A cold front raced toward the Ohio Valley during the afternoon and evening hours of April 5th. Linear segments of storms developed and moved across the area ahead of this front.
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 LMK wrote it up.
A cold front raced toward the Ohio Valley during the afternoon and evening hours of April 5th. Linear segments of storms developed and moved across the area ahead of this front. Mainly damaging winds resulted from these storms. However, some sub-severe hail was reported early in storm development as well as a severe hail report with an embedded supercell in the line of convection.
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 Louisville, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 5, 2:06 PM EST, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 306 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 .SHORT TERM (TONIGHT AND MONDAY)... ...TORNADO WATCH FOR WEST CENTRAL KY AND SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA TILL 7PM EDT...6PM CDT... SEVERE CONVECTION STILL LOOKS ON TRACK FOR LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. 1830Z RADAR SHOWS GARDEN VARIETY T-STORMS ABOUT TO ENTER OUR FAR NW FORECAST AREA (FA). HOWEVER...AS T-STORMS ADVANCE EASTWARD...THEY ARE EXPECTED TO STRENGTHEN ESPECIALLY AS THE COLD FRONT AND 80 TO 90 KT MID LEVEL JET DRAWS NEARER. THE MAIN THREATS STILL LOOK TO BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL...HOWEVER A FEW TORNADOES CAN/T BE RULED OUT AS CONVECTION BECOMES MORE SURFACED BASED THIS AFTERNOON. AN AXIS OF UPPER 50S/LOW 60S DEWPTS ADVECTING INTO THE FA FROM WESTERN KY WILL HELP INCREASE THE MIXED LAYER FURTHER TOWARD THE SFC. WILL CONTINUE SEVERE WORDING IN ZONES. THE COLD FRONT CURRENTLY STRETCHING SOUTH FROM THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER OVER WEST CENTRAL IL DOWN TO AROUND HOUSTON TEXAS WILL MOVE EAST CROSSING OUR AREA BETWEEN 22Z TO 4Z THIS EVENING. BEHIND THE FRONT...T-STORMS WILL SUBSIDE. A QUICK DRY SLOT WILL GIVE US A BREAK IN PRECIP AROUND MIDNIGHT AND THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING. THEN AN UPPER TROUGH WILL SWING DOWN BEHIND THE UPPER CLOSED LOW BRINGING IN LIGHT WRAP AROUND MOISTURE AND COLDER AIR. SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS SHOULD MAKE THEIR WAY BACK INTO THE AREA AROUND OR BEFORE SUNRISE TOMORROW MORNING. AS WINDS SHIFT TO THE WNW EARLY MONDAY...STRONG CAA WILL CHANGE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TO A RA/SN MIX BY LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON. WITH LIGHT QPF AMOUNTS AND SUCH WARM GROUNDS...EXPECT LITTLE IF ANY SNOW TO STICK TO THE GROUND MONDAY AFTERNOON. MONDAY WILL DEFINITELY FEEL LIKE WINTER WITH SNOW FLAKES FLYING...TEMPS HOLDING STEADY IN THE UPPER 30S/LOW 40S FOR HIGHS...AND COLD WINDS GUSTING UP TO AROUND 30 TO 35 MPH. .LONG TERM (MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY)... ...WINTER MAKES A BRIEF RETURN... MONDAY NIGHT DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE WILL BE CROSSING EASTERN NEW YORK WHILE STRONG CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE DIVES SOUTH THROUGH THE GREAT PLAINS. WE WILL BE CAUGHT IN BETWEEN WITH STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION ON NORTHERLY FLOW. MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO WRAP AROUND THE NORTHEAST LOW AND DUMP INTO THE OHIO AND TENNESSEE VALLEYS...ESPECIALLY DURING THE EVENING HOURS. MODEL FORECAST SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO SUPPORT ALL SNOW AS THE PRECIPITATION TYPE MONDAY NIGHT. IT STILL LOOKS LIKE UP TO AN INCH OF WET SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE IN GRASSY AREAS OF THE BLUE GRASS AND THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF OUR EASTERN CWFA. WNW WINDS MONDAY NIGHT OF 10 TO 20 MPH WILL PRODUCE WIND CHILLS AS LOW AS 20 DEGREES AS AIR TEMPERATURES DROP INTO THE UPPER 20S TO AROUND 30. AFTER COORDINATING WITH SURROUNDING OFFICES WILL HOLD OFF ON A FREEZE WATCH FOR NOW SINCE WE HAVE SEVERE WEATHER TO CONTEND WITH FIRST THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE MID SHIFT TONIGHT CAN TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE POSSIBILITY OF A FREEZE WATCH FOR TUESDAY MORNING. THE LIGHT SNOW WILL GRADUALLY TAPER OFF LATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING...AND BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON THERE SHOULDN/T BE MUCH LEFT OTHER THAN STRAY FLURRIES OR SPRINKLES. IT WILL STILL BE A CHILLY CLOUDY DAY WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES ONLY MAKING IT INTO THE LOWER 40S. TUESDAY NIGHT/WEDNESDAY MORNING WILL BRING THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OF THE WEEK. THE LOW AND MID LEVEL CLOUDS WILL SCOUR OUT AS THE NORTHEASTERN STORM LIFTS WELL OFF INTO CANADA. CIRRUS WILL LIKELY REMAIN...ESPECIALLY OVER THE EASTERN CWFA...BUT WITH LIGHT WINDS AND A COOLER GROUND TEMPERATURE IT LOOKS LIKE JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY SHOULD SEE MIDDLE TO UPPER 20S BY THE TIME THE SUN COMES UP WEDNESDAY...POSSIBLY A BIT COOLER IN THE USUAL SHELTERED COLD SPOTS. BY THURSDAY LOW PRESSURE WILL BE OVER THE OZARKS WITH A WARM FRONT REACHING EASTWARD INTO THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY. BY AFTERNOON HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL HAVE MOVED FAR ENOUGH TO THE EAST TO ALLOW MOISTURE TO RETURN NORTHWARD AND INTERACT WITH THE FRONTAL ZONE...RESULTING IN SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL REMAIN IN THE FORECAST THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING AS LOW PRESSURE RIDES UP THE FRONT. NEXT WEEKEND LOOKS QUITE PLEASANT AS HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT LAKES BRINGS US PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES. THE GFS DOES TRY TO BRING A STORM SYSTEM IN FROM THE WEST BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON...WILL HAVE TO MONITOR THAT BUT WILL KEEP THINGS DRY FOR NOW. && .AVIATION (18Z TAFS)... T-STORMS STILL ON TRACK TO IMPACT THE TAF SITES THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING AS A STRONG LOW PRESSURE TRACKS TO OUR N DRAGGING A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE AREA. T-STORMS HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED OVER SOUTHERN ILLINOIS/WESTERN KY THIS AFTERNOON AND EXPECT THESE TO MOVE EAST OVER THE TERMINALS BETWEEN ABOUT 20Z AND 2Z. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE WITH HIGH WIND GUSTS AND HAIL THE MAIN THREATS...MAYBE AN ISOLATED TORNADO. WILL INCLUDE A TEMPO FOR HIGH WINDS AND IFR/MVFR VSBYS IN TSRA FOR NOW. WILL AMEND WITH MORE DETAILS AS T-STORMS GET CLOSER TO THE TERMINALS. WINDS WILL BE GUSTY OUT OF THE S THIS AFTERNOON UP TO 20KTS. TONIGHT BETWEEN 0Z TO 3Z...THE COLD FRONT WILL PASS SHIFTING WINDS TO THE SWW...THEN EVENTUALLY MORE W BY SUNRISE. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GUST BETWEEN 20 TO 25KTS OVERNIGHT THROUGH EARLY TOMORROW AFTERNOON. ALTHOUGH T-STORMS WILL MOVE OUT OF THE AREA BY AROUND 0Z TO 3Z...THERE MAY BE SOME LINGERING SHOWERS. A BRIEF BREAK IN PRECIP WILL OCCUR AS THE DRY SLOT PASSES BETWEEN 6Z TO 12Z...HOWEVER MVFR CIGS AND RA/SN SHOWERS WILL MOVE BACK INTO THE AREA BEFORE SUNRISE. && .LMK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...TORNADO WATCH FOR WEST CENTRAL KENTUCKY UNTIL 7PM EDT...6PM CDT. IN...TORNADO WATCH FOR SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA UNTIL 7PM EDT...6PM CDT. && SHORT TERM...AML LONG TERM....13 AVIATION.....AML
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 342 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 INZ076>079-083-084-089>092-KYZ023>043-045>049-053>057-061>067- 070>078-081-082-061945- ORANGE IN-WASHINGTON IN-SCOTT IN-JEFFERSON IN-DUBOIS IN- CRAWFORD IN-PERRY IN-HARRISON IN-FLOYD IN-CLARK IN-HANCOCK KY- BRECKINRIDGE KY-MEADE KY-OHIO KY-GRAYSON KY-HARDIN KY-BULLITT KY- JEFFERSON KY-OLDHAM KY-TRIMBLE KY-HENRY KY-SHELBY KY-FRANKLIN KY- SCOTT KY-HARRISON KY-SPENCER KY-ANDERSON KY-WOODFORD KY- FAYETTE KY-BOURBON KY-NICHOLAS KY-NELSON KY-WASHINGTON KY- MERCER KY-JESSAMINE KY-CLARK KY-LARUE KY-MARION KY-BOYLE KY- GARRARD KY-MADISON KY-BUTLER KY-EDMONSON KY-HART KY-GREEN KY- TAYLOR KY-CASEY KY-LINCOLN KY-LOGAN KY-WARREN KY-SIMPSON KY- ALLEN KY-BARREN KY-MONROE KY-METCALFE KY-ADAIR KY-RUSSELL KY- CUMBERLAND KY-CLINTON KY- 342 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 /242 PM CDT SUN APR 5 2009/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EASTWARD OVER THE AREA THIS EVENING. SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE. IN ADDITION TO DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAINFALL...THE MAIN THREAT WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND LARGE HAIL. AN ISOLATED TORNADO WILL BE POSSIBLE AS WELL. THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL BEGIN TO DIMINISH BY MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. MUCH COLDER AIR WILL MOVE INTO CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND SOUTHERN INDIANA FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE WORK WEEK. THE PRIMARY CONCERN OF THIS COLD SPELL IS FOR TENDER VEGETATION AND ANY YOUNG LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS. LOW TEMPERATURES TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY MORNINGS WILL DROP BELOW FREEZING IN MOST IF NOT ALL LOCATIONS...AND MAY FALL AS FAR AS THE MID 20S IN SOME LOW-LYING AREAS WEDNESDAY MORNING. WHILE SOME LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO FALL OVER THE AREA FROM MONDAY INTO TUESDAY...LITTLE ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED DUE TO RELATIVELY WARM GROUND TEMPERATURES. UP TO AN INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE BLUE GRASS AND ON THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF EASTERN CENTRAL KENTUCKY...PRIMARILY MONDAY NIGHT IN GRASSY AREAS. A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS RETURNS TO THE AREA THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT HAIL...STRONG WINDS...AND ANY FUNNEL CLOUDS OR TORNADOES THIS EVENING. AML/13
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 526 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 INZ083-084-089-090-KYZ023>025-052200- BRECKINRIDGE-CRAWFORD-DUBOIS-HANCOCK-HARRISON-MEADE-PERRY- 526 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 ...A STRONG LINE OF STORMS WILL MOVE TOWARDS CRAWFORD...HARRISON...AND NORTHERN MEADE COUNTIES.... AT 422 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 14 MILES NORTHEAST OF SANTA CLAUS 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HAWESVILLE...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 30 MILES NORTHEAST OF ROCKPORT TO 23 MILES EAST OF ROCKPORT...AND MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING...SMALL PEA OR MARBLE SIZE HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 35 TO 45 MPH... ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. THESE STORMS WILL BE... NEAR HARDINSBURG BY 430 PM CDT. 5 MILES SOUTH OF ENGLISH BY 535 PM EDT. NEAR BRANDENBURG BY 545 PM EDT. NEAR CORYDON BY 550 PM EDT. JSD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 556 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 KYZ024-026>028-061>063-070>073-052245- ALLEN-BRECKINRIDGE-BUTLER-EDMONSON-GRAYSON-HARDIN-HART-LOGAN-OHIO- SIMPSON-WARREN- 456 PM CDT SUN APR 5 2009 ...LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL KENTUCKY... A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE QUICKLY THROUGH CENTRAL KENTUCKY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. IN ADDITION TO DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...THESE STORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA ALL HAZARDS RADIO...WEATHER.GOV/LOUISVILLE ON THE INTERNET...OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR LATER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
600 PM EDT SUN APR 05 2009
..TIME.. ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE.. ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION.. ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0557 PM HAIL CORYDON 38.21N 86.13W
04/05/2009 E0.88 INCH HARRISON IN TRAINED SPOTTER
JUST SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 64.
&&
EVENT NUMBER LMK0900338
MRCSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 616 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 INZ076-083-084-089-052300- CRAWFORD-DUBOIS-ORANGE-PERRY- 616 PM EDT SUN APR 5 2009 ...STRONG STORMS TO AFFECT CRAWFORD...DUBOIS...ORANGE...AND PERRY COUNTIES... AT 612 PM EDT/512 PM CDT/...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 8 MILES NORTH OF JASPER TO ROCKPORT...AND MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING...MODERATE RAIN WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AROUND ONE HALF INCH PER HOUR REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN THREE MILES...SMALL PEA SIZE HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 35 TO 40 MPH... ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. THESE STORMS WILL BE... NEAR CANNELTON BY 545 PM CDT. NEAR PAOLI BY 700 PM EDT. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT INTERSTATE 64 IN INDIANA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 74 AND 92. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA ALL HAZARDS RADIO... WEATHER.GOV/LOUISVILLE ON THE INTERNET...OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR LATER UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. AML
The Louisville radar (KLVX), 33 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:15 UTC.
13 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees and power lines were downed in the Portland area.
Several large limbs were snapped by winds estimated at 60 mph.
Several large limbs were snapped by winds estimated between 55 and 60 mph.
A tree was downed across Highway 88.
Several large tree limbs were downed by winds estimated at 60 mph.
The wind gust was measured by the Kentucky Mesonet site three miles north of Columbia.
Trees were downed near Tompkinsville.
A building in Liberty had partial roof damage. Trees and power poles were downed elsewhere across the county. An eSpotter reported an estimated wind gusts of 70 mph.
A porch was reportedly blown off of a house.
A tree was downed across College Street.
A tree was downed and blocking Highway 89.
A few small trees were downed.
A barn was destroyed on state highway 618.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, April 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: 162067, 162071, 162064, 162066, 162065, 162055, 162056, 162070, 162058, 162060, 162061, 162063, 162068, 162069.