The atmosphere was just primed enough to produce isolated to scattered severe thunderstorms on May 15th. The few storms that became severe produced isolated reports of large hail, wind damage, and flash flooding.
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.
The atmosphere was just primed enough to produce isolated to scattered severe thunderstorms on May 15th. The few storms that became severe produced isolated reports of large hail, wind damage, and flash flooding.
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 May 15, 1:01 PM EST, 39 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 201 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009 .SHORT TERM.../THE REST OF TODAY/ INVERTED TROUGH/QUASI-STATIONARY BOUNDARY IS CURRENTLY BISECTING THE AREA. LOW CLOUDS HAVE MIXED OUT FROM EARLIER FOG. AS THIS BOUNDARY LIFTS NORTH...EXPECT SCATTERED CONVECTION TO FIRE ACROSS THE AREA. CURRENT FORECAST HAS THIS WELL IN HAND. WILL ONLY ADJUST SOME OF THE SKY COVER DOWN A BIT WITH THE CLEARING TAKING PLACE THIS MORNING. HIGHS AROUND THE 80 DEGREE MARK LOOK ON TARGET. THE PREVIOUS SHORT TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... /TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/ AN ILL DEFINED FRONTAL BOUNDARY WAS LAID OUT FROM SW TO NE ACROSS THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING. IT WILL LIFT BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT TODAY IN RESPONSE TO A STORM SYSTEM TRACKING ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THE NATION. THIS WILL BRING A RESURGENCE OF WARM...HUMID...AND UNSTABLE AIR. WITH THE FRONT IN THE VICINITY AND LITTLE IN THE WAY OF A CAP...WILL EXPECT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS TO DEVELOP DURING THE DAY. THEY SHOULD DIMINISH WITH LOSS OF HEATING TONIGHT. ON SATURDAY A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE NORTHWEST AND BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND STORMS. THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY CONCERNING THE TIMING OF FROPA. THE 00Z WRF...SREF...AND GFS ENSEMBLE ARE ALL SLOWER THAN THE 00Z GFS WITH THE FRONTAL PROGRESSION. WILL OPT FOR THE SLOWER MOVEMENT...WHICH WILL MEAN GOING ABOVE GFS MOS POPS FOR SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. BY LATE SUNDAY HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN BEHIND THE FRONT WILL BRING DRY WEATHER AND DECREASING CLOUDS...WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES BY SUNDAY NIGHT. .LONG TERM.../MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/ THE GFS AND THE GFS ENSEMBLE HAVE RIDGING AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT DOMINATING OUR WEATHER THROUGH THE PERIOD. THE ECMWF MAINTAINS AND REINFORCES AN UPPER TROUGH OVER THE NE CONUS DURING THE MID AND LATE WEEK TIME FRAME...WHICH ALLOWS ANOTHER COLD FRONT WITH PRECIP TO MAKE IT THROUGH OUR AREA BEFORE DISSIPATING. THE GFS AND ITS ENSEMBLE STALL THIS FRONT TO OUR NORTH DUE TO RIDGING ALOFT. WILL GO WITH CONTINUITY IN THE FORECAST AT THIS POINT...WITH DRY WEATHER AS SUGGESTED BY THE GFS. HOWEVER...TRENDS WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED FOR POTENTIAL FORECAST CHANGES. && .AVIATION.../18Z TO 18Z/...UPDATED SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON. THE BEST CHANCE AT SEEING A DIRECT HIT FROM THESE BETWEEN 18 AND 21Z WILL BE AT SME AND LOZ AND HAVE INCLUDED TEMPO GROUPS FOR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. HAVE KEPT VCTS AT JKL WHERE COVERAGE IS EXPECTED TO BE LESS THROUGH THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON. IFR FOG AND LOWER WILL ONCE AGAIN BE A CONCERN DURING THE OVERNIGHT...WITH THUNDERSTORM CHANCES INCREASING TOMORROW AFTERNOON ONCE AGAIN OUT AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...HAL/GEOGERIAN LONG TERM....HAL AVIATION...GEOGERIAN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 646 AM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-161100- 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- 646 AM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. HAL
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 127 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009 KYZ083-084-151800- WAYNE-MCCREARY- 127 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009 ...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT WAYNE AND SOUTHERN MCCREARY COUNTIES THROUGH 200 PM EDT FRIDAY AFTERNOON... AT 126 PM EDT...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM PARNELL TO ROCKEYBRANCH TO 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BLUE HERON...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. THE STORMS WILL BE NEAR BARRIER AROUND 135 PM EDT...COOPERSVILLE AROUND 140 PM EDT...CO-OPERATIVE AROUND 145 PM EDT...SLAVENS AROUND 150 PM EDT...BLUE HERON AROUND 155 PM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. JJ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 209 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009 KYZ058-108-111-112-114-151845- ESTILL-WOLFE-LEE-BREATHITT-OWSLEY- 209 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT SOUTHWESTERN WOLFE AND EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL ESTILL AND LEE AND WEST CENTRAL BREATHITT AND NORTHWESTERN OWSLEY COUNTIES THROUGH 245 PM EDT FRIDAY AFTERNOON... AT 208 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CARYTON... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR BELLE POINT AROUND 215 PM EDT...WHITE ASH AROUND 220 PM EDT...CORGLETON AROUND 225 PM EDT...BEATTYVILLE AROUND 230 PM EDT...MALONEY AROUND 235 PM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO 1 INCH PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. DUE TO THE RECENT HEAVY RAIN IN THE AREA...ROCK SLIDES WILL BE MORE LIKELY. JJ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 229 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009 KYZ068-079-080-083>087-116-151900- ROCKCASTLE-PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-WHITLEY-MCCREARY-CLAY-KNOX-BELL- 229 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2009 ...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL ROCKCASTLE AND PULASKI AND SOUTHWESTERN CLAY AND SOUTHERN LAUREL AND KNOX AND EXTREME NORTHEASTERN WAYNE AND NORTHERN WHITLEY AND NORTHEASTERN MCCREARY AND CENTRAL BELL COUNTIES THROUGH 300 PM EDT FRIDAY AFTERNOON... AT 228 PM EDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NANCY TO HUXLEY TO BOUNTY...MOVING NORTH EAST AT 30 MPH. THE STORMS WILL BE NEAR PULASKI COUNTY PARK AROUND 235 PM EDT... YOUNGS CREEK AROUND 240 PM EDT...SOMERSET AROUND 245 PM EDT...YADEN AROUND 250 PM EDT...DABNEY AROUND 255 PM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. THE HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE DITCHES AND LOW WATER CROSSING TO BECOME FULL. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER THEN LIGHTNING IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE A HAZARD. JACOBSON
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 126 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:38 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Quarter size hail and six inches of flowing water over Grand Central Blvd were reported in Somerset. The hail lasted for about a minute.
Trees were reported down in Irvine on Kirkland Ave.
A tree was blown down onto a power line.
Trees were reported down near Patsey. Power outages were also reported around the county.
One inch of rainfall in a short period of time created a flow of water across a gravel road. One half inch diameter hail was also reported.
Five or six small trees were blown down along Route 122 near the Floyd Pike county line.
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, 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: 165892, 165894, 165901, 165899, 165903, 165904.