Heavy rain occurred as persistent southerly winds brought very moist air northward across a warm front over the mid-Mississippi Valley.
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.
Heavy rain occurred as persistent southerly winds brought very moist air northward across a warm front over the mid-Mississippi Valley.
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 May 26, 1:36 AM CST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 236 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 .DISCUSSION... OVERNIGHT THUNDERSTORMS/MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE COMPLEX ASSOCIATED WITH A 500MB SHORT WAVE AND WARM FRONT MOVING NE ACROSS THE FA HAD PROGRESSED SLOWLY EAST TO ALL BUT THE FAR SE PART OF THE FA PRIOR TO 08Z. NEW CONVECTION WAS DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHEAST MO AND ALONG THE MISS RIVER REGION. EXPECT THE EASTERN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS TO CONTINUE WEAKENING THRU THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. LATEST SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWED A WEAK WARM FRONT JUST NE OF THE PAH FA. A COLD FRONT EXTENDED FROM THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY SOUTHWEST INTO NW MO AND INTO KS. THE WARM UNSTABLE SECTOR AIRMASS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS THE FA TODAY AND TUESDAY AS THE SURFACE COLD FRONTS SLOW SOUTHWARD PACE APPEARS TO HAVE DELAYED THE FRONTS PASSAGE SOUTH OF THE FA UNTIL TUE NIGHT PER MODEL CONSENSUS. THE ECMWF IS ONE OF THE MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH THE FRONTS SOUTHWARD PROGRESSION AND EVEN IT DOES NOT HAVE THE COLD FRONT INTO TN UNTIL MIDNIGHT OR AFTER WED MORNING. A SERIES OF 500MB SHORT WAVES WILL MOVE E/SE ACROSS THE MID MISSISIPPI VALLEY TODAY. THESE DISTRUBANCES WILL HELP SET OFF MORE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...WITH THE BEST CHANCE BEING ACROSS THE N PART OF THE FA. ONE QUESTION...IS HOW QUICKLY WE WILL RECOVER FROM THE REMAINING CLOUDS FROM OVERNIGHT CONVECTION AND FROM ANY SPILL OVER CLOUDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ORGANIZED THUNDERSTORMS...ASSOCIATED WITH THE SURFACE COLD FRONT AND ONE OF THE 500MB SHORT WAVES...THAT EXTENDED FROM SE KS AND W CENTRAL MO TO N IL EARLY THIS MORNING. NONETHELESS...ENOUGH RECOVERY IS EXPECTED TO YIELD A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS ALL OF THE FA EXCEPT NEAR THE TN AND AR BORDERS PER THE LATEST SPC DAY 1 OUTLOOK. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT PER SPC DEEP LAYER WSWLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO STRENGTHEN BY AFTERNOON AND WITH MODERATE INSTABILITY A ZONE OF ENHANCED DAMAGING WINDS IS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING INTO THE PAH FA (BEST CHANCE ACROSS THE N HALF OF THE FA). WILL MAINTAIN A HEALTHY CHANCE OF RAIN UNTIL MID WEEK WITH THE FRONTS PASSAGE...WITH THE BEST CHANCE/CATEGORICAL POPS ON TUE. LAST HALF OF THE WEEK IS STILL ON TRACK TO BE DRY AND COOLER AS CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS SE ACROSS THE REGION. RETURN SOUTHERLY FLOW AND NEXT APPROACHING FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL BRING A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WEEKEND. WILL KEEP TODAYS MAX TEMPS AS THEY ARE/ MID-UPPER 80S/...GIVEN CLOUD COVER CONCERN. THIS IS A COUPLE DEGREES ON AVERAGE BELOW GUIDANCE. HAVE UPPED TONIGHTS MIN TEMPS A COUPLE DEGREES AS ALL GUIDANCE AT JUST ABOUT ALL LOCATIONS IN THE FA IS 70 OR ABOVE FOR TONIGHT. WILL ALSO TWEEK TUE MAX TEMPS UP A BIT AS PREFER WARMER GUIDANCE VALUES WITH FRONT STILL TO THE NORTH...EVEN WITH SOME CLOUD COVER. LATEST MOS NUMBERS ARE SOME 10 DEGREES ABOVE WED MIN FORECAST AND WILL ADJUST ACCORDINGLY. && .AVIATION... AS OF 07Z...CURRENT SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS EFFECTING KPAH AND KEVV WILL EVENTUALLY IMPACT KOWB OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS. KCGI IS IN THE CLEAR FOR NOW. HOWEVER...ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT WAS NOTED IN PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI IN ITS WAKE. IN ADDITION...PEERING TO THE WEST INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS...ANOTHER LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND STORMS IS CURRENTLY MOVING EAST TOWARD THE REGION. IF IT MAINTAINS ITS CURRENT SPEED AND STRENGTH...IT WOULD ARRIVE AT KCGI BY MID MORNING OR SO...AND OVERSPREAD THE REST OF THE TERMINALS THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE MORNING AND INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON. HOW THAT EVOLVES IS STILL IN QUESTION. HOWEVER...DEVELOPMENT OF NEW CONVECTION WILL BE LIKELY EVEN AHEAD OF THIS LINE...AS IS EVIDENT FROM CURRENT RADAR MOSAIC. WILL BE A TOUGH SET OF TAFS TO WRITE...GIVEN THE UNCERTAINITIES IN THE TIMING OF INDIVIDUAL CLUSTERS OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE TAF PERIOD. IN THE 06Z TAFS...MAINTAINED A PROB30 FOR MOST OF THE LATE MORNING HOURS AND INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON...AND A VCTS AFTERWARDS. IN REALITY...WILL PROBABLY SEE SCATTERED OR CLUSTERS OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM NOW THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY...AND INCREASING IN COVERAGE TOWARD EVENING AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTH. WITH ANY OF THE STORMS...REDUCED VSBYS...MVFR/IFR CIGS AND GUSTY WINDS WILL RESULT. OTHERWISE...JUST SOME 4000 FT CU AND CIRRUS BLOWOFF ARE ALL THAT IS EXPECTED TODAY...WITH A SOUTH WIND. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE. MO...NONE. IL...NONE. IN...NONE. && LONG TERM....SHANKLIN SHORT TERM AND AVIATION...MY/CW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 655 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-261000- 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- 655 PM CDT SUN MAY 25 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM MONDAY MORNING FOR THE ENTIRE QUAD STATE AREA. THE MAIN THREAT WITH THE STORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS AN ISOLATED TORNADO WILL BE POSSIBLE AS WELL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON MONDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ON MONDAY IN ASSOCIATION WITH AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS APPEAR TO BE THE MAIN THREATS AT THIS TIME...DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY IN THE ATMOSPHERE. HOWEVER...THE DEGREE OF INSTABILITY WILL BE HIGHLY DEPENDANT ON THE AMOUNT OF CLOUD COVER WE HAVE DURING THE DAY ON MONDAY. THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS OUR AREA ON TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...WHICH WILL BRING A GOOD CHANCE FOR MORE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS OUR AREA. A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED FOR THE QUAD STATE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 1202 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-100- 107>112-114-260600- ALEXANDER IL-BALLARD KY-BOLLINGER MO-BUTLER MO-CALDWELL KY- CALLOWAY KY-CAPE GIRARDEAU MO-CARLISLE KY-CARTER MO-CHRISTIAN KY- CRITTENDEN KY-DAVIESS KY-EDWARDS IL-FRANKLIN IL-FULTON KY- GALLATIN IL-GIBSON IN-GRAVES KY-HAMILTON IL-HARDIN IL-HENDERSON KY- HICKMAN KY-HOPKINS KY-JACKSON IL-JEFFERSON IL-JOHNSON IL- LIVINGSTON KY-LYON KY-MARSHALL KY-MASSAC IL-MCCRACKEN KY-MCLEAN KY- MISSISSIPPI MO-MUHLENBERG KY-NEW MADRID MO-PERRY IL-PERRY MO-PIKE IN- POPE IL-POSEY IN-PULASKI IL-RIPLEY MO-SALINE IL-SCOTT MO-SPENCER IN- STODDARD MO-TODD KY-TRIGG KY-UNION IL-UNION KY-VANDERBURGH IN- WABASH IL-WARRICK IN-WAYNE IL-WAYNE MO-WEBSTER KY-WHITE IL- WILLIAMSON IL- 1202 AM CDT MON MAY 26 2008 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 366 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM CDT FOR SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...AND FAR WESTERN KENTUCKY... ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND MOST OF WEST KENTUCKY... A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM CDT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...AND THE WEST KENTUCKY COUNTIES OF BALLARD...CARLISLE...HICKMAN...FULTON...MCCRACKEN...AND GRAVES. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE REMAINING COUNTIES OF WEST KENTUCKY...AND ALSO FOR ALL OF SOUTHWEST INDIANA. RST
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
About four inches of rain swamped many low-lying roads. Many low water bridges were impassable. In the city of Perryville, the basements of several residences were flooded. Many areas near Cinque Hommes Creek were affected.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, May 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: 99036.