Ice Storm in Kentucky, January 26 to 28, 2009

Name: Ice Storm in Kentucky, January 26 to 28, 2009
Start: 2009-01-26T20:00
End: 2009-01-28T08:00
Location: Kentucky

January 26 to 28, 2009 · NWS PAH · 22 events in 22 counties and zones

This historic, prolonged ice storm was called the biggest disaster in modern Kentucky history by the governor of Kentucky. The storm produced at least one inch of ice across western Kentucky.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 22 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 11
Injuries: 1
Property damage: $307 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 22

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PAH wrote it up.

This historic, prolonged ice storm was called the biggest disaster in modern Kentucky history by the governor of Kentucky. The storm produced at least one inch of ice across western Kentucky. Locally very destructive icing around 1.5 inches occurred from the Mississippi River counties east across Paducah and Madisonville to Owensboro. This resulted in unprecedented damage to utility infrastructure in western Kentucky. One hundred percent of residents in the hardest-hit counties from the Mississippi River to Madisonville were affected by power outages. A utility company serving areas from Ballard to Livingston Counties reported that 20 percent of its system had to be rebuilt. The same company estimated damage to its system alone between 20 and 30 million dollars. At least 5,000 utility poles were broken or down. Power outages averaged about one week in duration, though outages varied greatly in length. Power restoration was slowed by strong gusty winds that started a few days after the storm. Outages generally lasted several days for residents of larger cities, and weeks for rural residents. Several thousand customers in rural counties remained without power three weeks after the storm. During the initial 24 to 48 hours after the storm, gasoline and kerosene were difficult to obtain. Some of the few stores that were open rationed food, supplies, and gas in the 48 hours following the storm. National Guard troops were called upon to assist with food and water distribution at the many shelters that were established. The troops helped clear roads, enforce curfews, and conduct door-to-door welfare checks. More Kentucky National Guard troops were activated for this storm than for the 1997 floods or Hurricane Katrina support. Many thousands of people stayed in shelters during the cold days and nights after the storm. Several hundred people stayed at a shelter in Owensboro, and hundreds more were at a Paducah shelter. Curfews were imposed from dusk to dawn for a few days following the storm. The storm was directly responsible for the death of an elderly man in Hopkins County who died of hypothermia. The 84-year-old man was discovered in his mobile home in White Plains. Nobody had been able to check on him during the ice storm, so the exact date of his death was undetermined. Ten other deaths were indirectly blamed on the ice storm. In Henderson County, a 48-year-old woman at home alone died from hypothermia. The woman had no power and no heat. Her pre-existing health problems were a major contributor to her death. In Calloway County, a 67-year-old man died from a combination of health problems including the hypothermia that prompted his admission to the hospital. Eight more fatalities were indirectly blamed on the storm. In Webster County, four people died during the ice storm. Two fell victim to heart attacks while moving broken branches or shovelling snow. One man died from carbon monoxide poisoning while staying warm in a running vehicle. Another person died because an ambulance could not reach the victim. In Christian and Graves Counties, a man in each county died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator. In Trigg County, a man died in a fire caused by an alternate heat source. In McCracken County, a utility worker died during a mishap involving a falling transformer and pole. Numerous injuries (indirect) occurred as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning, breathing fumes from stoves, heart stress, slips and falls, and gastrointestinal problems from eating spoiled food. An accurate estimate of the number of injuries was not available. A teenage boy in Hopkins County was seriously injured (direct) when a large tree limb fell on him. Dozens of house fires were sparked by alternate heat sources or electrical problems, including eleven fires on just one night. Most phone and internet communication was lost in the days following the storm. Both land line and cell phone service was spotty at best. Many cell phone towers were damaged or inoperable due to power outages. Due to power outages, some water and sewer plants were inoperable for a time. Tap water was not available in some communities. Many radio stations were off the air due to power outages. Tree damage was widespread. Most trees lost limbs, and some whole trees came down. Besides landing on utility lines, tree limbs landed on roads, cars, and houses. Downed trees and power lines even blocked lanes of Interstate 24 and the Purchase Parkway in spots. Most major roads were opened within 24 hours, but secondary roads were blocked for a week or more in some cases. Removal of tree debris by FEMA contractors from around the nation was expected to last well into the spring.

An area of low pressure formed along the Gulf Coast, then tracked slowly east-northeast. High pressure remained anchored west of the Great Lakes, keeping a cold northeast wind flow in place in the lowest levels of the atmosphere. Copious amounts of moisture moved up from the southwest and overrode the cold air in the low levels. This moisture interacted with a couple of disturbances in the upper levels of the atmosphere moving from west to east across the region. Some sleet was observed during the first several hours of the storm, and the storm ended with a few hours of snow that accumulated from one to two inches. Otherwise, the vast majority of the precipitation fell as freezing rain. From the Hopkinsville area east, temperatures hovered at or just a degree above freezing for most of the storm. This resulted in less ice accumulation and a significantly lower impact there. Across western Kentucky, liquid equivalents from three to four inches were common. The official county historian for Crittenden County stated this was the worst ice storm in the 167 years of the county's history. She stated this storm was worse than the major ice storm in February of 2008 and the one in 1902.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jan 26, 5:53 PM CST, 2 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 26, 5:53 PM CST, 2 hours 7 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
553 PM CST MON JAN 26 2009

.UPDATE...
REVISION FOR 00Z TUESDAY ROUTINE TAF ISSUANCE.

&&

.AVIATION...
CEILINGS FOR THE KEVV/KOWB TAF SITES WILL REMAIN IN VFR CATEGORY
THROUGH 04Z TUESDAY...BEFORE DROPPING TO THE LOWER END OF IFR
CATEGORY. FOR NEARLY ALL THE TAF SITES...IFR/LIFR CEILINGS WILL
PREDOMINATE BETWEEN 06-10Z MONDAY...WITH LIFR CEILINGS REMAINING
THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD.

ONCE THE WINTRY PRECIPITATION STARTS AND PERSISTS THROUGH THE
NIGHT...VISIBILITY WILL GENERALLY REMAIN IN THE VFR
CATEGORY...PERIODICALLY DROPPING INTO THE IFR RANGE AS BANDED
PRECIPITATION MOVES THROUGH THE AREA.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 329 PM CST MON JAN 26 2009/

SHORT TERM... /TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/
MAJOR WINTER STORM STILL LOOKING ON TRACK TO IMPACT THE AREA
THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO THE WARNING
PRODUCTS WAS TO EXTEND THEM TO 12Z WEDNESDAY FOR THE ENTIRE
AREA...AND TO 18Z WEDNESDAY FOR WEST KENTUCKY AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA.
THE ECMWF HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY INDICATING THAT THE PRECIPITATION
WILL NOT GET OUT OF THE AREA UNTIL WEDNESDAY MORNING...AND NOW THE
NAM AND EVEN THE GFS TO A CERTAIN EXTENT HOLD THE PRECIPITATION
BACK LONGER. DECIDED TO GET AHEAD OF THIS TREND NOW.

THE MODELS TODAY REALLY DID NOT DEVIATE MUCH FROM PREVIOUS
THINKING. THERE WILL STILL BE 2 WAVES OF PRECIPITATION TONIGHT AND
TUESDAY MORNING...AND ANOTHER TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY
MORNING. THE MODELS ARE GENERATING EVEN MORE TOTAL LIQUID
EQUIVALENT QPF FOR THE EVENT...ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH. 1-3 INCHES
LIQUID IS POSSIBLE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA.

THE MAIN QUESTION IS WHERE WILL THE SURFACE FREEZING LINE GET
TUESDAY. GIVEN THE MODELS WARM BIAS THIS WEEKEND...HAVE TRIED TO
LEAN TO THE COOL SIDE...AND LIMIT THE FREEZING LINE TO THE FT
CAMPBELL AREA. WILL MENTION FREEZING RAIN AND RAIN NEAR THE
TENNESSEE BORDER...AND FIGURE THAT MUCH OF THE RAIN WILL RUNOFF
EVEN IF IT IS STILL BELOW FREEZING. THIS WILL BE A TRICKY
SITUATION DOWN THERE BECAUSE IT COULD JUST BE A HEAVY COLD RAIN
EVENT...OR IT COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT ICE STORM. THIS WILL HAVE TO
BE WATCHED CLOSELY.

THE OTHER TYPICAL MODEL BIAS IN THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM IS TO HAVE A
COOL BIAS IN PRECIPITATION TYPE. THE MODELS TYPICALLY UNDER-
ESTIMATE THE WARM ADVECTION...AND THEREFORE INDICATE SNOWIER
FORECAST THAN REALITY. STRICT INTERPRETATION OF THE 12Z NAM WOULD
INDICATE A COOLER PRECIPITATION TYPE SOLUTION THAN PREVIOUSLY
FORECAST. HOWEVER...IF WE INCORPORATE THE TYPICAL BIAS...THE
EXISTING FORECAST LOOKS PRETTY GOOD.

BASICALLY LOADED IN HPC QPF THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...AND IMPROVISED
FOR WEDNESDAY MORNING. TRIED TO SPLIT THE QPF APPROPRIATELY
AMONGST THE ICE AND SNOW ACCUMULATION GRIDS...BUT IT STILL WILL
NOT ACCOUNT FOR ALL OF THE QPF. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT IT COULD BE
WORSE THAN WHAT WE HAVE FORECAST. ALSO HAD TO INCREASE POPS A BIT
TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING TO JUSTIFY EXTENDING THE WARNING.

WINDS WILL PICK UP TONIGHT...AS THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT
TIGHTENS...BUT WINDS SHOULD STAY IN THE 10 TO 15 MPH RANGE THROUGH
THE EVENT. STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE IN THE SOUTH AND EAST TUESDAY
AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

FEW OTHER CHANGES TO THE FORECAST BEYOND WEDNESDAY.

LONG TERM... /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/
BOTH GFS AND ECMWF BRING AN UPPER LEVEL TROF ACROSS THE REGION
THURSDAY NIGHT...WITH ONLY GFS PRODUCING PRECIP MAINLY ACROSS
EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE PAH FORECAST AREA. ALREADY HAD LOW POPS
GOING ACROSS THE ENTIRE FA AT FOR THIS TIME PERIOD...SO REMOVED
POPS ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST HALF OF THE AREA...AND KEPT SLIGHT
CHANCES FOR THE NORTHEAST HALF FOR FLURRIES.

BEYOND THURSDAY NIGHT...DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED.  AFTER ANOTHER
UNSEASONABLY COLD DAY FRIDAY...A RETURN OF SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL
PROVIDE A WARM UP SATURDAY AND SUNDAY TO NEAR SEASONAL
TEMPERATURES.  ON SUNDAY...GFS BRINGS A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE
REGION...WITH ECMWF BRINGING IT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT.  WITH THE
TIMING DIFFERENCES AND QPF NOT BEING TOO IMPRESSIVE WITH THE GFS AND
NON EXISTENT WITH THE ECMWF...PREFERRED TO KEEP THE FORECAST DRY FOR
NOW THROUGH MONDAY.

AVIATION...
18Z PACKAGE...MAJOR WINTER EVENT WILL BEGIN ACROSS THE REGION THIS
EVENING.  VFR CIGS WILL LOWER TO IFR AT TIMES DURING THE EVENING AS
A MIXTURE OF SNOW...SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN SPREADS ACROSS THE
AREA.  FROM MIDNIGHT ON...PRECIPITATION WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD AND
PREDOMINANTLY SNOW AND SLEET AT KCGI AND KEVV...AND SLEET AND
FREEZING RAIN AT KPAH AND KOWB.  MVFR AND IFR VSBYS CAN BE EXPECTED
OVERNIGHT...WITH LIFR POSSIBLE AT TIMES.  THESE CONDITIONS WILL
PERSIST INTO TUESDAY MORNING.  WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE NORTHEAST AT
5 TO 14 KTS.

&&

.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KY...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 12 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR BALLARD-
     CALDWELL-CARLISLE-CRITTENDEN-DAVIESS-HENDERSON-HOPKINS-
     LIVINGSTON-LYON-MARSHALL-MCCRACKEN-MCLEAN-UNION KY-WEBSTER.

     ICE STORM WARNING UNTIL 12 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR CALLOWAY-
     CHRISTIAN-FULTON-GRAVES-HICKMAN-MUHLENBERG-TODD-TRIGG.

MO...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY FOR BOLLINGER-
     BUTLER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-CARTER-PERRY MO-RIPLEY-SCOTT-STODDARD-
     WAYNE MO.

     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 12 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR MISSISSIPPI.

     ICE STORM WARNING UNTIL 12 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR NEW MADRID.

IL...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY FOR ALEXANDER-
     EDWARDS-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-PERRY
     IL-PULASKI-SALINE-UNION IL-WABASH-WAYNE IL-WHITE-WILLIAMSON.

     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 12 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR GALLATIN-
     HARDIN-MASSAC-POPE.

IN...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 12 PM CST WEDNESDAY FOR GIBSON-PIKE-
     POSEY-SPENCER-VANDERBURGH-WARRICK.

&&

SMITH

Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 26, 3:34 PM CST, 4 hours 26 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
334 PM CST MON JAN 26 2009

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-
100-107>112-114-271200-
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-
334 PM CST MON JAN 26 2009

...MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL OCCUR TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

SLEET...SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING AND
CONTINUE THROUGH THE NIGHT. REFER TO THE ICE STORM WARNING AND
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF WINTER PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY
NIGHT AND LINGER INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. REFER TO THE WINTER WEATHER
WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE FOUR STATE AREA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER REPORTS OF ICE AND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE APPRECIATED.

RST

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 26, 7:11 PM CST, 49 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
711 PM CST MON JAN 26 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0645 PM     FREEZING RAIN    VAN BUREN               37.01N 91.01W
01/26/2009  E0.00 INCH       CARTER             MO   EMERGENCY MNGR

            ROADS BECOMING VERY SLICK MORE THAN 8 ACCIDENTS OR
            VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD.

&&

SMITH

Local storm report, Jan 26, 7:14 PM CST, 46 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
714 PM CST MON JAN 26 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0644 PM     FREEZING RAIN    7 NW POPLAR BLUFF       36.84N 90.50W
01/26/2009  E0.00 INCH       BUTLER             MO   TRAINED SPOTTER

            THIN LAYER OF ICE ON MOST SURFACES.  LIGHT GLAZE ON
            UNTREATED ROADWAYS.

&&

SMITH

Local storm report, Jan 26, 7:33 PM CST, 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
733 PM CST MON JAN 26 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0724 PM     FREEZING RAIN    PINCKNEYVILLE           38.08N 89.38W
01/26/2009  E0.00 INCH       PERRY              IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SECONDARY ROADS AND FLAT CONCRETE SURFACES SLICK. LIGHT
            FREEZING DRIZZLE AND SNOWFALL AT THIS TIME. HIGHWAYS FOR
            MOST PART ARE CLEAR. IL 152 HAS SOME COVERAGE OVER IT.

0728 PM     FREEZING RAIN    HARRISBURG              37.74N 88.55W
01/26/2009  E0.00 INCH       SALINE             IL   EMERGENCY MNGR

            FREEZING RAIN IS FALLING, STREETS AND ROADWAYS ARE VERY
            SLICK.  RECIEVING REPORTS OF ACCIDENTS.

&&

SMITH

Local storm report, Jan 26, 7:39 PM CST, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
739 PM CST MON JAN 26 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0731 PM     FREEZING RAIN    CALVERT CITY            37.03N 88.35W
01/26/2009  E0.00 INCH       MARSHALL           KY   NWS EMPLOYEE

            TRACE OF NEW ICE ON SURFACE WITH LIGHT FREEZING RAIN JUST
            BEGINNING. TEMPERATURE IS 20 DEGREES.

0733 PM     FREEZING RAIN    1 N SLAUGHTERS          37.51N 87.50W
01/26/2009  M0.00 INCH       WEBSTER            KY   TRAINED SPOTTER

            THIN SHEET OF ICE NOW COVERING ALL SURFACES. TRACE OF ICE
            SINCE 715 PM CST.

&&

SMITH

Local storm report, Jan 26, 7:49 PM CST, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
749 PM CST MON JAN 26 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0743 PM     FREEZING RAIN    THOMPSONVILLE           37.91N 88.76W
01/26/2009  E0.00 INCH       FRANKLIN           IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            FREEZING RAIN HAS BEGUN TO FALL AND ICE IS BEGINNING TO
            ACCUMULATE ON GROUND AND OBJECTS.

&&

SMITH

Local storm report, Jan 26, 7:52 PM CST, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
752 PM CST MON JAN 26 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0745 PM     FREEZING RAIN    SHAWNEETOWN             37.71N 88.17W
01/26/2009  E0.00 INCH       GALLATIN           IL   TRAINED SPOTTER

            ALL COUNTY ROADS ARE ICE COVERED AT THIS TIME. NO
            ACCIDENT REPORTED AT THIS TIME.

&&

SMITH

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

22 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Ballard

When: January 26, 8:00 PM CST to January 28, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Ballard forecast zone
Property damage: $10 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.058, -88.999 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Carlisle

When: January 26, 8:00 PM CST to January 28, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Carlisle forecast zone
Property damage: $10 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.853, -88.971 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Fulton

When: January 26, 8:00 PM CST to January 28, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Fulton forecast zone
Property damage: $10 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.554, -89.188 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Graves

When: January 26, 8:00 PM CST to January 28, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Graves forecast zone
Deaths: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Property damage: $22 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.723, -88.651 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Hickman

When: January 26, 8:00 PM CST to January 28, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Hickman forecast zone
Property damage: $10 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.678, -88.976 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Marshall

When: January 26, 8:00 PM CST to January 28, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Marshall forecast zone
Property damage: $19 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.884, -88.329 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, McCracken

When: January 26, 8:00 PM CST to January 28, 7:00 AM CST
Where: McCracken forecast zone
Deaths: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Property damage: $27 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.054, -88.713 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Caldwell

When: January 26, 9:00 PM CST to January 28, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Caldwell forecast zone
Property damage: $12 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.145, -87.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Calloway

When: January 26, 9:00 PM CST to January 28, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Calloway forecast zone
Deaths: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Property damage: $17 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.621, -88.272 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Crittenden

When: January 26, 9:00 PM CST to January 28, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Crittenden forecast zone
Property damage: $11 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.353, -88.097 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Livingston

When: January 26, 9:00 PM CST to January 28, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Livingston forecast zone
Property damage: $11 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.210, -88.354 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Lyon

When: January 26, 9:00 PM CST to January 28, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Lyon forecast zone
Property damage: $11 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.019, -88.083 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Christian

When: January 26, 10:00 PM CST to January 28, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Christian forecast zone
Deaths: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Property damage: $13 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.894, -87.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Daviess

When: January 26, 10:00 PM CST to January 28, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Daviess forecast zone
Property damage: $17 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.732, -87.087 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Henderson

When: January 26, 10:00 PM CST to January 28, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Henderson forecast zone
Deaths: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Property damage: $11 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.796, -87.573 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Hopkins

When: January 26, 10:00 PM CST to January 28, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Hopkins forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $25 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.309, -87.541 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, McLean

When: January 26, 10:00 PM CST to January 28, 8:00 AM CST
Where: McLean forecast zone
Property damage: $11 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.529, -87.264 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Muhlenberg

When: January 26, 10:00 PM CST to January 28, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Muhlenberg forecast zone
Property damage: $19 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.216, -87.142 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Todd

When: January 26, 10:00 PM CST to January 28, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Todd forecast zone
Property damage: $9.2 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.836, -87.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Trigg

When: January 26, 10:00 PM CST to January 28, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Trigg forecast zone
Deaths: 0 direct, 1 indirect
Property damage: $9.2 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 36.806, -87.873 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Union

When: January 26, 10:00 PM CST to January 28, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Union forecast zone
Property damage: $8.7 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.659, -87.945 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Ice Storm, Webster

When: January 26, 10:00 PM CST to January 28, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Webster forecast zone
Deaths: 0 direct, 4 indirect
Property damage: $11 million
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 37.518, -87.683 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Ice Storm, Graves	2009-02-01	26	Male	Permanent Home	Indirect
Ice Storm, McCracken	2009-02-12	35	Male	Outside/Open Areas	Indirect
Ice Storm, Calloway	2009-01-30	67	Male	Outside/Open Areas	Indirect
Ice Storm, Christian	2009-01-29	76	Male	Permanent Home	Indirect
Ice Storm, Henderson	2009-02-03	48	Female	Permanent Home	Indirect
Ice Storm, Hopkins	2009-01-29	84	Male	Mobile/Trailer Home	Direct
Ice Storm, Trigg	2009-01-30	53	Male	Permanent Home	Indirect
Ice Storm, Webster	2009-01-27			Unknown	Indirect
Ice Storm, Webster	2009-01-31		Male	Outside/Open Areas	Indirect
Ice Storm, Webster	2009-01-31		Male	Outside/Open Areas	Indirect
Ice Storm, Webster	2009-01-27		Male	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Indirect

What these are

Ice Storm: Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kentucky in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Kentucky, January 2009

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 148793, 148796, 148818, 148819, 148821, 148825, 148826, 148794, 148795, 148816, 148823, 148824, 148815, 148817, 148820, 148822, 148827, 148828, 148829, 148830, 148831, 148832.