A cold front trailed south-southwestward from a surface low pressure center over west central Illinois through southeast Missouri. This cold front provided the low level lift for short lines of thunderstorms to develop during the late afternoon.
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 PAH wrote it up.
A cold front trailed south-southwestward from a surface low pressure center over west central Illinois through southeast Missouri. This cold front provided the low level lift for short lines of thunderstorms to develop during the late afternoon. Some breaks in the clouds allowed sunshine to destabilize the atmosphere, but mixed layer capes remained at or below 1000 j/kg due to modest lapse rates and low-level moisture. Surface dew points around 60 degrees pooled along the front. Wind profiles were unidirectional and generally parallel to the front. As a result, the storms were mainly organized into short linear structures with some bowing segments that produced damaging wind.
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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 7, 6:22 PM CST, 8 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 722 PM CDT WED APR 7 2010 .UPDATE... JUST A HEADS UP...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 61 WAS LOCALLY EXTENDED IN TIME /UNTIL 9 PM CDT/ AND IN SPACE /EASTWARD TO A BOONVILLE IN...CADIZ KY LINE/...DUE TO FLARE-UP OVER SEVERAL STORMS ALONG CONVECTIVE LINE NEAR ORIGINAL WATCH EXPIRATION. 00Z TAF DISCUSSION UPDATE WILL ISSUED BEFORE 9 PM CDT. && .DISCUSSION... / PREVIOUSLY ISSUED AT 405 PM CDT WED APR 7 2010/ DELAYED AND ABBREVIATED DISCUSSION DUE TO ONGOING SEVERE WEATHER IN THE WFO PAH FORECAST AREA. MAIN CHALLENGE IN THE SHORT TERM WILL BE THE TIMING OF THE TRANSITION OF THE CURRENT MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM /MCS/ FROM DISCRETE/LINE SEGMENT SEVERE STORMS TO A MORE BROAD-BRUSHED HEAVY RAIN EVENT THROUGH THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT HOURS. THE 12KM NAM AND SREF GUIDANCE APPEAR TO HAVE A DECENT HANDLE ON THE EASTWARD MOVEMENT OF THE MCS AND WERE FOLLOWED IN THE SHORT TERM. ANY REMAINING SHOWER ACTIVITY SHOULD EXIT THE WFO PAH CWA BY 15Z /10 AM CDT/ THURSDAY...WITH SIGNIFICANT COLD/DRY AIR ADVECTION IN PLACE BEYOND THAT TIME. FOR LATE THURSDAY NIGHT...ADDED AN OCCURRENCE OF PATCHY FROST TO NORTHWEST KENTUCKY AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA...AS SUFFICIENT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL BE IN PLACE TO SUPPORT SOME SURFACE CRYSTALLIZATION. IN THE LONGER TERM...UTILIZED A BLEND OF ECMWF AND EXTENDED WRF GUIDANCE TO IMPLY A PROLONGED PERIOD OF DRIER WEATHER. AT THIS TIME...WITH THE RIDGE DOMINATING THE AREA...DIURNAL TEMPERATURE RANGES BETWEEN 20 AND 27 DEGREES WILL CAN BE EXPECTED...AS LIGHT SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH WINDS DO NOT ADVECT IN SUFFICIENT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE FROM THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES. && .AVIATION... 00Z THURSDAY TAF DISCUSSION DELAYED...PLAN TO ISSUE UPDATE BEOFRE 9 PM CDT. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE. MO...NONE. IL...NONE. IN...NONE. && SMITH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 142 PM CDT WED APR 7 2010 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-081000- JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON- WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE- HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH- WARRICK-SPENCER-FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES- LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL- UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN- MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER- RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID- 142 PM CDT WED APR 7 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND HAIL CLOSE TO ONE INCH IN DIAMETER WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARDS. HOWEVER...AN ISOLATED TORNADO OR TWO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. AS WE GO INTO THE EVENING HOURS...THE MAIN WEATHER HAZARD WILL LIKELY TRANSITION OVER TO HEAVY RAINFALL...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALIZED FLOODING. THE AREA OF GREATEST CONCERN FOR HEAVY RAINS WILL BE OVER SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND WESTERN KENTUCKY...WHERE 1 TO 2 INCHES COULD FALL DURING THE EVENING. MINOR FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ON PARTS OF THE MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO RIVERS. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST FLOOD STATEMENTS FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY DEPENDING UPON HOW QUICKLY SKIES CLEAR THURSDAY...PATCHY FROST COULD DEVELOP THURSDAY NIGHT AS TEMPERATURES DROP INTO THE 30S. AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS MAY WISH TO MONITOR TEMPERATURE FORECASTS CLOSELY THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. FOR THE LATEST RIVER FLOOD INFORMATION...REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD STATEMENTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH FOR DETAILS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 631 PM CDT WED APR 7 2010 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-085-KYZ001>007-010-014-MOZ076-087-111- 112-114-080045- JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON- WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE- HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-POSEY-FULTON-HICKMAN- CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES-LIVINGSTON-CRITTENDEN-UNION KY- PERRY MO-CAPE GIRARDEAU-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOUNT VERNON...FAIRFIELD...ALBION... MOUNT CARMEL...PINCKNEYVILLE...WEST FRANKFORT...MCLEANSBORO... CARMI...CARBONDALE...HERRIN...HARRISBURG...SHAWNEETOWN... JONESBORO...VIENNA...GOLCONDA...ELIZABETHTOWN...CAIRO... MOUND CITY...METROPOLIS...FORT BRANCH...POSEYVILLE...HICKMAN... CLINTON...BARDWELL...WICKLIFFE...PADUCAH...MAYFIELD...SMITHLAND... MARION...MORGANFIELD...PERRYVILLE...CAPE GIRARDEAU...SIKESTON... CHARLESTON...NEW MADRID 631 PM CDT WED APR 7 2010 ...BROKEN LINE OF STRONG STORMS CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND WESTERN KENTUCKY... AT 630 PM CDT...A BROKEN LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS...CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS BETWEEN BETWEEN 30 AND 50 MPH...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN UP TO AN INCH IN A HALF HOUR...AND SMALL HAIL...WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS THROUGH 730 PM CDT. THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE NEAR A LINE FROM FOLSOMVILLE AND EVANSVILLE INDIANA...ONWARD TO MORGANFIELD...GRAND RIVERS AND MURRAY KENTUCKY BY 730 PM CDT. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD SEEK SHELTER INDOORS. FOR THOSE TRAVELING ON THE ROAD...BE PREPARED FOR PONDING OF WATER AND POOR VISIBILITY OF THE ROAD AHEAD. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL TELEVISION AND RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SMITH
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
648 PM CDT WED APR 07 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0640 PM TSTM WND GST WEST PADUCAH 37.08N 88.74W
04/07/2010 M39 MPH MCCRACKEN KY OFFICIAL NWS OBS
39 MPH WIND GUST AT BARKLEY REGIONAL AIRPORT ON LEADING
EDGE OF BOWING THUNDERSTORM SEGMENT.
&&
SMITHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 651 PM CDT WED APR 7 2010 ILZ090-094-KYZ005>008-010-011-013-080045- MASSAC IL-POPE IL-CRITTENDEN KY-LIVINGSTON KY-CALDWELL KY- MCCRACKEN KY-LYON KY-MARSHALL KY-GRAVES KY- 651 PM CDT WED APR 7 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY... AT 646 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 11 MILES NORTH OF BROOKPORT TO 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF REIDLAND...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH. WINDS OF AROUND 40 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH PEA SIZE HAIL AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN AS WELL...WHICH MAY RESULT IN STANDING WATER ON AREA ROADS. WATER LEVELS IN SMALL CREEKS...STREAMS AND IN DITCHES MAY RISE QUICKLY...ESPECIALLY IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SHANKLIN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 705 PM CDT WED APR 7 2010 ILZ090-094-KYZ002>008-080100- MASSAC IL-POPE IL-LIVINGSTON KY-BALLARD KY-MCCRACKEN KY-MARSHALL KY- CARLISLE KY-GRAVES KY-HICKMAN KY- 705 PM CDT WED APR 7 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY... AT 701 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 4 MILES NORTH OF BLANDVILLE TO 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF FANCY FARM TO 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF CLINTON...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH. WINDS OF 40 MPH AND PEA SIZE HAIL WERE REPORTED AS THESE STORMS MOVED THROUGH BARDWELL. FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS ALONG WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...WHICH MAY RESULT IN STANDING WATER ON AREA ROADS. WATER LEVELS IN SMALL CREEKS...STREAMS AND IN DITCHES MAY RISE QUICKLY...ESPECIALLY IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SHANKLIN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 713 PM CDT WED APR 7 2010 ILZ083-INZ081-085-080100- WHITE IL-GIBSON IN-POSEY IN- 713 PM CDT WED APR 7 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY... AT 709 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH SMALL HAIL...AND VERY STRONG WINDS 40 TO 50 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CARMI...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM AS WELL. THIS STORM WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN...WHICH MAY RESULT IN STANDING WATER ON AREA ROADS. WATER LEVELS IN SMALL CREEKS...STREAMS AND IN DITCHES MAY RISE QUICKLY...ESPECIALLY IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 723 PM CDT WED APR 7 2010 ILZ076>078-082-083-086-087-090-091-094-INZ081-082-085>088- KYZ001>022-080230- WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-HAMILTON-WHITE-SALINE-GALLATIN-POPE- HARDIN-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH-WARRICK-SPENCER- FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES-LIVINGSTON- MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL-UNION KY-WEBSTER- HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN-MUHLENBERG-TODD- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FAIRFIELD...ALBION...MOUNT CARMEL... MCLEANSBORO...CARMI...HARRISBURG...SHAWNEETOWN...GOLCONDA... ELIZABETHTOWN...METROPOLIS...FORT BRANCH...PETERSBURG... POSEYVILLE...EVANSVILLE...BOONVILLE...ROCKPORT...HICKMAN... CLINTON...BARDWELL...WICKLIFFE...PADUCAH...MAYFIELD...SMITHLAND... BENTON...MURRAY...MARION...EDDYVILLE...CADIZ...PRINCETON... MORGANFIELD...DIXON...MADISONVILLE...HOPKINSVILLE...HENDERSON... OWENSBORO...CALHOUN...GREENVILLE...ELKTON 723 PM CDT WED APR 7 2010 AT 720 PM...A BROKEN LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WIND GUSTS BETWEEN BETWEEN 35 AND 55 MPH...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN UP TO AN INCH IN A HALF HOUR...AND SMALL HAIL...WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS MAINLY WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA THROUGH 830 PM CDT. THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE NEAR A LINE FROM BOONVILLE INDIANA TO PRINCETON AND MURRAY KENTUCKY BY 8 PM...AND TO OWENSBRO AND CADIZ KENTUCKY BY ABOUT 830 PM. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD SEEK SHELTER INDOORS. FOR THOSE TRAVELING ON THE ROAD...BE PREPARED FOR PONDING OF WATER AND POOR VISIBILITY OF THE ROAD AHEAD. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...COMMERCIAL TELEVISION AND RADIO FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SHANKLIN
The Paducah radar (KPAH), 26 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:29 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Pea-sized hail accompanied the wind gust, which was measured at a golf course along the Ohio River.
A large sign was blown across Interstate 24. A traffic control barrier was blown onto the road, blocking it.
A few miles west of Madisonville, a porch was heavily damaged. The front wall of the porch separated from the foundation, and the porch windows were blown out. At a nearby business, an aluminum roof was ripped off a storage shed. A trained spotter estimated a wind gust of 70 mph. In the city, a couple of power lines were blown down, causing power outages.
A wind gust to 73 mph was measured at the automated weather observing station at the Owensboro airport. A gust of 64 mph was measured at the community college on U.S. Highway 231 near the U.S. 60 bypass.
A mobile storm chase vehicle measured a wind gust of 60 mph on U.S. Highway 68 just west of Hopkinsville. Power lines were blown down on the north side of Hopkinsville, about a mile north of the Pennyrile Parkway interchange with the bypass.
The dime-size hail was accompanied by 40 to 50 mph winds.
Minor flooding occurred in flood-prone neighborhoods. About six inches of standing water covered some streets and low spots.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, April 2010
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: 216232, 216224, 216227, 216230, 216228, 216217, 221602.