A shortwave trough of low pressure moved out of the mid Mississippi Valley into central Kentucky and Tennessee. This generated a line of strong to severe thunderstorms that moved across the area.
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 shortwave trough of low pressure moved out of the mid Mississippi Valley into central Kentucky and Tennessee. This generated a line of strong to severe thunderstorms that moved across the area. The strongest thunderstorm winds in this line were across south central Kentucky.
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 Jun 16, 11:33 AM CST, 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 133 PM EDT TUE JUN 16 2009 .UPDATE... UPDATED FORECAST PACKAGE TO ADD SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH...INCREASE AFTERNOON AND EVENING POPS TO LIKELY...AND DROP HIGH TEMPS DOWN A COUPLE OF DEGREES. STILL LOOKING FOR THE MISSOURI SQUALL LINE TO PUSH EAST...AND NEW CELLS MAY POP AHEAD OF THE LINE IN SOUTHWESTERN SECTIONS OF CENTRAL KENTUCKY WHERE THERE HAS BEEN SOME DESTABILIZATION. .SHORT TERM (TODAY AND TONIGHT)... ...SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE TODAY ACROSS SOUTHERN INDIANA AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY... COMPLICATED FORECAST IN STORE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. CURRENTLY...A STRONG MCC WAS MOVING INTO EAST CENTRAL MO WITH REDEVELOPMENT OCCURRING FURTHER WEST BACK INTO KS AS LOW LEVEL JET INCREASES AND SHORTWAVE IMPULSE MOVES OFF THE FRONT RANGE. THIS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL SLOWLY NOSE INTO THE MID MISSISSIPPI AND LOWER OHIO VALLEY THROUGH THE DAY. WHILE CLOUD TOPS APPEAR TO STILL BE COOLING WITH THE MCC...LIGHTNING ACTIVITY HAS WANED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF HOURS AND THERE ARE NO LONGER ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR THE LINE WHICH IS NOW MOVING INTO THE LSX FORECAST AREA. EXPECT THAT THIS LINE WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN IN INTENSITY AS IT CONTINUES TO TRACK EASTWARD. SKIES ARE CURRENTLY MOSTLY CLOUDY AND EXPECT THIS TO REMAIN THE CASE THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY AND HEREIN LIES THE COMPLICATED FORECAST. WHILE ALL THE INGREDIENTS FOR A SEVERE WEATHER EVENT ARE IN PLACE...CAPE VALUES IN EXCESS OF 1500 J/KG...LIFTED INDEX VALUES LESS THAN -3C...LARGE CURVED HODOGRAPHS AND PWAT VALUES OF NEARLY 2 INCHES...RESIDUAL CLOUD COVER COULD SUPPRESS REDEVELOPMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON FROM MO INTO IL/IND/KY AND TN. SHOULD THE LACK OF DAYTIME HEATING BE OVERCOME...SUPERCELL STRUCTURES WILL DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND QUICKLY BECOME CLUSTERS AND BOWING SEGMENTS AS THE SYSTEM MOVES TO THE EAST/SOUTHEAST. THE MAIN IMPACT WILL BE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS BUT GIVEN SHEAR PROFILE AS NOTED ABOVE WITH LARGE CURVED HODOGRAPHS SOME LARGE HAIL AND POSSIBLY A TORNADO WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH MORE ORGANIZED STORMS. FOR NOW...HAVE LIKELY POPS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA FROM 12Z TO 18Z THIS AFTERNOON WITH 60 TO 70 POPS ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA FROM AROUND 18Z TO 03Z. LEFT HEAVY RAIN WORDING IN THE FORECAST BUT DID NOT ADD SEVERE WEATHER WORDING AT THIS TIME GIVEN SOME UNCERTAINTIES AS MENTIONED ABOVE AND WOULD LIKE TO WAIT TO SEE THE 13Z SPC CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK AND LATEST MODEL RUNS BEFORE ADDED THAT WORDING INTO THE FORECAST. DO NOT ANTICIPATE TOO MUCH OF A FLOODING THREAT BUT THIS WILL BE MONITORED CLOSELY ONCE CONVECTION BEGINS AS THE AREA HAS SEEN SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS. HOWEVER...THIS TIME OF YEAR WITH THICK VEGETATION OVER THE AREA WILL HELP TO LESSEN FLOOD THREAT BUT ISOLATED FLOODING OR FLASH FLOODING MAY BE POSSIBLE IN SOME AREAS. MODELS INDICATION THAT ACTIVITY WILL MOVE TO THE SOUTH AND EAST OF THE AREA BY AROUND 03Z TO 06Z. MODELS ALSO INDICATED THAT REDEVELOPMENT WILL OCCUR FROM SOUTHEAST MO INTO SOUTHERN IL AND MOVE EASTWARD INTO KY BY 09Z BUT DO NOT FEEL TOO CONFIDENT IN THIS SOLUTION AS LOW LEVEL JET NEVER REDEVELOPS TO ENHANCE AN ALREADY WORKED OVER ATMOSPHERE SO WILL LEAVE ONLY CHANCE POPS IN THE FORECAST OVERNIGHT. EXPECT HIGHS IN THE UPPER 70S TO MID 80S TODAY WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S. .LONG TERM (WED THRU MON)... WED THRU FRI NIGHT... WILL LEAVE CHC POPS IN FOR WED AS UPR LEVEL IMPULSE DROPS SEWD OVER RIDGE IN NW FLO AND CDFNT OVER SRN INDIANA AT 12Z WED...PROGRESSES TO ECNTRL/SCNTRL KY BY 18Z AND TO ERN TN BY 00Z THU. AFTERWARD... FOR THE WED NITE THRU THU NITE PERIOD...FLAT UPR LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS ACRS OUR FA. MODELS DO INDICATE A WMFNT MOVG THRU LATE WED NITE/THU WITH NAM MOS INDICATING LOW CHC POPS AND THE GFS DRY. FOR NOW...WILL STAY DRY...CONSISTENT WITH CURRENT FCST. WILL...HOWEVER RAISE TEMPS A BIT HIER...CLOSER TO MET/MAV MOS FOR THU WITH SW POST FRONTAL FLO. BY FRI INTO FRI NIGHT...SIGNIFICANT HEIGHT FALLS NOTED AS 2 SHRTWV TROFS APPROACH/MOVE INTO THE LOWER OH VLY. ASSOCIATED CDFNT FCST TO MOVE THRU FRI NIGHT. ONLY CHANGE HERE WILL BE TO SPREAD CHC POPS OVER ALL OUR FA BY FRI AFTN. WILL LEAVE 40 POPS FOR FRI NIGHT WITH FROPA. WILL LEAVE THE WEEKEND FCST UNCHANGED...DISC FOR THAT PERIOD FOLLOWS: SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY... A TROUGH IS FORECAST TO ALMOST CLOSE OFF SATURDAY AND DRIFT SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES. AT 500MB...NORTHWEST FLOW WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY AND WILL TEND TO SEPARATE COOLISH AIR ACROSS OHIO FROM TYPICAL SUMMER TIME HEAT ACROSS THE PLAINS. AFTER STORMS EXIT OUR SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES SATURDAY...WILL FORECAST A DRY WEEKEND WITH SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES. && .AVIATION (18Z TAFS)... OF FIRST CONCERN IS LINE OF STRONG STORMS MOVING TO THE EAST THROUGH WESTERN KENTUCKY. WILL TIME THIS LINE INTO EACH TAF SITE. AS FOR THE STRENGTH...WILL GO WITH GENERALLY WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THE LINE SO FAR. WILL KEEP THE WORST OF THE WEATHER AT EACH TAF SITE FOR AN HOUR AS THE LINE PASSES THROUGH...WITH LINGERING TSRA BEHIND IT FOR A FEW HOURS. ADDITIONAL SCATTERED SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING...BUT FOR NOW WILL LEAVE THE TAFS DRY. WILL INTRODUCE SOME LIGHT FOG AT BWG AND LEX TOWARDS DAWN IN SOGGY ATMOSPHERE ABOVE SOAKED GROUND. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE TOMORROW AFTERNOON BUT BEST CHANCES SHOULD BE SOUTH OF SDF. && .LMK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE. IN...NONE. && UPDATE...13 SHORT TERM...LS LONG TERM....DK AVIATION.....13
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 1130 AM EDT TUE JUN 16 2009 INZ076>079-083-084-089>092-KYZ023>043-045>049-053>057-061>067- 070>078-081-082-170830- 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- 1130 AM EDT TUE JUN 16 2009 /1030 AM CDT TUE JUN 16 2009/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE OUTLOOK AREA BY MID AFTERNOON...AND INTO THE BLUEGRASS BY EARLY THIS EVENING. STRONG DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THIS LINE OF STORMS. IN ADDITION...SCATTERED STORMS MAY DEVELOP OUT AHEAD OF THE LINE. THESE STORMS WILL ALSO BE CAPABLE OF STRONG GUSTY WINDS AS WELL AS POSSIBLY AN ISOLATED TORNADO OR TWO. THE STORMS WILL ALSO DROP LOCALLY TORRENTIAL RAIN AND MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED WATER ISSUES IN AREAS THAT FLOOD EASILY. THE STORMS WILL MOVE OFF TO THE EAST OVERNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND AGAIN LATE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... AS ALWAYS...SPOTTERS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. 13
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 828 AM EDT TUE JUN 16 2009 INZ084-089-090-KYZ024-025-028-161315- BRECKINRIDGE-CRAWFORD-HARDIN-HARRISON-MEADE-PERRY- 728 AM CDT TUE JUN 16 2009 ...LINE OF STRONG STORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN MOVING UP THE OHIO RIVER... AT 726 AM CDT...826 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ENGLISH TO 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HARDINSBURG...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AROUND ONE INCH PER HOUR...AND GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. THESE STORMS WILL BE... NEAR HARDINSBURG AROUND 735 AM CDT. NEAR BRANDENBURG AROUND 910 AM EDT. THESE STORMS WILL ALSO BE... NEAR MIFFLIN AROUND 835 AM EDT. NEAR ORIOLE AROUND 740 AM CDT. NEAR GRANTSBURG AROUND 845 AM EDT. NEAR RIDDLE AROUND 850 AM EDT. NEAR CURBY AROUND 855 AM EDT. NEAR WYANDOTTE AROUND 900 AM EDT. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... 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. && 13
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 215 PM EDT TUE JUN 16 2009 KYZ023-024-026-027-061-062-070>073-161900- ALLEN-BRECKINRIDGE-BUTLER-EDMONSON-GRAYSON-HANCOCK-LOGAN-OHIO- SIMPSON-WARREN- 115 PM CDT TUE JUN 16 2009 ...LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO AREA BETWEEN 130 AND 230 PM CDT... AT 206 PM EDT/106 PM CDT/...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE 17 MILES SOUTHWEST OF OWENSBORO TO 12 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GREENVILLE...AND MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. THIS WILL MOVE INTO HAWESVILLE TO HARTFORD TO MORGANTOWN TO RUSSELLVILLE BETWEEN 130 AND 200 PM CDT. WINDS OF 55 TO 65 MPH WILL OCCUR WITH THIS LINE. OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING...MODERATE RAIN WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AROUND ONE HALF INCH PER HOUR...ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... IF ON OR NEAR A LAKE...RIVER...OR SWIMMING POOL...GET OUT OF THE WATER AND MOVE INDOORS OR INSIDE A VEHICLE NOW. DONT BE CAUGHT ON THE WATER IN A THUNDERSTORM. && JDG
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
32 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The wind gust was recorded by the Bowling Green Warren County Airport ASOS.
Trees were downed in Lewisburg.
Numerous trees were downed; one fell on a home.
Trees downed on Russellville Road south of Morgantown.
Trees were downed in Rochester.
Trees were downed in Morgantown.
Power lines were downed and power was out in Morgantown.
Trees were downed in Franklin.
Trees were downed in Bowling Green.
Trees were downed near Brownsville.
A downed tree was blocking West Madison Avenue in Franklin.
Trees were downed in Scottsville.
Trees were downed in Halfway.
Trees downed south of Mammoth Cave.
Trees were downed and lightning struck a power pole and knocked a traffic light into an intersection in Scottsville.
Trees were downed near Mammoth Cave.
Trees and a power pole were downed.
Trees were downed and a roof was damaged.
Trees were downed across the county.
Trees were downed.
Trees were downed near Summer Shade.
A trailer was blown over and trees were downed.
A barn was damaged and trees were downed.
Trees were downed in Tompkinsville.
Many tree branches were downed at Marrowbone. COOP Observer estimated wind speeds of 55 to 60 mph.
Power lines and trees were downed.
Power lines and trees were downed.
Trees were downed in Scottsville.
Power lines and trees were downed.
Trees were downed.
Trees were downed.
A few trees were downed in Russell Springs.
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, June 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: 177625, 177517, 177523, 177525, 177526, 177527, 177629, 177528, 177631, 177530, 177531, 177532, 177534, 177536, 177537, 177593, 177596, 177601, 177605, 177606, 177607, 177608, 177609, 177611, 177612, 177614, 177616, 177617, 177618, 177620, 177621, 177622.