Isolated severe storms did sporadic damage across portions of eastern Kentucky during the predawn and early morning hours of May 31st.
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.
Isolated severe storms did sporadic damage across portions of eastern Kentucky during the predawn and early morning hours of May 31st.
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 30, 9:01 PM EST, 2 hours 48 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1001 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009 .SHORT TERM.../THE REST OF TONIGHT/...UPDATED AFTER A BRIEF LULL... THUNDERSTORMS ARE NOW FIRING ONCE AGAIN IN RESPONSE TO THE APPROACH OF MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE AND COLD FRONT. UPPER POPS A BIT FURTHER AND WILL ADVERTISE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS... ENDING BY DAWN AS THE SHORTWAVE EXITS. WILL NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE WATCH EXTENDED BEYOND MIDNIGHT BUT WILL HAVE TO WATCH HOW STORMS UPSTREAM HOLD UP NOW THAT THE SUN HAS SET. ADJUSTED TEMPS UP SLIGHTLY BUT NO OTHER SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES MADE TO INHERITED FORECAST FOR NOW... THE PREVIOUS SHORT TERM FORECAST DISCUSSIONS FOLLOW... /THIS EVENING/...ISSUED AT 750 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009 CONVECTION HAS REORIENTED ITSELF TO OUR NORTH ALONG THE WARM FRONT AND THE JKL FORECAST AREA IS IN THE CLEAR FOR A FEW HOURS AT LEAST. UPSTREAM SHORTWAVE AND COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP SOUTHEAST INTO THE STATE LATER THIS EVENING AND THIS SHOULD CONTINUE TO SPAWN ADDITIONAL STORMS THAT WILL WORK SOUTHEAST INTO THE AREA TOWARDS MIDNIGHT. WILL KEEP THE WATCH UP FOR NOW AND MONITOR PROGRESS OF UPSTREAM STORMS. AM A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR SEVERE CONVECTION AFTER SUNSET BUT PROGS SUGGEST OTHERWISE AT THIS TIME AT LEAST FOR OUR NORTHWEST COUNTIES. /THIS EVENING/...ISSUED AT 512 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009 COMBINATION OF WARM MOIST AIR AT THE SFC WITH A COOL 85H JET NOSING INTO THE AREA HAS SET THE STAGE FOR POTENTIALLY SEVERE TSRA. MAIN THREAT WILL BE FROM DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. WEAK CAP FROM THIS AFTERNOON HAS BEEN ERODED AND CELLS HAVE BEGUN TO FORM AS THEY PRESS INTO THE NORTHERN HALF OF ERN KY. THE SRN HALF OF THE CWFA COULD ALSO SEE SOME ISOLATED TSRA BUT WITH A STRONGER CAP AND LESS WIND AT 85H...THEY SHOULD STAY BELOW SEVERE LIMITS. /TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/...ISSUED AT 248 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009 ISOLATED SHRA ACROSS OUR NRN COUNTIES WITH VERY LITTLE IMPACT HAVE MOVED EAST. BNDRY STILL AVAILABLE FOR ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT...BUT RATHER DENSE CI SHIELD HAS LIMITED HEATING IS OUR RIPEST ZONE...NRN HALF OF THE CWFA...AND PCPN ADVECTING INTO THE AREA HAS SHOWN A LACK OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. STILL FEEL THERE IS A CHC FOR TSRA BUT WITH THE MID LVL WARMING AND LOW LVL COOLING...WE ARE LOOKING AT INCREASED STABILITY OVERNIGHT IN SPITE OF THE FNTL BNDRY. UPSTREAM SHORT WAVES ARE POISED TO FOLLOW THE FNTL BNDRY THRU CNTRL KY AND SOUTH OF ERN KY. BY MORNING ALL ACTIVITY WILL BE WEST AND SOUTH OF THE AREA. STILL EXPECTING GOOD CLOUD COVER AND HENCE SLIGHTLY COOL MAX TEMPS. HAVE FOLLOWED THE GFS FOR TEMPS WITH A RIDGE/VALLEY SPLIT SHOWING UP SUNDAY NIGHT. .LONG TERM.../MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/ NOT MANY CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE EXTENDED PORTION OF THE FORECAST THIS TIME AROUND. AFTER COMPARING THE LATEST SOLUTIONS OF THE ECMWF...CANADIAN...GFS MODELS...AND HPC GUIDANCE...THE ECMWF WAS BY FAR THE SLOW OUTLIER. THE ECMWF DOESNT BRING PRECIPITATION INTO THE FORECAST AREA UNTIL WELL AFTER 12Z ON WEDNESDAY. THE OTHER MODELS ARE TIMING PRECIP ONSET AT AROUND 6Z TUESDAY NIGHT. WITH SUPPORT FROM THE CANADIAN...THE GFS SOLUTION WAS PREFERRED. THE FEW TWEAKS MADE TO THE FORECAST WERE TO ADJUST THE POP AND TIMING OF PRECIP ONSET AND END TOWARD THE PREVIOUS TWO RUNS OF THE GFS MODEL. TEMPERATURES WERE ALREADY IN GOOD SHAPE...WITH A COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE LATEST MEXMOS AND HPC NUMBERS. WILL CONTINUE WITH THE TREND OF VERY WARM WEATHER ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY...AS THE LATEST FORECAST SOUNDINGS AND MOS AND HPC GUIDANCE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IT. ONCE THE RAIN BEGINS ON WEDNESDAY...DAY TIME HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE SEVERAL DEGREES COOLER THAN MONDAY AND TUESDAYS HIGH EACH DAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THE REST OF THE FORECAST WAS IN GOOD SHAPE OVERALL WITH ONLY A FEW MINOR TWEAKS MADE HERE AND THERE. && .AVIATION.../00Z TO 24Z/ A COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE AREA COMBINED WITH AN UNSTABLE BOUNDARY LAYER AND STRONGER WINDS ALOFT ADVANCING INTO THE AREA PRODUCED AN EARLY ROUND OF FAIRLY INTENSE CONVECTION. THE MOST SUBSTANTIAL STORMS STAYED WELL TO THE NORTH OF THE TAF SITES...HOWEVER ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE POSSIBLE AROUND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. ATTM...IT APPEARS KLOZ AND KSME SHOULD STAY MAINLY DRY AND VFR CONDITIONS TONIGHT...EXCEPT FOR SOME MVFR/IFR FOG AROUND DAWN. ALSO...A COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THE AREA JUST AFTER DAWN TOMORROW...CIGS COULD DROP TO MVFR WITH POST FRONTAL STRATUS DURING THIS TIME. SKIES WILL QUICKLY CLEAR OUT AFTER THE FRONT PASSES AND EXPECT BEAUTIFUL VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. FEEL THAT KJKL AND OTHER AIRPORTS FURTHER NORTH WILL HAVE THE BETTER CHANCE AT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN AROUND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT SO HAVE LEFT VCTS IN THE TAFS. TOWARD DAWN...EXPECT THE POSSIBILITY OF MVFR VISIBILITIES AND A BRIEF PERIOD OF MVFR CIGS W/ FROPA SHORTLY AFTER DAWN...THEN VFR THROUGH THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD THEREAFTER. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT FOR KYZ044- 050>052-058>060-069-104-106>114-119-120. && SHORT TERM...DUSTY/ABE LONG TERM....AR AVIATION...SCHOETTMER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 501 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-069-104-106>114-119-120-010015- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-JACKSON-ELLIOTT- MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-LEE-BREATHITT-KNOTT-OWSLEY- MARTIN-PIKE- 501 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 316 IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. SOME STORMS MAY CONTAIN DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. PATCHY FOG WILL DEVELOP IN THE VALLEYS AFTER MIDNIGHT AND DISSIPATE SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE. SOME FOG COULD BE LOCALLY DENSE WITH VISIBILITIES OF LESS THAN A HALF A MILE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. KYZ068-079-080-083>088-115>118-010015- ROCKCASTLE-PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-HARLAN- PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-LETCHER- 501 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. SOME STORMS MAY CONTAIN GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. PATCHY FOG WILL DEVELOP IN THE VALLEYS AFTER MIDNIGHT AND DISSIPATE SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE. SOME FOG COULD BE LOCALLY DENSE WITH VISIBILITIES OF LESS THAN A HALF A MILE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. DUSTY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 951 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009 KYZ052-060-104-106-310230- ROWAN-ELLIOTT-MENIFEE-MORGAN- 951 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT SOUTHERN ROWAN...SOUTHWESTERN ELLIOTT...NORTHWESTERN MORGAN AND NORTHEASTERN MENIFEE COUNTIES THROUGH 1030 PM EDT SATURDAY EVENING... AT 951 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR COGSWELL... MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR BANGOR AROUND 1000 PM EDT...PARAGON AROUND 1005 PM EDT...ZAG AROUND 1010 PM EDT...BLAZE AROUND 1015 PM EDT... WRIGLEY AROUND 1020 PM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS IN THESE AREAS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT SUNDAY MORNING FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY. ABE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
1113 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1108 PM HAIL MOREHEAD 38.19N 83.44W
05/30/2009 M0.50 INCH ROWAN KY COUNTY OFFICIAL
ONE HALF INCH HAIL REPORTED IN RED BURN HOLLOW.
&&
JJSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1150 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009 KYZ119-310415- MARTIN- 1150 PM EDT SAT MAY 30 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT NORTHERN MARTIN COUNTY THROUGH 1215 AM EDT SUNDAY MORNING... AT 1150 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR WELLS... MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR MILO AROUND 1155 PM EDT...CALF CREEK AROUND MIDNIGHT EDT...HODE AROUND 1210 AM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS IN THESE AREAS. ABE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1201 AM EDT SUN MAY 31 2009 KYZ107-119-310430- JOHNSON-MARTIN- 1201 AM EDT SUN MAY 31 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT JOHNSON AND MARTIN COUNTIES THROUGH 1230 AM EDT SUNDAY MORNING... AT MIDNIGHT EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BARNROCK...MOVING EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR WINIFRED AROUND 1205 AM EDT...CHANDLERVILLE AROUND 1210 AM EDT...STAMBAUGH AROUND 1215 AM EDT...RIVER AROUND 1220 AM EDT...CHESTNUT AROUND 1225 AM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS IN THESE AREAS. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER THEN LIGHTNING IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE A HAZARD. ABE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1224 AM EDT SUN MAY 31 2009 KYZ104-106-107-119-310530- ELLIOTT-JOHNSON-MARTIN-MORGAN- 1224 AM EDT SUN MAY 31 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT EASTERN ELLIOTT...EAST CENTRAL MORGAN...JOHNSON AND MARTIN COUNTIES THROUGH 130 AM EDT SUNDAY MORNING... AT 1224 AM EDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED OVER THE AREA MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. THIS STORMS WILL BE NEAR WHITEHOUSE AROUND 1230 AM EDT...HAMMOND AROUND 1235 AM EDT...TOMAHAWK AROUND 1240 AM EDT...INEZ AROUND 1245 AM EDT...ANDY AROUND 1250 AM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKES IN THESE AREAS. 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. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM EDT SUNDAY MORNING FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY. ABE
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 49 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:49 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Dispatch reported a tree down on Hwy 460 at Shotgun Hollow near Frenchburg.
Dispatch reported a tree down across a power line on Hwy 89S and another tree down on Hwy 587.
A fence was blown onto a road near Paintsville.
One tree was blown down near Meally on Highway 1107.
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: 165929, 165930, 165931, 165932.