A strong low pressure system, and its associated cold front, moved across the Ohio Valley region on September 14th. The low pressure system was the remnants of what once was Hurricane Ike.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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 JKL wrote it up.
A strong low pressure system, and its associated cold front, moved across the Ohio Valley region on September 14th. The low pressure system was the remnants of what once was Hurricane Ike. As this weather system approached Eastern Kentucky, winds increased and became strong enough to bring down trees and power lines across portions of the area.
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 Sep 14, 11:12 AM EST, 48 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1212 PM EDT SUN SEP 14 2008 .SHORT TERM.../THE REST OF TODAY/...UPDATED THE CENTER OF THE REMNANTS OF IKE IS CURRENTLY CROSSING THE IN/IL BORDER. THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OBSERVATIONS CLOSE TO THE PATH OF THE CENTER CONTINUING TO GUST OVER 50 KTS WITH MANY REPORTS OF WIND DAMAGE. LEX REPORTED A GUST OF 38 KTS LAST HOUR...AND GIVEN THE TREND OF A FASTER AND STRONGER SYSTEM TO DEAL WITH TODAY THAN THE MODELS HAD SHOWN...INCLUDED A TIER OF COUNTIES CLOSE TO I-75 AND NEAR I-64 IN A BEEFIER WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM. MEANWHILE...PRECIPITATION CONTINUES TO LOOK SPARSE FOR OUR AREA. THE COMBINATION OF A FASTER ONSET OF CLOUD COVER WHICH WILL LIMIT HEATING AS WELL AS THE WARM MID-LEVELS WILL KEEP THUNDERSTORMS VERY LIMITED. ALL OF THE PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE CENTER OF THE REMNANTS OF IKE WILL SHEAR WELL TO THE NORTH OF THE AREA AS WELL...SO LOWERED POPS TO LOW CHANCE. ONLY LOCATIONS CLOSE TO TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWARD WILL SEE ANY KIND OF SMALL WINDOW OF SUPPORTIVE INSTABILITY FOR THUNDERSTORMS. A LINE OF LOW-TOPPED SHOWERS HAVE BEEN SUSTAINED THROUGH THEIR MARCH ACROSS TENNESSEE OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF HOURS...ALTHOUGH THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY LIGHTNING ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LINE AS OF YET. WENT AHEAD AND ALSO DRIED THINGS OUT FASTER THROUGH TOMORROW GIVEN THE CURRENT OBSERVATIONAL AND MODEL TRENDS. WINDS SHOULD QUICKLY DIE OFF BY EARLY THIS EVENING AS COLD FRONT APPROACHES AND LOW LEVEL JET EXITS OFF TO THE NORTHEAST. THE PREVIOUS SHORT TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... /TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/ ONE MORE WARM DAY IS ANTICIPATED TODAY BEFORE A COLD FRONT RACES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING. UNFORTUNATELY THE BULK OF THE MOISTURE WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL STAY WELL TO OUR NORTH ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMNANT SURFACE LOW FROM IKE. THE SYSTEM WILL HOWEVER BRING GUSTY WINDS TO THE REGION TODAY AND MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES TONIGHT THROUGH THE REST OF THE PERIOD. RECENT SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A GOOD DEAL OF HIGH CLOUDINESS HEADING TOWARD THE AREA BUT THIS CLOUD COVER IS VERY THIN INITIALLY AND SHOULD HAVE LITTLE AFFECT ON OUR WARMING EARLY IN THE DAY. THUS EXPECT TEMPS TO ONCE AGAIN RISE TOWARD 90 FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY. THICKER CLOUDS WILL OVERSPREAD THE FORECAST AREA LATER TODAY FROM WEST TO EAST SO OUR NORMALLY WARMER WESTERN COUNTIES WILL LIKELY NOT BE ABLE TO RISE OUT OF THE 80S THOUGH. OTHERWISE... VERY STRONG WINDS JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE WILL LIKELY BE TAPPED INTO THIS AFTERNOON. BUFKIT SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO INDICATE POTENTIAL GUSTS UP TO 35 KTS DURING THE AFTERNOON SO LAKE WIND ADVISORY WILL BE CONTINUED. MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE A RATHER NARROW BAND OF SHOWERS AND PERHAPS A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MARCHING ACROSS THE AREA ALONG WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE THIS EVENING. WIND DAMAGE WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM DUE TO THE VERY STRONG WINDS ALOFT COINCIDENT WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE... BUT PROGS INDICATE SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL HAVE A TOUGH TIME PUSHING EASTWARD INTO EAST KENTUCKY. CONTINUED THE LIKELY POPS OVER OUR NORTHWEST COUNTIES WITH JUST CHANCE POPS ELSEWHERE. THE SHOWER ACTIVITY MAY LINGER INTO EARLY MONDAY ACROSS FAR EASTERN KENTUCKY BUT MOISTURE IS REALLY SHALLOW BY THEN SO POPS WILL BE KEPT VERY LOW. HAVE THEN REMOVED POPS FOR THE REST OF THE PERIOD AS ANY ADDITIONAL PRECIP ASSOCIATED WITH DEVELOPING SHALLOW LOW OVER THE SOUTHEAST SHOULD REMAIN TO OUR SOUTH AND EAST. UPPER TROUGH OVERHEAD AND LINGERING CLOUD COVER WILL BRING BELOW NORMAL TEMPS WITH HIGHS STUCK IN THE 70S AND LOWS IN THE 50S MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. .LONG TERM.../TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/ THERE REMAINS A FAIR AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY WITH REGARDS TO THE UPPER AIR PATTERN THROUGH THE PERIOD AS MODELS CONTINUE TO HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE POTENTIAL SPLITTING OF THE UPPER TROUGH OVER THE SOUTHEAST/OHIO VALLEY MID WEEK. LATEST INDICATIONS ARE THAT ANY SURFACE REFLECTIONS WILL STAY WELL TO OUR SOUTHEAST AND ANY SHOWER ACTIVITY WOULD THUS REMAIN TO OUR SOUTH AND EAST SO HAVE REMOVED POPS THROUGH THE PERIOD. OTHERWISE... NO CHANGES WERE MADE. TEMPS SHOULD SLOWLY WARM... RETURNING TO NORMAL VALUES BY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. && .AVIATION.../12Z TO 12Z/ VFR CONDITIONS WILL BE THE RULE THROUGH AT LEAST THE FIRST 12 HRS OF THE PERIOD. WINDS WILL STRENGTHEN AND BECOME GUSTY AFTER 14Z AS PRESS GRADIENT TIGHTENS BETWEEN THE REMNANTS OF IKE THAT WILL MERGE WITH AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT AND HIGH PRESSURE OFF THE SOUTHEASTERN US COAST. CU SHOULD DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE FRONT AFTER 14Z AROUND 2 TO 3K FEET AHEAD OF THE FRONT AND THE REMAINS OF IKE. THE CONVECTION WITH THIS SYSTEM IS REALLY NOT LOOKING VERY GOOD DUE TO THE LACK OF MOISTURE. THE GFS IS EVEN MORE MOISTURE STARVED THAN THE NAM. THE BEST CHANCE OF CONVECTION WILL BE AFTER 23Z AS INDICATED BY THE VCTS IN THE TAFS. PREVAILING CIGS AND/OR VIS BELOW VFR SHOULD HOLD OFF UNTIL 00Z. AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS UP LATER THIS AFTERNOON...THE SFC WINDS...AIDED BY A MIX DOWN OF HIGHER WINDS FROM ALOFT...WILL PICK UP FROM THE SOUTHWEST AT 15 TO 25 KTS AROUND 15Z WITH GUSTS TO 25 TO 30 KTS. WIND GUSTS AS HIGH AS 35 TO 40 KTS ARE EXPECTED CLOSER TO THE FRONT AFTER 21Z. ONE OF THE TOOLS THAT IS GOOD FOR PREDICTING MIX DOWN OF WINDS IS LOOKING AT THE VERTICAL THETA SURFACES. THESE VERTICAL THETA SURFACES SHOULD BE MOVING ACROSS THE TAF STATIONS ABOUT 21Z AND ARE SHOWING WINDS OF 35 TO 40 KTS. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR KYZ044-050>052- 058>060-068-069-079-080-083-084. LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR KYZ085>088- 104-106>120. && SHORT TERM...ABE/GEOGERIAN LONG TERM....ABE AVIATION...JJ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1155 AM EDT SUN SEP 14 2008 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083-084-151100- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE- JACKSON-PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING... OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD...IRVINE...STANTON...FRENCHBURG... MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE...SOMERSET...LONDON...MONTICELLO...WHITLEY CITY 1155 AM EDT SUN SEP 14 2008 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS BETWEEN 20 AND 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO AROUND 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY WIND DAMAGE TODAY. KYZ085>088-104-106>120-151100- WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-HARLAN-ELLIOTT-MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD- LEE-BREATHITT-KNOTT-OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-LETCHER-MARTIN-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CORBIN...WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE... MIDDLESBORO...PINEVILLE...HARLAN...SANDY HOOK...WEST LIBERTY... PAINTSVILLE...CAMPTON...SALYERSVILLE...PRESTONSBURG...BEATTYVILLE... JACKSON...HINDMAN...BOONEVILLE...HAZARD...MANCHESTER...HYDEN... WHITESBURG...INEZ...PIKEVILLE 1155 AM EDT SUN SEP 14 2008 ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED TODAY. ADDITIONALLY...A THUNDERSTORM OR TWO WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR LOCATIONS BORDERING TENNESSEE. ANY THUNDERSTORM WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO MIX DOWN DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY WIND DAMAGE TODAY. GEOGERIAN
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 strong wind, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A twelve inch diameter limb was torn from a tree, falling across a road. The wind gust that caused the damage was estimated at 45 mph.
A tree was blown down on Highway 1106. A large limb was blown down and across Highway 36E.
Several tree limbs were blown down onto roads mainly to the north of Beattyville. One tree was blown down and across Highway 11.
Two trees were blown down and across roads in central and northern portions of Estill county. Five power lines were taken down by fallen tree limbs.
Trees and power lines were blown down county wide. The following roads around the county had trees and power lines downed across them: Tipton Ridge Rd, Barns Mt Rd, Old Fox Rd, Riddell Rd, Fitchburg Rd, Winston Rd, Broadway St, and Camp Burnamwood Rd.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down county wide. A power outage occurred from Camargo to portions of Mt. Sterling. Numerous tree limbs were also blown down.
Several trees and power lines were blown down county wide by non-thunderstorm wind gusts.
A tree was blown down near the Interstate 64 interchange in Morehead.
Several trees were blown down county wide.
Trees were blown down and a fence was damaged by non-thunderstorm wind gusts in Heidelberg Park in the city of Heidelberg.
Treess and powelines were blown down countywide. A trailer near Sandy Hook had much of it's roof blown off.
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, 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: 131442, 131445, 131447, 131448, 131451, 131443, 131444, 131446, 131449, 131452, 132751.