A line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved across eastern Kentucky beginning late in the afternoon of May 8th lasting through the overnight hours. These storms produced large hail, damaging winds, 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.
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved across eastern Kentucky beginning late in the afternoon of May 8th lasting through the overnight hours. These storms produced large hail, damaging winds, 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 8, 2:21 AM EST, 3 hours 9 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 321 AM EDT FRI MAY 8 2009 .SHORT TERM.../TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...UPDATED THE WAVE TRAIN CONTINUES FOR THE SHORT TERM PERIOD. A FAIRLY HEALTHY MCS IS MOVING TOWARD THE AREA AND WILL BE MOVING ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY THIS MORNING. THE NAM SEEMS TO HAVE THE BEST HANDLE ON THE SYSTEM AND HAVE PRETTY MUCH USED A BLEND OF THE NAM AND ECMWF TO COME UP WITH THE FORECAST. THE GFS CONTINUES TO SHOW AN EXTREME AMOUNT OF QPF FOR TONIGHT. WHEN I LOOKED AT THE GFS TIME HEIGHT FOR TONIGHT...IT DOES NOT EVEN A COUPLING OF THE SURFACE AND UPPER SYSTEMS. FURTHERMORE...THEN GFS MOS IS ONLY GOING FOR 60 TO 70 PERCENT POPS FOR TONIGHT. CONSIDERING BOTH THOSE FACTS...I JUST DO NOT BELIEVE THE MODEL QPF AMOUNTS AND HAVE BLENDED THE ECMWF...NAM...AND HPC QPF AMOUNTS FOR THE FORECAST. AFTER A GOOD ROUND OF STORMS THIS MORNING AND THE SECOND ROUND TONIGHT AND CONSIDERING THE ANTECEDENT SOIL AND STREAM CONDITIONS...THE POSSIBILITY OF FLASH FLOODS IS A REAL POTENTIAL TONIGHT. FOR TEMPS WENT A BIT LOWER THAN THE NAM MOS. WITH ALL OF THE MODEL DIFFERENCES...THE EXACT TRACK OF THE HIGHEST BAND OF PRECIPITATION IS STILL QUITE A BIT UP IN THE AIR. WE WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE A BETTER HANDLE ON IT THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL ALSO KNOW HOW MUCH WILL FALL DURING THE DAY TODAY TO PRIME THE PUMP. .LONG TERM.../FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/ QUESTIONS IN THE LONG TERM REMAIN FOR HOW FAR SOUTH FRONTAL BOUNDARY PUSHES AT THE START OF THE PERIOD AS UPPER LEVEL RIDGING BUILDS INTO THE EASTERN CONUS BY LATE MONDAY. HAVE NOT MADE MANY CHANGES TO PREVIOUS FORECAST AS HIGHER CHANCE POPS SEEM MORE LIKELY IN SOUTHERN CWA ON SUNDAY NIGHT BEFORE THE HIGH PRESSURE CAN TAKE HOLD. SFC HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE OHIO VALLEY REGION ON MONDAY AND COMBINES WITH UPPER LEVEL RIDGING TO PROVIDE A PERIOD OF GENERALLY DRY...AND FAIR WEATHER. HIGH PRESSURE WILL ENSURE DRY WEATHER FOR THE START OF THE UPCOMING WEEK WITH ONLY A DEVELOPING WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO CONTEND WITH WEDNESDAY. A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE AREA AT THE VERY END OF THE PERIOD. PREFERRED THE SLOWER ECMWF SOLUTION...BUT LEANED CLOSER TO NATIONAL GUIDANCE WHICH PREFERRED THE FASTER GFS SOLUTION WHICH HAD SUPPORT FROM SEVERAL OTHER EXTENDED MODELS...INCLUDING ENSEMBLE RUNS. GENERALLY TWEAKED TEMPS THROUGH THE PERIOD TOWARDS LATEST GUIDANCE WHERE REQUIRED. OF PARTICULAR INTEREST WAS TUESDAY MORNING. HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE AREA...ALONG WITH LIGHT WINDS AND MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES WILL LIKELY BE A CATALYST FOR A VERY CHILLY MORNING. WENT WITH SOME UPPER 30S IN OUR TYPICALLY COLDER EASTERN VALLEY LOCATIONS. && .AVIATION.../06Z TO 06Z/ THE TAFS ARE A MIXED BAG BECAUSE OF THE PATCHY FOG THIS MORNING. MY CONFIDENCE IN TRYING TO NAIL THIS DOWN IS PRETTY LOW. EXPECT TO SEE QUITE A BIT A VARIABILITY IN THE CIGS AND VIS AT TAF STATIONS BEFORE STARTING TO IMPROVE AFTER 10Z AS THE NEXT WAVE APPROACHES. THE FIRST WAVE OF SHOWERS WILL BE MOVING THROUGH AFTER 10Z AND THEN ANOTHER WAVE WILL MOVE THROUGH AFTER 2Z. THIS WILL BE MAINLY MVFR CONDITIONS...HOWEVER WILL SEE SOME TEMPO IFR VICINITY OF THE HEAVIEST SHOWERS. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING FOR KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. && SHORT TERM...JJ LONG TERM...RAY/SCHOETTMER AVIATION...JJ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 501 AM EDT FRI MAY 8 2009 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-091115- 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 501 AM EDT FRI MAY 8 2009 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING. A SECOND WAVE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING. THIS WILL BRING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN TO THE AREA. THIS NEW RAIN WILL BRING THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING AS WELL AS RISES ON AREA RIVERS. SEE THE CURRENT FLOOD WATCH FOR THE LATEST FLOOD POTENTIAL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ENDING ON SATURDAY. A FLOOD WATCH WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AND AGAIN ON THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY LOCAL FLOODING AND RAINFALL OVER ONE INCH. JJ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 430 AM EDT FRI MAY 8 2009 KYZ068-069-079-080-083>088-112>118-080930- ROCKCASTLE-JACKSON-PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL- HARLAN-BREATHITT-KNOTT-OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-LETCHER- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE...SOMERSET...LONDON... MONTICELLO...WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN...WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE... MIDDLESBORO...PINEVILLE...HARLAN...JACKSON...HINDMAN...BOONEVILLE... HAZARD...MANCHESTER...HYDEN...WHITESBURG 430 AM EDT FRI MAY 8 2009 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING... PATCHY DENSE FOG WILL BE LIFTING BY 5 AM. THE FOG IS MOSTLY NEAR LARGE BODIES OF WATER AND IN THE DEEPER OR MORE SHELTERED VALLEYS AND CAN CAUSE A RAPID DECREASE IN VISIBILITY OVER A SHORT DISTANCE. DRIVERS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN DRIVING. JJ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 605 AM EDT FRI MAY 8 2009 KYZ079-083-084-081030- PULASKI-WAYNE-MCCREARY- 605 AM EDT FRI MAY 8 2009 ...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT SOUTHWESTERN PULASKI AND WAYNE AND SOUTHWESTERN MCCREARY COUNTIES THROUGH 630 AM EDT FRIDAY MORNING... AT 606 AM EDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF PARNELL TO CABELL TO 7 MILES SOUTH OF SUNNYBROOK...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 45 MPH. THE STORMS WILL BE NEAR SLICKFORD AROUND 615 AM EDT...NAOMI AROUND 620 AM EDT...GREAT MEADOWS CAMPSITES AROUND 625 AM EDT...GRIFFIN AROUND 630 AM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. SCHOETTMER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 630 AM EDT FRI MAY 8 2009 KYZ079-080-083>087-081115- PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-WHITLEY-MCCREARY-KNOX-BELL- 630 AM EDT FRI MAY 8 2009 ...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT SOUTHERN PULASKI AND SOUTHWESTERN LAUREL AND SOUTHWESTERN KNOX AND WAYNE AND WHITLEY AND MCCREARY AND SOUTHWESTERN BELL COUNTIES THROUGH 715 AM EDT FRIDAY MORNING... AT 630 AM EDT...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NAOMI TO CO-OPERATIVE TO 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GREAT MEADOWS CAMPSITES...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH. THE STORMS WILL BE NEAR TRIMBLE AROUND 635 AM EDT...KIDDER AROUND 640 AM EDT...WIBORG AROUND 645 AM EDT...SOMERSET PULASKI AIRPORT AROUND 650 AM EDT...RUTH AROUND 655 AM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. SCHOETTMER
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 23 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:31 UTC.
27 flash flood, 9 hail, 7 thunderstorm wind, 4 funnel cloud, 3 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
A weather observer reported that 0.96 inches of rain fell between 6:30 and and 8 am local time. A total rainfall accumulation of 2.16 inches had occurred 430 pm the previous day.
One and eigth tenths of an inch of rain had fallen since 7am EDT.
Power lines down in the Nancy and Faubush areas.
Half dollar size hail and winds estimated at 60 mph occurred in Pine Knot.
Large hail covered the ground in Hollyhill.
Large hail fell for over 10 minutes in Hollyhill.
A trained spotter reported that quarter size hail fell and broom handle sized limbs were downed near Green Road.
A spotter reported that 2.06 inches of rain had fallen near Drip Rock over a 3 hour period.
Dispatch had a public report of a funnel cloud in the Keavy area on Level Green Road.
State police reported a funnel cloud 2 miles west of mile marker 62 on Interstate 75 in London.
A tree was blown down along Highway 15 one mile south of the Wolfe county line.
Thunderstorm wind gusts blew down trees in Hazard.
Thunderstorm wind gusts blew down trees on Routes 867 and 1090 near Salyersville.
A tree was blown down onto Hwy 1888, blocking both sides of the roadway.
One tree was blown down between mile markers 9 and 10 on KY Hwy 114 or about 0.75 west of KY 114 and KY 404.
Highway 52 was flooded and had been closed.
The rescue of trapped residents in the town of Levi was ongoing.
Numerous locations on Hwy 30 have water flowing across them.
Chapman road was impassable. The Tincher Hill Road culvert was washed out and the road closed. Silver Creek Road, KY Hwy 30 east and west of Jackson, Cathedral Domain Road, Spencer Ridge Hill, and Bufalo Zion road were all flooded and impassable. Some of the pavement on Main Street in Beattyville had been washed out.
The north fork of the Kentucky River was about 100 yards out of its banks at the Hwy 15 bridge in Vancleve.
Four feet of water was in houses in the community of Ida May as the result of heavy rainfall.
Flood water had risen up to the hood of a state police cruiser at the detention center.
Water was running high in ditches and flowing across the road in three places on Regional Airport Road at the Hazard Airport. Also measure 5 inches of rain in the rain gage since 5 pm yesterday.
Six to ten inches of water was flowing across Hwy 1933 at Talbert. Rockslides occurred around the intersection of Hwys 30 and 315.
The public reported seeing a funnel cloud in Deane.
The public reported that streams were flowing over roads and bridges in and around Pikeville.
The public reported that Lykins Creek was flooding.
The public reported that 6 inches of water was running across the intersection of Hwy 15 and Terminal Hill Road. Two inches of water was flowing through the Wendell Ford Airport terminal.
Water was flowing over the road at 350 Lykins Creek.
Flashing flooding ongoing along Highway 30 from the detention center to the intersection of Highways 30 and 397. The flood waters at Highway 397 were beginning to recede. The Highway Dept reported that 2.25 inches of rain had fallen at their garage just outside of Jackson.
Streams were flowing over roads and bridges.
Rock and mud slides have been reported along Kentucky Route 404 in the David and Blue River areas along the left fork of Middle Creek.
Route 777 was closed at Stonecold Creek. Route 7 closed at Hueysville. Over 2 inches of rain had fallen since 8 pm EDT.
Power lines were downed along Cowpen Road just above Right Fork.
Streams were flowing into buildings.
The road was closed at the intersection of Hwys 30 and 52 due to flooding.
A car was swept away in Hazard.
Streams were flowing over roads and bridges in and around Prestonsburg.
A mobile home was washed away in the Martin area due to flood waters. A family of six was waiting to be rescued on high ground but was able to evacuate from their mobile home.
Power poles and lines were reported down due to loose earth. One home caught fire after a live power line fell on it in Buckeye Branch. Flood waters were preventing rescuers from reaching the residence.
Ambulances were trapped along KY 979 due to flooding in numerous places along Mud Creek and were unable to evacuate patients. Medivac was not possible due to rain and low ceilings.
Numerous roads were under water due to the flooding in much of Floyd county.
Water was entering mobile homes along Hwy 30 from Cane Creek.
A mobile home was completely surrounded by water. One quarter mile of road was under water.
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: 176096, 176077, 176022, 176023, 176026, 176097, 176027, 176030, 176031, 176057, 176055, 176056, 176045, 176032, 176033, 176034, 176041, 176042, 176043, 176044, 176099, 176061, 176067, 176068, 176082, 176076, 176048, 176064, 176100, 176062, 176049, 176059, 176060, 176058, 176069, 176072, 176063, 176078, 176065, 176070, and more.