A strong 500 mb shortwave moved rapidly northeast from the Plains during the day. The shortwave became a closed low over the Great Lakes region by the evening hours.
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.
A strong 500 mb shortwave moved rapidly northeast from the Plains during the day. The shortwave became a closed low over the Great Lakes region by the evening hours. In the lower levels, a strong southwest 850 mb jet from 60 to 65 knots shifted east from the Ozarks across southern Illinois. These features provided sufficient shear and instability for a significant tornado.
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 Mar 8, 6:58 AM CST, 4 hours 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 758 AM CDT SUN MAR 8 2009 .UPDATE... UPDATED FOR THE 12Z TAF ISSUANCE. && .DISCUSSION... BIGGEST CHALLENGES WITH THIS PACKAGE WILL BE WITH SEVERE STORM RISK TODAY...THEN WITH A RETURNING WARM FRONT / ASSOCIATED PRECIP AND TEMPS / LATER MONDAY INTO TUE. MODELS ARE STILL IN DECENT AGREEMENT WITH THE PLACEMENT AND TIMING OF THE NEXT FRONTAL PASSAGE TODAY. MODELS ARE STILL NOT VERY AGGRESSIVE WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS DURING THE DAY...BUT THINK THERE WILL BE ENOUGH OVERALL MOISTURE AND LARGE SCALE FORCING IN THE MID LEVELS TO PRODUCE A LEAST A BROKEN LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE SFC BOUNDARY...ESP AS WE GET INTO THE AFTERNOON. SPC CONTINUES TO OUTLOOK THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA WITH A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS TODAY...AND IS MAINLY CONCERNED WITH BOWING SEGMENTS/SUPERCELLS THAT COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS ..HAIL...AND EVEN ISOLATED TORNADOES. CONTINUED WITH LIKELY POPS ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE CWA IVOF STATIONARY FRONT...BUT REDUCED POPS TO HIGH CHC ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE CWA WITH MODELS CONSISTENTLY PLAYING DOWN POPS. A BRIEF LULL IN THE ACTION CAN BE EXPECTED SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING. BOTH GFS/NAM/ECMWF SHOW ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS LIFTING A WARM FRONT NORTH ACROSS OUR AREA...SPREADING POPS ACROSS THE QUAD STATE MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY NIGHT. AFTER 12Z TUE...THE PAH FCST AREA WILL BE IN A WARM SECTOR AGAIN...WITH A WARM FRONT IN NRN PARTS OF THE REGION OR PERHAPS ALREADY NORTH OF THE REGION. IT SHOULD BE BREEZY ONCE AGAIN ON TUE AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. AS A SIGNIFICANT MID LEVEL TROF APPROACHES AND BEGINS TO TAKE ON A NEGATIVE TILT... SHWRS/TSTMS SHOULD BE COMMON DURING THE DAY AND WELL INTO THE EVE...ESPECIALLY IN THE NE CLOSER TO THE DEEPENING SFC LOW. THE LOW IS EXPECTED TO ZIP ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST. SVR WX DOES SEEM POSSIBLE WITH THIS SYSTEM IN OUR AREA DUE TO THE MID LEVEL DYNAMICS AND SPEED OF THE COLD FRONT. HOWEVER...THERE ARE SOME UNCERTAINTIES AMONG THE MED RANGE MODELS AS TO THE EXACT EVOLUTION AND TIMING OF THE SYSTEM. MADE NO CHANGES BEYOND TUESDAY NIGHT. && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE MID MORNING HOURS AT ALL SITES. BY MID MORNING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE NEARING THE AREA IN A SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ORIENTATION...PRE FRONTAL. THIS WILL BRINGS CIGS DOWN SOME BUT MVFR CIGS WILL LIKELY BE ASSOCIATED WITH PRECIP. VSBY WILL REMAIN VFR THROUGH VALID TIME AT ALL SITES. WINDS WILL PICK UP IN EARNEST BY MID MORNING WITH GUSTS NEAR 30 KNOTS. AFTER SUNSET SKIES WILL CLEAR AS WINDS SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST AND DECREASE OVERNIGHT. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE. MO...NONE. IL...NONE. IN...NONE. && DRS/JAP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 1114 AM CDT SUN MAR 8 2009 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-091115- 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- 1114 AM CDT SUN MAR 8 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THE CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE QUAD STATE REGION TODAY. THERE IS A MODERATE RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS NORTH OF A LINE FROM MARBLE HILL AND CAPE GIRARDEAU MISSOURI...TO KARBERS RIDGE ILLINOIS...TO OWENSBORO KENTUCKY DURING THE LATE MORNING AND THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE FOUR STATE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORMS MAY LINGER ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PENNYRILE REGION THROUGH THE LATE EVENING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL INCREASE FROM WEST TO EAST ON MONDAY. ANOTHER ROUND OF POSSIBLY SEVERE WEATHER WILL CROSS THE REGION TUESDAY OR TUESDAY NIGHT WITH THE PASSAGE OF A FRONTAL SYSTEM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY AND AGAIN TUESDAY NIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 1125 AM CDT SUN MAR 8 2009 ILZ075-080-081-084-088-MOZ076-086-087-100-107>110-081830- JEFFERSON-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-JACKSON-UNION IL-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER- CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER-RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOUNT VERNON...PINCKNEYVILLE... WEST FRANKFORT...CARBONDALE...JONESBORO...PERRYVILLE... MARBLE HILL...CAPE GIRARDEAU...PIEDMONT...VAN BUREN...DONIPHAN... POPLAR BLUFF...BLOOMFIELD 1125 AM CDT SUN MAR 8 2009 A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE...IS RAPIDLY MOVING EAST AT ABOUT 45 MPH TOWARDS THE QUAD STATE REGION. RIPLEY...CARTER...WAYNE...BOLLINGER...PERRY...AND CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTIES IN SOUTH EAST MISSOURI...AND JACKSON...PERRY...FRANKLIN...AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. WIND SPEEDS OF 50 MPH OR GREATER ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS...AS WELL AS 1 INCH TO GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL...AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS ALSO BEING OBSERVED WITH THESE STORMS...SO PLEASE REMAIN INDOORS. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STUCK BY LIGHTNING.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1225 PM CDT SUN MAR 08 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1037 AM TORNADO 3 S LEOPOLD 37.21N 89.93W
03/08/2009 BOLLINGER MO EMERGENCY MNGR
CONFIRMED TOUCHDOWN 3 MILES SOUTH OF MARBLE HILL. TORNADO
IS MOVING EAST...DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPORTED.
&&
JAYSONWThe Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 114 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:27 UTC.
5 tornado, 2 hail, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were blown down.
The roof was partially blown off a school. At several properties, large and small equipment sheds were destroyed. Shingle and siding damage occurred at several homes. Trees were topped and uprooted. Carports were knocked over. Peak winds were estimated at 95 mph.
Large tree limbs were broken. Four power poles were knocked over. Peak winds were estimated near 85 mph. The tornado continued into Wayne County.
The tornado continued from Jefferson County just a short distance into Wayne County. A grain bin was thrown about 100 yards. A storage bin was toppled. A farm auger was knocked over. Metal decking or shingles were stripped off barns. There was shingle and siding damage to homes. Peak winds were estimated near 85 mph.
Intermittent damage was observed along the path of this tornado, which contained peak winds near 100 mph. Most of the damage was tree damage. Some trees were snapped and uprooted. Two structures were damaged, including a mobile home that was not tied down. The mobile home was rolled while a man was inside. He suffered broken ribs. The other damaged structure was a 40-by-60 foot storage shed. About one third of the shed was blown over a storage barn into a house, causing significant damage to the house. Debris was blown into a field across the street. A power pole was blown down. The tornado was witnessed about four miles north of Sims in the middle of a field. It was described as a black rotating cloud.
Several structures were damaged. Half of the roof was blown off one house. A well-built storage barn was blown into another house. Debris was blown several hundred yards. Debris from a house impacted a second house 250 yards away. The second house had only minor structural damage. A large metal barn partially caved in when a small grain elevator blew onto it. Peak winds were estimated near 122 mph. The tornado crossed into Clay County.
Funnel clouds were reported near Mcclure heading toward Union County.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Illinois, 2009Warnings in Illinois, March 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: 155073, 158588, 158590, 158591, 155065, 155063, 155066, 155075, 155064.