An organized complex of thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front as it approached southern Illinois and southeast Missouri during the hottest and most unstable time of day. Very strong instability, coupled with moderately strong mid-level winds, resulted in numerous damaging wind events.
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.
An organized complex of thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front as it approached southern Illinois and southeast Missouri during the hottest and most unstable time of day. Very strong instability, coupled with moderately strong mid-level winds, resulted in numerous damaging wind events. Most of the damaging winds were associated with small-scale bows that raced southeast ahead of the main storm complex.
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 Aug 4, 11:47 AM CST, 3 hours 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 1247 PM CDT TUE AUG 4 2009 .DISCUSSION... LINE OF STORMS DEVELOPED/ING ALONG OUTFLOW FROM MCS THAT ROLLED OUT OF MO EARLIER TODAY. ALL MODELS PICK UP ON THIS BUT NONE GRASP IT IN ITS ENTIRETY OR EXACTLY. THE NAM LATCHES ON AND CONTINUES TO BLOSSOM IT ON MORE OF A SOUTHWARD TRACK ACROSS FA/PARTICULARLY SEMO...WHEREAS GFS SEEMS MORE REALISTIC IN A BASIC NWLY-SELY COMPONENT OF MOVEMENT. TIME WILL TELL BUT FOR NOW WE WILL MONITOR AND LIKELY SPLIT THE DIFF/COLOR THE COLLAB PIC AS BEST AS POSSIBLE. NEW SWODY1 CONTINUES SLGT RISK SVR ALONG SAID BOUNDARY AS WELL...AND FOR NOW HAVE CONVECTIVE WATCH FOR FARTHEST ERN COUNTIES/ONGOING CONVECTION. TIME WILL TELL ON WAR BETWEEN EXTREMELY HIGH CAPES (L500S J/KG NERN FA) VS H7 CAPPING TEMPS AROUND 10C SWRN 2/3 FA. POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SOME FOG TONIGHT PARTICULARLY IN HEAVY RAIN AREAS. BEYOND TONIGHT...NEW GFS SUGGESTS IT GETS DRY BY THURS/FRIDAY...WHILE NAM CONTINUES TO HOLD ONTO POPS THRU THURSDAY. GOING FORECAST DOES SAME...SO COLLABORATION WILL AGAIN BE KEY AS TO HOW LONG TO HOLD ONTO POPS. FOR NOW ITS NO GREAT PAIN TO CONTINUE SMALLISH POPS BUT W/OUR OVERALL FAVOR TOWARD GFS WELL SEE IF OTHERS WANT TO DRY IT OUT OR NOT. RIDGING STILL LOOKS LIKE IT WILL TAKE OVER FOR THE WEEKEND...WITH BROAD 594-598DM H5 HIGH CENTERING ACROSS SE/SCNTL U.S. RESULTANT AIRMASS FOR US WILL BE HOT/HUMID WITH HEAT INDICES PUSHING INTO TRIPLE DIGITS SAT-SUN PM...S/B HIGHLIGHT ON HWO/CONTINUED. BLENDED NEW MOS W/GOING TEMPS FORECAST AND COLLAB PIC FOR OUR FINAL TEMP/TD FORECAST. && .AVIATION... THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHERN ILLINOIS EARLIER THIS MORNING LAID OUT AN OUTFLOW BOUNDARY THAT MOVED SOUTH ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER THIS MORNING. THIS BOUNDARY MAY BECOME THE FOCUS FOR NEW THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AS A RESULT...CONTINUED THE TEMPO GROUP FOR TSRA AT KPAH/KCGI. AT KEVV AND KOWB...THERE IS SOME STABILIZATION FROM EARLIER STORMS THAT PASSED TO THE NORTH. HOWEVER...WINDS SHOULD RETURN TO THE SOUTHWEST THIS AFTERNOON AND DESTABILIZE THE ATMOSPHERE. THEREFORE...CONTINUED THE TEMPO GROUPS THERE AS WELL. LATER THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING APPEARS RELATIVELY STORM FREE AT THIS TIME. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE. MO...NONE. IL...NONE. IN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 325 PM CDT TUE AUG 4 2009 ILZ080-081-084>094-KYZ001>017-021-022-MOZ076-086-087-100-107>112- 114-051000- PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL- JOHNSON-POPE-HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-FULTON-HICKMAN- CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES-LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY- CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL-UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN- MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER- RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID- 325 PM CDT TUE AUG 4 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...WESTERN KENTUCKY...AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM. REFER TO THE WATCH FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...MAINLY FROM SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...INTO THE SOUTHERN TIP OF ILLINOIS AND FAR WESTERN KENTUCKY. THE PRIMARY HAZARDOUS WEATHER THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES SHOULD BEGIN TO DIMINISH LATE IN THE WEEK AS HEAT BEGINS TO INCREASE. HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL BUILD TO POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS LEVELS THIS WEEKEND. THE HEAT INDEX IS FORECAST TO RANGE FROM 100 TO 105 DEGREES EACH AFTERNOON THIS WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED. ILZ075>078-082-083-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ018>020-051000- JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-HAMILTON-WHITE-GIBSON-PIKE- POSEY-VANDERBURGH-WARRICK-SPENCER-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN- 325 PM CDT TUE AUG 4 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...AND WESTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES TONIGHT. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED TO THE SOUTH AND WEST OF THE REGION...BUT STORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA CAN BECOME SEVERE. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREATS ARE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE A THREAT WITH ANY STRONG STORM. THE PRIMARY THREAT PERIOD IS THROUGH 10 PM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...MAINLY FROM SOUTHEAST MISSOURI...INTO THE SOUTHERN TIP OF ILLINOIS AND FAR WESTERN KENTUCKY. THE PRIMARY HAZARDOUS WEATHER THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES SHOULD BEGIN TO DIMINISH LATE IN THE WEEK AS HEAT BEGINS TO INCREASE. HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL BUILD TO POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS LEVELS THIS WEEKEND. THE HEAT INDEX IS FORECAST TO RANGE FROM 100 TO 105 DEGREES EACH AFTERNOON THIS WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD MAINTAIN ALERT IN CASE THEIR ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 1124 AM CDT TUE AUG 4 2009 ILZ078-INZ081-082-087-041730- WABASH IL-PIKE IN-GIBSON IN-WARRICK IN- 1124 AM CDT TUE AUG 4 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY... AT 1121 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG WINDS FROM 40 TO 50 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF HAZLETON TO PRINCETON...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL CROSS PIKE COUNTY THROUGH 1230 PM. FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM AS WELL. THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN...WHICH MAY RESULT IN STANDING WATER ON AREA ROADS. WATER LEVELS IN SMALL CREEKS...STREAMS AND IN DITCHES MAY RISE QUICKLY...ESPECIALLY IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. MY
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1206 PM CDT TUE AUG 04 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1145 AM TSTM WND DMG PRINCETON 38.36N 87.57W
08/04/2009 GIBSON IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
LARGE TREE DOWN.
&&
SMITTYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1208 PM CDT TUE AUG 04 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 PM TSTM WND DMG PETERSBURG 38.49N 87.28W
08/04/2009 PIKE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 56 ON WEST SIDE OF TOWN.
&&
SMITTYSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 1232 PM CDT TUE AUG 4 2009 INZ082-087-088-041830- PIKE IN-WARRICK IN-SPENCER IN- 1232 PM CDT TUE AUG 4 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY... AT 130 PM EDT/1230 PM CDT/...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRONG WINDS 40 TO 50 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF DALE TO 7 MILES WEST OF FOLSOMVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. THE LINE OF STORMS WILL CROSS SPENCER COUNTY THROUGH 130 PM. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN AS WELL...WHICH MAY RESULT IN STANDING WATER ON AREA ROADS. WATER LEVELS IN SMALL CREEKS...STREAMS AND IN DITCHES MAY RISE QUICKLY...ESPECIALLY IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. MY
The Paducah radar (KPAH), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:29 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 1 heavy rain, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
The automated observing system at the Southern Illinois Airport just north of Carbondale measured a wind gust to 70 mph.
A tree was blown down on a car.
Numerous trees and power lines were down in northern and central Union County, including the communities of Anna, Jonesboro, and Cobden. Winds were estimated up to 70 mph in Cobden.
Street flooding was reported in the cities of Harrisburg and Carrier Mills. A firefighter in Harrisburg measured 1.75 inches of rain. Water was briefly over a road near Ledford.
The roof was peeled off a mobile home in Carrier Mills. Several trees and power lines were blown down in Harrisburg. One large oak tree landed across a street and power lines, closing the street for a few hours.
Two pilots reported a funnel cloud.
Trees were blown down at the intersection of Highways 37 and 146.
Trees were blown down countywide, primarily in the communities of Tamms, Olive Branch, and Miller City.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, August 2009
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: 187172, 187181, 187173, 187368, 187174, 187175, 187176, 187180.