During the evening of July 25th, severe thunderstorms moved across eastern Kentucky. The result was numerous reports of downed trees and large hail.
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 JKL wrote it up.
During the evening of July 25th, severe thunderstorms moved across eastern Kentucky. The result was numerous reports of downed trees and 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 Jackson, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 25, 2:19 PM EST, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 319 PM EDT SAT JUL 25 2009 .SHORT TERM.../TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...UPDATED THE MODELS ARE IN REASONABLE AGREEMENT THROUGH THE SHORT TERM. THE CURRENT RADAR IS SHOWING A PREFRONTAL LINE OF CONVECTION MOVING THROUGH CENTRAL KENTUCKY. THE MORE ACTIVE LINE WHICH IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT...EXTENDS FROM SOUTHERN INDIANA TO SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. THIS LINE IS MOVING AT ABOUT 25 MPH AND IS EXPECTED TO PICK UP TO 30 MPH VERY SOON. THIS IS THE LINE THAT WE ARE EXPECTING MOST OF THE SEVERE WEATHER FROM. THE MODELS ARE SHOWING VERY UNSTABLE CONDITIONS AND A LITTLE BIT OF TURNING IN THE WIND FIELDS. THE BUFR NAM SOUNDING VALID AT 6 PM IS SHOWING A LIFTED INDEX OF MINUS 5 WITH ALMOST 1800 JOULES OF CAPE. SIMILAR CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST FOR JACKSON AT 8 PM. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO STALL OUT OVER EASTERN KENTUCKY AND TO KEEP THINGS WET THROUGH MONDAY. .LONG TERM.../MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...UPDATED GENERAL MODEL AGREEMENT CONTINUES WITH AN UNUSUALLY PERSISTENT REINFORCING TROUGH FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR OCCURRING ACROSS THE CENTRAL CONUS...KEEPING MAINLY UNSETTLED WEATHER FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY. THERE ARE PLENTY OF DIFFERENCES WITHIN THE DETAILS OF THIS PATTERN HOWEVER...ESPECIALLY WITH THE IMPACT OF CONVECTION...SO HAVE CONTINUED TO RELY HEAVILY ON PERSISTENCE. LINGERING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE BEHIND THE DEPARTING COLD FRONT MAY ALLOW FOR SOME ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTION TO RE-FIRE ON MONDAY...WITH DRY WEATHER EXPECTED FOR MONDAY NIGHT...AS SHORT WAVE RIDGING ENSUES. A SERIES OF VIGOROUS SHORT WAVES WILL THEN SPIRAL THROUGH SOUTHERN CANADA AND THE GREAT LAKES...HELPING TO REINFORCE THE LONG WAVE TROUGH ACROSS THE CENTRAL CONUS. A PERSISTENT WEAK TO MODERATE LOW LEVEL JET WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE AREA FROM TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...MAINTAINING THE THREAT OF SCATTERED CONVECTION. THERE CONTINUE TO BE DIFFERENCES AS TO WHERE THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE FRONT WILL BE...SO HAVE MAINTAINED A DIURNAL INFLUENCE ON THE CONVECTION. && .AVIATION.../18Z TO 18Z/ MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TEMPO IFR VIS AND CIG VICINITY OF THE STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PERIOD. WITH THE GUSTY WINDS THIS AFTERNOON...WINDS WOULD GET PRETTY TREACHEROUS IN THE VICINITY OF THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS. ALSO SMALL HAIL IS EXPECTED IN THE VICINITY OF THE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR KYZ044- 050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. && SHORT TERM... LONG TERM... AVIATION...
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 340 PM EDT SAT JUL 25 2009 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-262245- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE- JACKSON-PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-HARLAN- ELLIOTT-MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-LEE-BREATHITT-KNOTT- OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-LETCHER-MARTIN-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING... OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD...IRVINE...STANTON...FRENCHBURG... MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE...SOMERSET...LONDON...MONTICELLO... WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN...WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE...MIDDLESBORO... PINEVILLE...HARLAN...SANDY HOOK...WEST LIBERTY...PAINTSVILLE... CAMPTON...SALYERSVILLE...PRESTONSBURG...BEATTYVILLE...JACKSON... HINDMAN...BOONEVILLE...HAZARD...MANCHESTER...HYDEN...WHITESBURG... INEZ...PIKEVILLE 340 PM EDT SAT JUL 25 2009 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 623 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE GREATEST SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. HOWEVER...THE STRONGEST STORMS COULD ALSO CONTAIN ONE INCH HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY...AND ALSO TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ASSISTANCE MAY BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. JJ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 341 PM EDT SAT JUL 25 2009 KYZ068-079-080-083>085-252100- ROCKCASTLE-PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-WHITLEY-MCCREARY- 341 PM EDT SAT JUL 25 2009 ...AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH 500 PM EDT SATURDAY AFTERNOON... SOUTHERN ROCKCASTLE... PULASKI... WESTERN LAUREL... WAYNE... NORTHWESTERN WHITLEY AND MCCREARY. AT 340 PM EDT...AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED OVER THE NEXT HOUR AND A HALF INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...CABELL AROUND 420 PM EDT...PARNELL AROUND 425 PM EDT...CAINS STORE AROUND 435 PM EDT...NAOMI AROUND 440 PM EDT AND TRIMBLE AROUND 445 PM EDT. RESIDENTS CAN EXPECT UP TO ONE INCH OF RAIN...GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY. GREIF
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 429 PM EDT SAT JUL 25 2009 KYZ107-109-110-112-252100- JOHNSON-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-BREATHITT- 429 PM EDT SAT JUL 25 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH 500 PM EDT SATURDAY AFTERNOON... SOUTH CENTRAL JOHNSON... CENTRAL MAGOFFIN... NORTHWESTERN FLOYD AND NORTHEASTERN BREATHITT. AT 429 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR SWAMPTON...OR 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SALYERSVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...GYPSY AROUND 435 PM EDT...BRAINARD AROUND 440 PM EDT...BONANZA AROUND 445 PM EDT...CLIFF AROUND 450 PM EDT AND LANCER AROUND 455 PM EDT. RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE AND A HALF INCHES PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY. GEOGERIAN
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
432 PM EDT SAT JUL 25 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0425 PM HAIL 3 E CORNELIA 37.66N 83.15W
07/25/2009 E0.88 INCH MAGOFFIN KY PUBLIC
NICKLE SIZED HAIL REPORTED BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN THE
BOARDTREE RD AREA NEAR HIGHWAY 30.
&&
JJThe Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 28 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:36 UTC.
11 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The report was received from an automated reporting system. The event tme was estimated from radar.
A tree was blown down and across Mill Springs Road near Naomi.
A tree was blown down and across Nelson Valley Road.
A tree was blown down, blocking Boat Dock Road and Deer Field Lane.
A tree was blown down onto a trailer and some power lines on Highway 1247.
A tree was blown down and across Gossett Road.
Several trees were blown down near Highway 1247.
Trees were blown down and across Highway 2017.
Tree limbs were blown down.
A tree was blown down and across a road near Marrowbone.
A large tree was down and onto some power lines.
Large branches were broken off of trees by thunderstorm wind gusts.
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, July 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: 186788, 186793, 186794, 186795, 186796, 186797, 186798, 186789, 186790, 186791, 186792, 186799.