Isolated severe thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon across central Ohio in advance of a cold front.
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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 ILN wrote it up.
Isolated severe thunderstorms developed during the late afternoon across central Ohio in advance of a cold front.
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 Wilmington, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 1, 3:22 PM EST, 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 422 PM EDT FRI MAY 1 2009 .SYNOPSIS... A BROADENING UPPER TROUGH ACROSS EASTERN CANADA AND THE GREAT LAKES WILL SEND A COLD FRONT SOUTHWARD INTO THE OHIO VALLEY THIS EVENING. THE FRONT WILL REACH THE TENNESSEE VALLEY BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON...WHERE IT WILL REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SATURDAY MORNING/... COLD FRONT CURRENTLY NOSING INTO THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA WILL CONTINUE TO SLIDE SOUTH TONIGHT. LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE ALONG THIS FEATURE WILL INCREASE THIS EVENING AS 925 AND 850-HPA JET STRENGTHENS TO BTWN 25-35 KTS. THIS WILL CAUSE CURRENT SHRA/TSTRM ACTIVITY TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. LAPSE RATES ARE NOT AT ALL IMPRESSIVE SO INSTBY ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL BE LIMITED THIS EVENING...WITH CAPE VALUES AOB 1000 J/KG. DEEP-LAYER SHEAR IS A MODEST 30-40 KT WHICH MAY SUPPORT A FEW STRONGER UPDRAFTS CAPABLE OF SMALL HAIL...POSSIBLY EVEN A REPORT OR TWO OF MARGINALLY SEVERE HAIL...ESPECIALLY WITH LOW WBZ HEIGHTS. LACK OF ANY SIGNIFICANT LOW-LEVEL SHEAR SHOULD KEEP SEVERE THREAT LIMITED TO HAIL AND POSSIBLY A STRONG WIND GUST. FRONT WILL PUSH INTO CNTRL KY AND WV AFTER MIDNIGHT. ELEVATED POST FRONTAL CONVERGENCE MAY ALLOW SCATTERED SHOWERS TO LINGER AFTER THE SFC FRONT MOVES THROUGH. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... SFC FRONT WILL MAKE QUICK SOUTHWARD PROGRESS INTO TENNESSEE ON SATURDAY. HOWEVER...WITH SLOPED NATURE TO THE FRONT...BOUNDARY AT 800 AND 750 HPA WILL HANG BACK NEAR THE OHIO RIVER. AS UPPER TROUGH OVER THE GREAT LAKES BROADENS OUT...UPPER FLOW WILL BECOME NEARLY PARALLEL TO THE LOW LEVEL BOUNDARY...CAUSING IT TO BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SEVERAL UPPER IMPULSES WILL INTERACT W/ THE FRONT THROUGH SUNDAY...WITH PROLONGED RAIN CHANCES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN CWA THROUGH THE PERIOD. LOW LEVEL WIND FIELD WILL BE WEAK...SO DO NOT EXPECT MUCH SIGNIFICANT FORCING WHICH WILL ACT AGAINST ANY KIND OF WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAIN EVENT. STILL...WITH PRECIP CHANCES LINGERING FOR SEVERAL DAYS...THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR AREAS OF HIGH WATER ACROSS THE SOUTH. CURRENT HWO HANDLES THIS THREAT WELL. SHOULD SEE A PRETTY SHARP CUTOFF TO PRECIP CHANCES FROM SOUTH TO NORTH...WITH NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA SEEING JUST A SLIGHT CHANCE AT BEST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES WILL KEEP TEMPS A FEW DEGREES BELOW AVG...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE SOUTH. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... MODELS DIFFERING SOMEWHAT AS TO HANDLING OF SYSTEM ON MON/TUE. GFS KEEPS CWA DRIER WITH SOME LINGERING MOISTURE NEAR THE OHIO RIVER WHILE OTHER MODELS WANT MORE SIGNIFICANT SYSTEM WITH QPF OVER ENTIRE CWA. WILL GO WITH A BLEND FOR NOW AND KEEP CHANCE POPS IN... ESPECIALLY SOUTH AND EAST. TEMPS WILL DEPEND ON CLOUDS AND PRECIP BUT NEAR GUID VALUES. BETTER AGREEMENT FOR A DRY WED RIGHT NOW BETWEEN SYSTEMS. SHOWERS RETURN FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY BUT AGAIN TIMING IS QUESTIONABLE FOR NOW. WILL GO WITH CHC POPS FOR NOW. NO THUNDER YET BUT MAY HAVE TO BE ADDED LATER IF SYSTEM MAINTAINS STRENGTH. NEW GFS INDICATING MORE SHOWERS POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. WILL LEAVE A LOW POP IN FOR NOW AGAIN SOME UNCERTAINTY OF TIMING AT THIS POINT. TEMPS NEAR GUID FOR WED AND THEN A LITTLE BELOW FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WITH SHOWERS AND CLOUDS. && .AVIATION /20Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... SFC COLD FRONT JUST ENTERING NW OHIO TO DROP SLOWLY SOUTH INTO CENTRAL OHIO LATER THIS AFTN AND TO NEAR THE OHIO RIVER BY 00Z SAT. THIS FRONT TO LAY OUT W-E ACRS SRN KY...PARALLEL TO MID LEVEL FLOW LATE TONIGHT/EARLY SAT. BOUNDARY LAYER CAPES AROUND 1000 J/KG EXPECTED ACRS THE SOUTH THIS AFTN. SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS HAVE RE- DEVELOPED IN THE FAVORABLE LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE AND MARGINAL INSTBY ALONG AND AHEAD OF THIS FRONTAL BOUNDARY. HAVE TEMPO MENTION OF THUNDER AT ALL TAF SITES WITH MVFR CIGS/VSBYS. LINGERING POST FRONTAL SHOWERS TO CONT INTO THE EVENING AND FOR NOW HAVE HANDLED THESE SHOWERS WITH VCSH SINCE UNCERTAINTY OF COVERAGE EXISTS. SWRLY WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NW TO NORTH WITH VFR CIGS BETWEEN 3500 AND 5000 FEET EXPECTED. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE TO BUILDS IN FROM THE NW OVERNIGHT PROVIDING A TEMPORARY DRY PERIOD. MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE IN THE WESTERLY FLOW TO AFFECT THE REGION ON SAT. HAVE HANDLED THESE SHOWERS WITH VCSH. OUTLOOK...MVFR CEILINGS/VISIBILITIES POSSIBLE WITH RAIN SHOWERS ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY. && .ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...NONE. KY...NONE. IN...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...HAWBLITZEL NEAR TERM...HAWBLITZEL SHORT TERM...HAWBLITZEL LONG TERM... AVIATION...AR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 503 AM EDT FRI MAY 1 2009 INZ066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ070>073-077>082-088-020915- FRANKLIN IN-RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO-SWITZERLAND-CARROLL-GALLATIN-BOONE- KENTON-CAMPBELL-OWEN-GRANT-PENDLETON-BRACKEN-ROBERTSON-MASON-LEWIS- BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-ROSS-HAMILTON-CLERMONT-BROWN-HIGHLAND-ADAMS- PIKE-SCIOTO- 503 AM EDT FRI MAY 1 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST INDIANA...NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...NORTHERN KENTUCKY...CENTRAL OHIO...SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO AND SOUTHWEST OHIO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. A VERY ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL BRING A PROLONGED CHANCE OF RAIN TO THE REGION. WITH SEVERAL UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES RUNNING ALONG A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER CENTRAL KENTUCKY...THE THREAT FOR FLOODING WILL INCREASE DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. INZ050-058-059-OHZ026-034-035-042>046-051>056-060>065-074-020915- WAYNE-FAYETTE IN-UNION IN-HARDIN-MERCER-AUGLAIZE-DARKE-SHELBY-LOGAN- UNION OH-DELAWARE-MIAMI-CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-MADISON-FRANKLIN OH-LICKING- PREBLE-MONTGOMERY-GREENE-FAYETTE OH-PICKAWAY-FAIRFIELD-HOCKING- 503 AM EDT FRI MAY 1 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL INDIANA...CENTRAL OHIO...MIAMI VALLEY OF OHIO AND WEST CENTRAL OHIO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 326 PM EDT FRI MAY 1 2009 OHZ046-055-012000- FRANKLIN OH-DELAWARE OH- 326 PM EDT FRI MAY 1 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN DELAWARE AND NORTHERN FRANKLIN COUNTIES THROUGH 400 PM EDT... AT 323 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM LOCATED 7 MILES WEST OF RIVERLEA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. AROUND AN INCH OR RAIN WILL OCCUR WITH THE THUNDERSTORM. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE... RIVERLEA...POWELL...WORTHINGTON...MINERVA PARK...HUBER RIDGE... WESTERVILLE...CENTER VILLAGE AND NEW ALBANY. THIS STORM WILL ALSO BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD ROADS...DITCHES AND LOW LYING AREAS. DO NOT DRIVE INTO PLACES WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD AND AVOID FLOOD PRONE AREAS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 432 PM EDT FRI MAY 1 2009 INZ058-059-066-012115- FAYETTE IN-UNION IN-FRANKLIN IN- 432 PM EDT FRI MAY 1 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT FRANKLIN...SOUTHERN UNION AND SOUTHERN FAYETTE COUNTIES THROUGH 515 PM EDT... AT 429 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM LOCATED 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BUENA VISTA...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH...AND BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THIS STORM INCLUDE...ANDERSONVILLE...HAMBURG...OLDENBURG...PEPPERTOWN...COLUMBIA ...LAUREL...ALPINE ...METAMORA...BROOKVILLE...NULLTOWN...EVERTON AND BLOOMING GROVE. HATZOS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 454 PM EDT FRI MAY 1 2009 OHZ045-052>055-012130- CLARK OH-MADISON OH-FRANKLIN OH-CHAMPAIGN OH-UNION OH- 454 PM EDT FRI MAY 1 2009 ...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN UNION... SOUTHEASTERN CHAMPAIGN...NORTHWESTERN FRANKLIN...NORTHERN MADISON AND NORTHEASTERN CLARK COUNTIES THROUGH 530 PM EDT... AT 454 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM CATAWBA STATION TO CHOCTAW LAKE TO INTERSTATE 70 AT US ROUTE 42...MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE... PLUMWOOD...MECHANICSBURG...ROSEDALE...CHUCKERY...UNIONVILLE CENTER... PLAIN CITY AND AMITY. THESE STORMS WILL ALSO BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN... WHICH MAY FLOOD ROADS...DITCHES AND LOW LYING AREAS. DO NOT DRIVE INTO PLACES WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD AND AVOID FLOOD PRONE AREAS.
The Cincinnati radar (KILN), 115 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:14 UTC.
1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The New Albany Fire Department also estimated 60 mph wind gusts as the storms moved through.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, 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: 169169.