IN FROM FRIDAY ONWARD WITH MORE OF A DIURNAL INFLUENCE. HPC TEMPERATURES LOOKED REASONABLE...SO ONLY USED A BLEND OF PERSISTENCE AND THEIR VALUES. && .AVIATION.../18Z TO 18Z/ WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH AROUND 23Z...BEFORE LOWERING VISBYS BECOME THE CONCERN ONCE AGAIN. FOR THE TAF SITES...FOLLOWED A PERSISTENCE FORECAST BASED ON OBSERVATIONS FROM LAST NIGHT. HZ WILL BECOME MVFR BY AROUND 05Z FOR LOZ AND SME BEFORE TEMPORARILY DROPPING DOWN TO IFR BR BETWEEN 09 AND 12Z. FOR JKL...HELD OFF THE MVFR HZ UNTIL 10Z. ADDITIONAL SCATTERED CONVECTION WILL RE-FIRE TOMORROW AFTERNOON...HOWEVER IS LIKELY TO OCCUR AFTER 18Z...SO DID NOT INCLUDE ANY MENTION. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...AR LONG TERM...GEOGERIAN AVIATION...GEOGERIAN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 354 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-212300- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE- JACKSON-PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-HARLAN- ELLIOTT-MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-LEE-BREATHITT-KNOTT- OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-LETCHER-MARTIN-PIKE- 354 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FEW STORMS WILL PRODUCE FREQUENT LIGHTNING...TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS AND GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL OCCUR MAINLY NORTH OF THE MOUNTAIN PARKWAY...WITH A FEW STORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...DAMAGING WINDS...AND LARGE HAIL. THUNDERSTORMS ARE A GOOD BET ON TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT AS A FRONTAL BOUNDARY MOVES ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY AND AGAIN FROM THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN REPORTS OF WIND DAMAGE OR LARGE HAIL MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. AR
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 430 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008 KYZ068-079-080-202115- ROCKCASTLE-PULASKI-LAUREL- 430 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT SOUTHERN ROCKCASTLE... NORTHEASTERN PULASKI...AND NORTHWESTERN LAUREL COUNTIES THROUGH 515 PM EDT SUNDAY AFTERNOON... AT 430 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR IN JACKSON SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM LOCATED NEAR HANSFORD...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 21 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR BLOSS AROUND 435 PM EDT...PONGO AROUND 440 PM EDT...LUNER AROUND 445 PM EDT...DILLON AROUND 450 PM EDT...AND CAMP WILDCAT AROUND 455 PM EDT. RESIDENTS CAN EXPECT UP TO ONE HALF INCH OF RAIN...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. WJM
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 523 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008 KYZ088-115-117-118-202215- PERRY-LESLIE-LETCHER-HARLAN- 523 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN PERRY...EAST CENTRAL LESLIE...SOUTHWESTERN LETCHER AND NORTHEASTERN HARLAN COUNTIES THROUGH 615 PM EDT SUNDAY EVENING... AT 523 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR IN JACKSON SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM LOCATED NEAR SMILAX...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 23 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR YEADDISS AROUND 535 PM EDT...BIG ROCK AROUND 540 PM EDT...SLEMP AROUND 545 PM EDT...BLUEFIELD AROUND 550 PM EDT...AND DELPHIA AROUND 555 PM EDT. RESIDENTS CAN EXPECT UP TO ONE HALF INCH OF RAIN...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. WJM
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 534 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008 KYZ080-086-087-116-202230- LAUREL-CLAY-KNOX-BELL- 534 PM EDT SUN JUL 20 2008 ...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT SOUTHWESTERN CLAY...SOUTHEASTERN LAUREL...KNOX AND NORTHEASTERN BELL COUNTIES THROUGH 630 PM EDT SUNDAY EVENING... AT 534 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR IN JACKSON SHOWED A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED NEAR LESBAS...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 26 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE NEAR TUTTLE AROUND 540 PM EDT...GIBBS AROUND 545 PM EDT...FLETCHER AROUND 550 PM EDT...FOUNT AROUND 555 PM EDT...AND HINKLE AROUND 600 PM EDT. RESIDENTS CAN EXPECT UP TO ONE HALF INCH OF RAIN...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. WJM
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:41 UTC.
13 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees were blown down by thunderstorm wind gusts, mainly in the eastern and southeastern sections of the county.
One tree was blown down at the intersection of Highway 11 and Bankville Road.
A tree was blown down by thundestorm wind gusts near Redbird.
Numerous tree branches were blown down on McCormick Road.
Three trees were blown down on Little Hardwicks Creek Road.
Trees were blown down and across Saltwell Road.
A tree was blown down across Tom Stamper Road.
A tree was blown down and across Highway 89 in South Irvine.
Two trees were blown down on Highway 89.
A tree was blown down on Highway 52.
A tree was blown down and across Highway 191 in Daysboro.
Three trees were blown down by thunderstorm wind gusts on Highway 191.
A tree was blown down near Jackson.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, July 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: 122494, 122495, 122496, 122498, 122483, 122499, 122500, 122501, 122484, 122487, 122502, 122488, 122503.