A stalled surface boundary over southern Kentucky aided in the development of thunderstorms which produced heavy rain and caused some isolated flooding in Grayson and Ohio Counties.
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 stalled surface boundary over southern Kentucky aided in the development of thunderstorms which produced heavy rain and caused some isolated flooding in Grayson and Ohio Counties.
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 May 27, 1:00 PM CST, 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 300 PM EDT WED MAY 27 2009 .SHORT TERM (TONIGHT AND THURSDAY)... AN UPPER LEVEL JET ENTERING THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WILL DIG A TROUGH INTO THE NORTHERN TIER STATES TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. THIS WILL SERVE TO FINALLY EJECT THE MID LEVEL LOW OUT THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND ACROSS THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. A COOL FRONT WILL SLOW DROP INTO THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY LATE TONIGHT AND CROSS THE AREA DURING THE DAY. HAVE DECIDED TO UP POPS ACROSS THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA AFTER 06Z AND OVER THE EAST AFTER 12Z... GRADUALLY TAPERING OFF THE PRECIPITATION FROM THE NORTHWEST AFTER 18Z. IN THE MEAN TIME WE CAN NOT RULE OUT ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN THE UNSTABLE AIR WEST OF THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH THE REGION AT 19Z. .LONG TERM (THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)... THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY... WEAK LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS MICHIGAN THURSDAY AFTERNOON AS A TROUGH MOVES TOWARDS THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTH ACROSS THE OHIO RIVER DURING THE DAY THURSDAY...RESULTING IN A WIND SHIFT TO THE NORTH. DRIER AIR WITH LOWER DEWPOINTS WILL EVENTUALLY ARRIVE...BUT WILL LAG SOMEWHAT BEHIND THIS FRONT...AND WONT REALLY BECOME NOTICEABLE UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT EARLY FRIDAY. EXPECT WIDESPREAD CLOUDINESS THURSDAY EVENING WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH OF THE OHIO RIVER...GRADUALLY DIMINISHING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AND ENDING BY AROUND MIDNIGHT ACROSS OUR FAR SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES. DISTINCTLY LOWER HUMIDITIES AND DEWPOINTS WILL BE FELT FRIDAY WITH A CLEARING TREND THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO AROUND 10 MPH BY THE AFTERNOON. A QUICK MOVING DISTURBANCE WILL SWING THROUGH THE BASE OF THE GREAT LAKES TROUGH SATURDAY...PUSHING THROUGH A REINFORCING COLD FRONT ACROSS SOUTHERN INDIANA DURING THE AFTERNOON. THE GFS IS PROBABLE OVERDONE WITH ITS POPS SATURDAY AFTERNOON...BUT EVEN THE DRIER NAM SHOWS A THIN STRIP OF INCREASED MID-LEVEL RH AND WEAK INSTABILITY. WILL INTRODUCE A 30% CHANCE OF THUNDER SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... THE PREFERRED 00Z OPERATIONAL ECMWF FORECASTS A TROUGH DIVING SOUTHEAST ACROSS CENTRAL CANADA LATE SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS TROUGH IS THEN FORECAST TO MOVE ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST MONDAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES TUESDAY AS A COLD FRONT SLOWLY SAGS SOUTH OF THE OHIO RIVER. AS LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPS ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST SUNDAY AND TRACKS ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES...SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL BRING QUITE WARM AIR FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS TOWARDS THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY. THE ECMWF FORECASTS MONDAY AS THE WARMEST DAY...WITH PREDICTED 925MB TEMPERATURES UP TO 26C...CORRESPONDING TO THE UPPER 80S. WILL INTRODUCE A CHANCE OF THUNDER TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND WEDNESDAY AS THE COLD FRONT SLOWS DOWN AS IT APPROACHES THE OHIO RIVER. && .AVIATION (27/18Z TAFS)... A BROKEN LINE OF CONVECTION WILL AFFECT THE SDF TAF LOCATION AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS FORECAST PERIOD AND LEX BETWEEN 18-20Z. THE LINE WILL BE EAST OF BWG BY 18Z. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN... WIND GUSTS TO 35 MPH AND SOME SMALL HAIL. TOPS ARE ABOVE 40K FT AGL AND THE LINE IS MOVING EAST AT 20KTS. AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA AFTER THE LINE MOVES THROUGH SO WILL WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION VCTS FRO THE REMAINED OF THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN AFTER 12Z THURSDAY AS A COOL FRONT APPROACHES. && .LMK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE. IN...NONE. SHORT TERM....JA LONG TERM.....JSD AVIATION......JA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 1045 AM EDT WED MAY 27 2009 INZ076>079-083-084-089>092-KYZ023>043-045>049-053>057-061>067- 070>078-081-082-280830- 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- 1045 AM EDT (945 AM CDT) WED MAY 27 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON. THE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE MOST WIDESPREAD BETWEEN 3 AND 7 PM EDT. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL PRODUCE PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND MAY ALSO CONTAIN FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AS A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS SOUTHERN INDIANA AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY. WITH RICH AVAILABLE MOISTURE...STORMS WILL PRODUCE LOCALIZED HEAVY RAIN. IN ADDITION ANY THUNDERSTORM MAY CONTAIN FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. DK/EES/JA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 218 PM EDT WED MAY 27 2009 KYZ023-024-026-027-271900- BRECKINRIDGE-GRAYSON-HANCOCK-OHIO- 118 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH SMALL HAIL AFFECTING BRECKINRIDGE...GRAYSON...HANCOCK AND OHIO COUNTIES... AT 115 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS 6 MILES SOUTH OF WHITESVILLE...AND MOVING EAST AT 15 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 OR MARBLE SIZE HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 25 TO 30 MPH...ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. 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. && AML
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 224 PM EDT WED MAY 27 2009 KYZ062-071-073-074-271915- ALLEN-BARREN-EDMONSON-WARREN- 124 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH PENNY SIZE HAIL AFFECTING ALLEN...BARREN...EDMONSON AND WARREN COUNTIES... AT 122 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS NEAR BOWLING GREEN...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING...MODERATE RAIN WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AROUND ONE HALF INCH PER HOUR REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN THREE MILES...PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 25 TO 35 MPH...ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. 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. && AML
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 243 PM EDT WED MAY 27 2009 INZ079-092-KYZ031>033-271930- CLARK-HENRY-JEFFERSON-OLDHAM-TRIMBLE- 243 PM EDT WED MAY 27 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AFFECTING CLARK...HENRY...JEFFERSON...OLDHAM AND TRIMBLE COUNTIES... AT 241 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 5 MILES EAST OF MADISON TO BEDFORD TO 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LA GRANGE...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 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 OR MARBLE SIZE HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 25 TO 30 MPH...ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. THESE STORMS WILL BE... NEAR BEDFORD AROUND 250 PM EDT. NEAR LA GRANGE AROUND 255 PM EDT. NEAR NEW CASTLE AROUND 325 PM 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. && AML
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 257 PM EDT WED MAY 27 2009 KYZ023-024-026-027-061-271945- BRECKINRIDGE-BUTLER-GRAYSON-HANCOCK-OHIO- 157 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH PENNY SIZE HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AFFECTING BRECKINRIDGE...BUTLER...GRAYSON...HANCOCK AND OHIO COUNTIES... AT 156 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 12 MILES EAST OF WHITESVILLE TO 12 MILES WEST OF BROWNSVILLE...AND MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING...MODERATE RAIN WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AROUND ONE HALF INCH PER HOUR REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN THREE MILES...PENNY SIZE HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 30 TO 40 MPH...ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. THESE STORMS WILL BE... NEAR HARDINSBURG AROUND 225 PM CDT. NEAR LEITCHFIELD AROUND 235 PM CDT. 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. && AML
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 314 PM EDT WED MAY 27 2009 KYZ062-063-071-074-076-272000- BARREN-EDMONSON-HART-METCALFE-WARREN- 214 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL AFFECTING BARREN...EDMONSON...HART...METCALFE AND WARREN COUNTIES... AT 213 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM BROWNSVILLE TO 11 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GLASGOW...AND MOVING EAST AT 20 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 OR MARBLE SIZE HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 25 TO 30 MPH...ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. THESE STORMS WILL BE... NEAR BROWNSVILLE AROUND 225 PM CDT. NEAR GLASGOW AROUND 300 PM CDT. 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. && AML
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 342 PM EDT WED MAY 27 2009 KYZ024-026>028-061>063-272030- BRECKINRIDGE-BUTLER-EDMONSON-GRAYSON-HARDIN-HART-OHIO- 242 PM CDT WED MAY 27 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORRENTIAL RAINFALL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AFFECTING BRECKINRIDGE...BUTLER...EDMONSON...GRAYSON...HARDIN...HART AND OHIO COUNTIES... AT 236 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS NEAR HARTFORD...AND MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING...TORRENTIAL RAIN WITH RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO TWO INCHES PER HOUR REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN ONE HALF MILE...SMALL PEA OR MARBLE SIZE HAIL...AND GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 25 TO 30 MPH...ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. THIS STORM WILL BE... NEAR LEITCHFIELD AROUND 330 PM CDT. 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. && AML
The Louisville radar (KLVX), 78 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:54 UTC.
2 flash flood, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flooding was reported on parts of Highway 62 along with street flooding of two to four inches in Caneyville.
Two to four inches of water flowed across several streets in Horse Branch.
A spotter reported that six to eight inches of water was covering some roads in Beaver Dam. He measured 1.5 inches of rain in one hour.
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: 174915, 174916, 174917.