A strong cold front moving across the area during the afternoon of March 19th, combined with strong winds above the surface, caused severe thunderstorms with damaging winds to develop across the area. A line of thunderstorms along the front moved east across the area, with numerous reports of downed trees.
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 strong cold front moving across the area during the afternoon of March 19th, combined with strong winds above the surface, caused severe thunderstorms with damaging winds to develop across the area. A line of thunderstorms along the front moved east across the area, with numerous reports of downed trees. Some minor structural damage was also reported.
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 Mar 19, 12:43 PM EST, 1 hour 49 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 143 PM EDT WED MAR 19 2008 ...GUSTY WINDS OVER EASTERN KENTUCKY TODAY... .SHORT TERM.../THE REST OF TODAY/ LARGE SHIELD OF RAINFALL HAS FINALLY ENTERED THE AREA AS A QUASI- STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY HAS FINALLY STARTED TO WORK ITS WAY TOWARD EAST KENTUCKY IN THE FORM OF A COLD FRONT. CURRENT SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS THE FRONT DRAPED FROM GLW TO FFT TO ILN AND STARTING TO PROGRESS EASTWARD. THERE WILL BE MANY ISSUES TO FOCUS ON AS WE HEAD INTO THE AFTERNOON. THE FIRST CONCERN WILL DEAL WITH THE WIND ADVISORY. AT THIS TIME ...WILL CONTINUE WITH THE ADVISORY AS LOW LEVEL JET HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE MIXED DOWN AT ANY POINT. OVERALL SURFACE WINDS HAVE SUBSIDED AHEAD OF THE FRONT...BUT AS WE HEAD INTO THE AFTERNOON AND SOME INSTABILITY WORKS ITS WAY INTO THE AREA...ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTHWESTERN CWA...THE POTENTIAL WILL REMAIN FOR GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH. IT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT POSSIBLY STRONGER WINDS COULD BE MIXED DOWN W/ ANY THUNDERSTORMS OR STRONG SHOWER. THE NEXT AREA OF FOCUS WILL DEAL WITH ANY HYDRO CONCERNS. AT THIS TIME ...DO NOT SEE ANY MAJOR FLOODING PROBLEMS AS SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO PROGRESS THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING AND INTO THE AFTERNOON. WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR GUIDANCE VALUES...ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTH. THE FEELING NOW IS THAT THE FRONT MIGHT BE A LITTLE QUICKER TO MOVE THROUGH THAN ANTICIPATED...WHICH WILL INCREASE CONFIDENCE EVEN MORE THAT NO MAJOR FLOODING ISSUE WILL ARISE. LATEST HPC GUIDANCE VALUES AND DISCUSSIONS CONTINUE TO FORECAST A PROGRESSIVE SYSTEM AND LOWER QPF VALUES FOR THE AREA...INCREASING CONFIDENCE IN CURRENT THINKING TO HOLD OFF ON ANY FLOOD PRODUCTS. THE FINAL CONCERN WILL DEAL WITH THE SEVERE THREAT FOR THIS AFTERNOON. SPC HAS PLACED AN AREA GENERALLY SOUTH OF THE MOUNTAIN PARKWAY IN A SLIGHT RISK. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE WIND AND POSSIBLY A FEW TORNADOES AS LOW LEVEL HODOGRAPHS ARE QUITE LARGE AND CURVED. FORECAST SOUNDINGS...ESPECIALLY NAM12...SHOW A DESCENT AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY...AROUND 500 J/KG OF CAPE...THIS AFTERNOON WHICH WILL ENHANCE ANY POTENTIAL TO MIX LLJ WINDS DOWN TO THE SURFACE. ANY CLEARING THAT CAN OCCUR AHEAD OF FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL INCREASE LIKELIHOOD OF SEVERE WINDS. RIGHT NOW...THE SOUTHWESTERN CWA SEEMS TO HAVE THE GREATEST THREAT AS STRONGEST INSTABILITY ALONG WITH A FORECAST DRY SLOT TO WORK ITS WAY INTO THE AREA AHEAD OF FROPA IS CONCERNING. THE ONLY REAL LIMITING FACTOR TO THE WIND POTENTIAL IS THE EXTREMELY MOIST COLUMN FROM 1000-500 MB. ALL THIS BEING SAID...HAVE NOT MADE MANY CHANGES TO CURRENT FORECAST AS THINGS LOOK TO BE ON TRACK AT THE MOMENT. HAVE LOWERED HIGH TEMPERATURES AS IT LOOKS LIKE MOST AREAS HAVE ALREADY ACHIEVED THEIR HIGH AND WILL SEE FALLING TEMPERATURES THROUGHOUT THE DAY... ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHERN CWA. WILL LEAVE WINDS WHERE THEY ARE AS THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR A MIX DOWN AT ANY TIME. LATEST QPF VALUES FROM HPC CONTINUE TO SUPPORT CONFIDENCE IN NO MAJOR FLOODING ISSUES. UPDATED ZFP OUT SHORTLY. THE PREVIOUS SHORT TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... /TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY/ COMPLEX AND POTENT STORM SYSTEM FINALLY MAKING IT/S MOVE TOWARDS EASTERN KENTUCKY TODAY AS UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVES NORTHEAST OUT OF TEXAS...EVENTUALLY OPENING UP INTO A WAVE. MODELS HAVE OVERALL SYNOPTIC PATTERN PRETTY MUCH PEGGED. HOWEVER...DIFFERENCES IN DETAILS ARE SEEN IN THE FIRST 12 HOURS. MOST SIGNIFICANTLY...THE NAM IS MUCH STRONGER WITH BOUNDARY LAYER WIND FIELDS THAN THE GFS AND ECMWF...WHICH DROP OFF QUICKLY AFTER 12Z THIS MORNING. HOWEVER... BASED ON UPSTREAM OBS THE NAM INITIALIZED BETTER AND SEEMS TO BE THE BEST CHOICE TO FOLLOW THROUGH THE FIRST 12 HOURS. THAT BEING SAID WILL ISSUE A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE ENTIRE CWA UNTIL MID AFTERNOON WHEN WIND FIELDS DROP ENOUGH THAT HIGHER WINDS GUSTS ARE NO LONGER A THREAT...WHICH IS BASICALLY WITH FRONTAL PASSAGE. I.E. HIGHER WINDS GUST THREAT SHOULD BE LIMITED TO WARM SECTOR OF THIS SYSTEM...AND WITH ANY STRONGER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THERE IS ALSO A POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS WITH THE STRONGEST SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SPC NOW HAS OUR CWA IN A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER WITH DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE GREATEST THREAT. WITH NAM ADVERTISING BETTER INSTABILITY...AND WITH THE CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF LOW LEVEL SHEAR ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM...AN ISOLATED TORNADO OR TWO COULD NOT BE RULED OUT. STILL EXPECT LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...BUT THREAT FOR FLOODING DOES NOT APPEAR THAT GREAT AS THE SYSTEM BECOME MORE PROGRESSIVE WITH TIME...EFFECTIVELY LIMITING OVERALL QPF TOTALS. WILL CONTINUE TO ADDRESS THIS POTENTIAL IN THE HWO. .LONG TERM.../THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/ THE MODELS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT FOR THURSDAY WITH BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF SHOWING HIGH PRESSURE TO START BUILDING INTO THE AREA. THE NEXT SYSTEM OF INTEREST IS A SHORT WAVE MOVING INTO THE AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST ON FRIDAY NIGHT. THE GFS IS SHOWING A MUCH MORE AMPLIFIED SOLUTION AND HAS THE SHORT WAVE MOVING ACROSS THE AREA BY SATURDAY NIGHT. THE ECMWF HAS A WEAKER SHORT WAVE MOVING ACROSS THE AREA ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND THEN DEVELOPS A STRONGER SHORT WAVE ACROSS THE CENTRAL US LEAVING A FRONTAL BOUNDARY NEAR THE AREA. A STRONG UPPER TROUGH THEN FINALLY PASSES ON SUNDAY NIGHT. THESE TWO SOLUTIONS HAVE A LOT OF IMPLICATIONS BECAUSE THE SECONDARY SHORT WAVE ON THE GFS WOULD HAVE A MUCH COLDER TRAJECTORY FOR THE AIR MASS. AS SUCH...CONFIDENCE IS PRETTY LOW FOR PRECIPITATION TYPE AND TEMPERATURE FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AND WILL HAVE TO WAIT TO SEE SOME RUN TO RUN CONSISTENCY BEFORE STRONGLY SUPPORTING ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS. THE FORECAST WAS REALLY A BLEND...LEANING MORE TOWARD THE GFS...BUT KEEPING THE TEMPS A BIT WARMER DUE TO THE INFLUENCE OF THE ECMWF SOLUTION. EXPECTING SOME POST FRONTAL SNOW SHOWERS ON SUNDAY NIGHT WITH LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATION. THE GFS SOLUTION MIGHT PRODUCE A SKIFF TO A HALF INCH OF SNOW. && .AVIATION.../18Z TO 18Z/...UPDATED MOSTLY MVFR CONDITIONS FOR VIS/CIG ACROSS THE TAF SITES THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE FORECAST PERIOD AS A STRONG STORM SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. TAF SITES MAY HAVE BRIEF PERIODS OF VFR THIS AFTERNOON AS DRY SLOT WORKS ITS WAY INTO THE AREA...HOWEVER PREDOMINANT MVFR WILL BE THE RULE. GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN WITH A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON...EVEN AFTER FRONTAL PASSAGE FROM 2 TO 4 PM. GUSTY NW WINDS UP TO 30 MPH WILL FOLLOW IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT...BEFORE SUBSIDING EARLY ON THURSDAY. HAVE CONTINUED TO LEAVE THUNDER IN THE TAFS UNTIL THIS EVENING. ONCE PRECIPITATION STARTS TO WIND DOWN THIS EVENING...EXPECT POST FRONTAL STRATUS TO HANG IN UNTIL AROUND SUNRISE ON THURSDAY AROUND 2K FEET. WILL GO WITH ALL VFR CONDITIONS AFTER 8 AM ON THURSDAY. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR KYZ044-050>052- 058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. && SHORT TERM...GREIF/SCHOETTMER LONG TERM....JJ AVIATION...SCHOETTMER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1120 PM EDT TUE MAR 18 2008 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>086-104-106>117-119- 200630- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE- JACKSON-PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-ELLIOTT-MORGAN- JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-LEE-BREATHITT-KNOTT-OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY- LESLIE-MARTIN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING... OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD...IRVINE...STANTON...FRENCHBURG... MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE...SOMERSET...LONDON...MONTICELLO... WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN...WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE...SANDY HOOK... WEST LIBERTY...PAINTSVILLE...CAMPTON...SALYERSVILLE...PRESTONSBURG... BEATTYVILLE...JACKSON...HINDMAN...BOONEVILLE...HAZARD...MANCHESTER... HYDEN...INEZ 1120 PM EDT TUE MAR 18 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. WINDS MAY GUST UP TO 35 MPH TONIGHT...MAINLY ON THE RIDGES...AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES EAST ACROSS THE AREA. THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THE MORE INTENSE RAIN SHOWERS AND ANY THUNDERSTORMS COULD CONTAIN ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. OUTSIDE OF ANY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS...WINDS COULD GUST TO 35 MPH ON WEDNESDAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY AS WELL... ESPECIALLY NORTH OF THE MOUNTAIN PARKWAY...WHERE UP TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN COULD FALL THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 64 AND IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. NO ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH NO SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT DAMAGING WINDS...OR HEAVY RAINFALL IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH...TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON. KYZ087-088-118-120-200630- BELL-HARLAN-LETCHER-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MIDDLESBORO...PINEVILLE...HARLAN... WHITESBURG...PIKEVILLE 1120 PM EDT TUE MAR 18 2008 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM EDT WEDNESDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. EXPECT WINDS TO GUST UP TO 35 MPH FOR MOST PLACES OVERNIGHT...WHILE THE RIDGES HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH. THIS WILL TAKE PLACE AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES EAST ACROSS THE AREA. THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THE MORE INTENSE RAIN SHOWERS AND ANY THUNDERSTORMS COULD CONTAIN ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. OUTSIDE OF ANY SHOWERS OR THUNDERSTORMS...WINDS COULD GUST TO 35 MPH ON WEDNESDAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY AS WELL... ESPECIALLY NORTH OF THE MOUNTAIN PARKWAY...WHERE UP TO TWO INCHES OF RAIN COULD FALL THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY NORTH OF INTERSTATE 64 AND IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. NO ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH NO SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT DAMAGING WINDS...OR HEAVY RAINFALL IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH...TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON. GREIF
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 218 PM EDT WED MAR 19 2008 KYZ044-050>052-059-060-104-106-108-192200- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-POWELL-MENIFEE-ELLIOTT-MORGAN-WOLFE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING... OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD...STANTON...FRENCHBURG...SANDY HOOK... WEST LIBERTY...CAMPTON 218 PM EDT WED MAR 19 2008 A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE AREA HAS BROUGHT LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL TO EASTERN KENTUCKY...ESPECIALLY NORTH OF THE MOUNTAIN PARKWAY. AS A RESULT...LOW WATER CROSSINGS MAY CONTAIN A FEW INCHES OF WATER AND DITCHES MAY BE RUNNING FULL THROUGH 6 PM THIS EVENING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. FOR MORE INFORMATION...VISIT OUR INTERNET WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/JACKSONKY. SCHOETTMER/JJ
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 126 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:32 UTC.
21 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree fell on top of a trailer in Somerset. Trees were also blown down and damage done to fences just north of Highway 914 between Slate Branch Road and the east end of Parkers Mill Road.
Damage occurred at the Somerset Mall including downed trees, broken glass in some of the Mall shops and signs blown over.
A tree fell on a powerline near Wagon Ridge on Highway 92. A tree also fell on a power line in Vanover Ridge near Parkers Lake.
Trees were blown down on Highways 1470, 742, and 1045.
One tree was blown down on Route 28 near Buckhorn.
A tree and a utility pole were blown down on a roadway near Pineville. The utility pole fell at Four Mile and the tree fell in Jenson. A tree also fell onto a roadway near Fonde.
Two trees were blown down.
Several trees were blown down by thunderstorm wind gusts.
An estimated wind gust of 60 to 65 mph occurred at Ida May.
A tree fell on a utility pole on Route 2016. Another tree fell on Route 2017 near Saint Helens.
A tree was blown down.
A tree was blown down on KY Highway 638.
A tree was blown down on Highway 11.
Shingles were blown off a building by thunderstorm wind gusts.
A small barn was blown onto Stone Coal Road. Several trees were also blown down on Routes 1596 and 172.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down countywide.
A tree was blown down on Route 476 near Rowdy.
Two trees were blown down on Route 7.
A couple of trees fell on roadways on old Route 3 at the one mile marker and on Route 40 near Ooten.
Three trees were blown down on Route 40 near Tomahawk. Another tree was blown down on Route 3 near Inez.
A tree was blown down on Highway 2017 near Pineville. A second tree was blown down on Highway 987 near Miracle.
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, March 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: 86048, 86049, 86050, 86043, 86044, 86045, 86046, 86047, 86051, 86052, 86053, 86054, 86055, 86056, 86057, 86058, 86059, 86060, 86061, 86062, 86063.