A line of severe thunderstorms moved slowly southeast through the early morning hours. These storms moved through a very moist and unstable atmosphere.
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 line of severe thunderstorms moved slowly southeast through the early morning hours. These storms moved through a very moist and unstable atmosphere. Small-scale bow echoes produced locally damaging winds and isolated large hail.
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 13, 4:51 PM CST, 8 hours 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 551 PM CDT WED MAY 13 2009 .UPDATE... REMNANT MCV INTO SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. CONVECTION HAVING A VERY DIFFICULT TIME GENERATING PERSISTENT CORES WITH ANY APPRECIABLE ROTATION. THE LIMITING FACTOR ALL ALONG WAS ONLY MARGINALLY SUPPORTIVE WIND FIELDS FROM 700-300 MB IN THE 30-40 KT RANGE NOT INCREASING WITH HEIGHT FOR SPEED SHEAR...WHILE UNIDIRECTIONAL. ALREADY CLEARED SE MISSOURI COUNTIES. WE MAY SEE SOME WIND GUSTS BASED ON THE LATEST TRENDS...IF THEY CAN TRANSLATE TO THE SURFACE IN THE COMPACTING MCV AS IT HEADS TOWARD THE WABASH RIVER. BUT AT THIS TIME...RETURNS ARE NOT TOO IMPRESSIVE. LOW LEVEL WINDS ARE STILL DECENT...WITH AN UNSTABLE FETCH INTO THE CONVECTION FROM WEST KY AND SE MO. CELLS MAY STILL INTENSIFY IN WATCH AREA. ALSO UPDATED THE AVIATION SECTION BELOW FOR THE UPCOMING 00Z TAF ISSUANCE. ...NOLES... && .DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 240 PM CDT WED MAY 13 2009/ DISCUSSION... MCV MOVING INTO SE MISSOURI THIS AFTERNOON WITH INCREASING CONVECTION VERY CLOSE TO OUR SE MISSOURI COUNTIES. OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA...CAP IS SLOWLY WEAKENING BUT STILL PRESENT...WITH NIL ACTIVITY ON THE RADAR. CAPE VALUES ALONG AND WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER RUNNING 1500-2000 SURFACE BASED WITH LI/S BELOW -6. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS AREA...BUT WITHOUT A FOCUS FOR LIFT...MAY BE HARD TO GEN UP CONVECTION THROUGH THE END OF THE DAY. THE PRESENCE OF THE MCV AND ATTENDANT FORCING TO ITS SOUTH MAY HAVE TO BE THE FOCUS FOR CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION. ONLY OTHER FEATURES ARE WEAK CONVERGENCE NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...AND POTENTIALLY OUTFLOW ACROSS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UP NEAR INTERSTATE 64 FROM EARLIER CONVECTION TO OUR NORTH. SPC CONTINUES TO OUTLOOK SE MISSOURI AND SRN ILLINOIS IN A MODERATE RISK AREA...WHICH IS PLAUSIBLE. VERY UNSTABLE CONDITIONS COUPLED WITH DECENT LOW LEVEL WIND FIELDS AND POTENTIALLY REMNANT BOUNDARIES COULD RESULT IN DISCRETE CELLS CAPABLE OF HAIL...STRONG WINDS AND POSSIBLY A TORNADO. IN THE VERTICAL...SPEED SHEAR IS ONLY MARGINAL...WITH LITTLE CHANGE IN A 30-40KT PROFILE FROM 700-300MB. THEREFORE EVEN THOUGH WE MAY SEE DISCRETE CELLS... PERSISTENCE MAY NOT BE AS PROMINENT. SHOULD BE EVOLUTIONARY TONIGHT AS INSTABILITY SHIFTS FARTHER NORTHWEST INTO SRN ILLINOIS AND SE MISSOURI AFTER 00Z...AHEAD OF A COLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY. POPS WILL GO INTO CATEGORICAL RANGE...AND MODE SHOULD BECOME MORE LINEAR AND BROAD SCALE COVERAGE WISE THROUGH 06Z. AFTER 06Z INSTABILITY DIMINISHES...WITH WHAT SHOULD BE A LOWERING THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER LATE...AS THE BOUNDARY SETTLES SOUTH TO THE OHIO RIVER AND WEAKENS AND STALLS...WITH LIKELY POPS SOUTHERN SECTIONS BY THURSDAY MORNING. A CONTINUED UNSETTLED PATTERN WILL PERSIST THROUGH SATURDAY WITH A COLD FRONT COMING INTO THE REGION BY LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY SATURDAY NIGHT. THEREFORE CANNOT ELIMINATE POPS FROM ANY PERIOD. BUT THE NEXT BEST CHANCES WILL LIKELY BE FRIDAY WITH A POTENTIAL MCS...AND WITH THE FRONT LATE SATURDAY INTO EARLY SATURDAY NIGHT. THE OPS MODELS AND ENSEMBLES CONTINUE TO SUPPORT DRY WEATHER SUNDAY THROUGH THE MIDDLE PART OF NEXT WEEK...WITH HIGH PRESSURE DOMINANT FOR THE MOST PART...ACROSS THE EASTERN PART OF THE NATION. WILL LET WIND ADVISORY CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY EVENING IN WIND DAMAGE AREAS OF SE MISSOURI AND SRN ILLINOIS...WITH THE LAKE WIND ADVISORY CONTINUING THROUGH 6 PM ELSEWHERE. && .AVIATION... WILL MONITOR KEVV AND KOWB FOR CONVECTIVE TRENDS EARLY ON. BEST CHANCE OF CONVECTION AT ALL THE TAF SITES WILL BE LATER ON AS A COLD FRONT SETTLES SOUTH INTO THE REGION OVERNIGHT. GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS OUTSIDE OF CONVECTION. SHORT TERM...KPAH AND KCGI TAF SITES WILL LIKELY BE FREE OF CONVECTION THROUGH 06Z. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE. MO...NONE. IL...NONE. IN...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 1007 PM CDT WED MAY 13 2009 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-141000- 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- 1007 PM CDT WED MAY 13 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PUSH SOUTHEAST THROUGH MUCH OF THE QUAD STATE AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE AS THEY ENTER THE AREA...BUT WILL LIKELY BE WEAKENING AS THEY MOVE EASTWARD THROUGH THE REGION. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT...BUT A TORNADO OR TWO AND SOME LARGE HAIL WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE ANOTHER CONCERN TONIGHT. SOME GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE AHEAD OF THE FRONT TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN THE FORECAST THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS AND LIGHTNING ARE THE PRIMARY HAZARDS WITH STORMS DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS CANNOT BE RULED OUT...ESPECIALLY SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT. REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS FOR RIVER FLOOD INFORMATION. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED TONIGHT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 813 PM CDT WED MAY 13 2009 INZ081-082-140215- PIKE-GIBSON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...OAKLAND CITY...PETERSBURG AND PRINCETON 913 PM EDT WED MAY 13 2009 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY... AT 912 PM EDT...LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS IN GIBSON COUNTY REPORTED WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH. THE WINDS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH A LINE OF SHOWERS...AND WILL SPREAD NORTH AND EAST ACROSS MUCH OF GIBSON AND PIKE COUNTIES THROUGH 10 PM EDT. MOVE INDOORS TO A PLACE OF SAFETY. STRONG WINDS MAY BRING DOWN TREE LIMBS AND BLOW AROUND DEBRIS AND OTHER OUTDOOR OBJECTS. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
819 PM CDT WED MAY 13 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0751 PM NON-TSTM WND GST PRINCETON 38.36N 87.57W
05/13/2009 E55 MPH GIBSON IN TRAINED SPOTTER
WIDESPREAD 50 TO 60 MPH WINDS COUNTYWIDE. TREES AND POWER
LINES DOWN. VEHICLE OFF ROAD.
&&
MYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
829 PM CDT WED MAY 13 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0821 PM NON-TSTM WND GST ARTHUR 38.34N 87.25W
05/13/2009 E55 MPH PIKE IN TRAINED SPOTTER
TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN.
&&
MYThe Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 67 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:58 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Three trees were uprooted, and two trees had their tops blown out. A mobile home was moved off blocks. The mobile home was not tied down.
A patrol officer estimated 60 mph winds with debris in the air.
This microburst struck a 10-block long area in the city of Harrisburg, from the southwest edge of town to the southeast side. The damage ended after striking the commercial strip on U.S. Highway 45. The damage swath was about one-half mile wide. Porches were blown off a couple of housees. Trees up to two feet in diameter fell on houses. Some power lines were down. The wind caused some direct minor structural damage to houses. The press box at a football field was blown out of the stands. A construction trailer was blown on its side. Storage sheds and outbuildings were blown over, including one shed that struck and damaged a few vehicles. A gas station canopy was heavily damaged.
A roadway was flooded.
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, May 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: 165957, 165956, 165958, 165959, 167207.