The atmosphere was primed for strong to severe thunderstorm activity on August 5th. At the surface, a very warm and moist air mass was in place, as evidenced by the 70+ degree dewpoints that were being seen in the surface obs and the -4 to -6 lifted indices that were showing up in the SPC forecast maps.
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.
The atmosphere was primed for strong to severe thunderstorm activity on August 5th. At the surface, a very warm and moist air mass was in place, as evidenced by the 70+ degree dewpoints that were being seen in the surface obs and the -4 to -6 lifted indices that were showing up in the SPC forecast maps. A 25-40 kt low level jet and a bullseye of moisture convergent were also present. The storms began firing along a cold front that was approaching from the northwest. The most widespread activity took place during the afternoon hours. All of the damage reports received that day were of downed trees.
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 Aug 5, 6:50 AM EST, 3 hours 35 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 750 AM EDT THU AUG 5 2010 .SHORT TERM.../TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY/ A COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS INITIATING OFF OF OUTFLOW CONTINUES TO SURVIVE DESPITE WANING INSTABILITY. THE MORE INTENSE CELLS HAVE BECOME MORE ISOLATED IN THE PAST HOUR...AND EXPECT THIS COMPLEX TO WIND DOWN IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH TODAY...PROVIDING ENOUGH FORCING FOR NUMEROUS CONVECTION TO DEVELOP. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH ENOUGH STORM-SCALE INTERACTION. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE AND WILL MENTION ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING IN AREAS THAT HAVE SEEN HEAVY RAINFALL RECENTLY...WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE AREA AT LEAST UNDER A THREAT OF NUISANCE FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. THE CURRENT HEAT ADVISORY LOOKS ON TARGET...WITH HEAT INDICES OF AROUND 100 DEGREES GENERALLY SOUTH OF I-64...AND BETWEEN 95 AND 100 DEGREES ALONG AND NORTH OF I-64. THE FRONT WILL EXIT THE AREA TONIGHT...WITH CONVECTION GRADUALLY WINDING DOWN FROM NORTH TO SOUTH WITH THE LOSS OF HEATING AND DEEPER MOISTURE. HAVE CONFINED ISOLATED POPS TO THE TENNESSEE AND VIRGINIA BORDERS ON FRIDAY...AS THE DEEPER MOISTURE WILL BE WELL SOUTH OF THE COMMONWEALTH BY THIS TIME. FOR TEMPERATURES...THE INHERITED NUMBERS LOOKED LIKE A NICE COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE CURRENT WRF AND GFS VALUES...SO DID NOT DEVIATE MUCH FROM THOSE. .LONG TERM.../FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/ THE MODELS REMAIN IN GOOD AGREEMENT BUILDING AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BACK IN ACROSS THE MID-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE BUILDING ONCE AGAIN EACH DAY...HOWEVER HUMIDITY DOES LOOK SLOWER TO RETURN UNTIL AFTER MONDAY...AS THE GULF REMAINS CUT-OFF UNTIL THEN. MADE VERY FEW CHANGES TO THE INHERITED FORECAST. DID RAISE A FEW HIGH TEMPERATURES BY EARLY NEXT WEEK...ALTHOUGH STILL WELL BELOW THE WARM-BIASED GFS. THE PREVIOUS LONG TERM DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... AT THE START OF THE PERIOD A COLD FRONT WILL BE WELL TO OUR SOUTH WITH HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT LAKES. AS A RESULT WE WILL BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A SLIGHTLY COOLER AND MUCH LESS HUMID AIR MASS FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEKEND. HOWEVER...THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BUILD BACK INTO THE MIDDLE MS VALLEY EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH RISING HEIGHTS AND INCREASING TEMPERATURES AND DEWPOINTS FOR OUR AREA. THE LONG RANGE MOS HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE TOO HIGH...AS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR MUCH OF THIS SUMMER...AND WILL BE DISREGARDED. ANOTHER COLD FRONT SHOULD DROP INTO THE OHIO VALLEY NEXT WEEK...BUT EXACTLY WHEN THIS GETS FAR ENOUGH SOUTH TO AFFECT OUR AREA IS UNCERTAIN. HAVE FOLLOWED THE HPC GUIDANCE WITH THE FRONT REACHING THE OH RIVER ON WEDNESDAY. AS SUCH HAVE KEPT ALL RAIN CHANCES OUT OF THE FORECAST UNTIL WEDNESDAY. && .AVIATION.../12Z TO 12Z/...UPDATED A COLD FRONT DROPS DOWN FROM THE NORTH TODAY...BRINGING SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA BETWEEN 14Z AND 00Z. HAVE ADDED A TEMPO FOR NEAR MVFR CIG AND MVFR VIS WITH THESE STORMS DURING THE FIRST PART OF THE AFTERNOON. THE FRONT WILL CLEAR THE TAF SITES BY 00Z...WITH FOG LIKELY FORMING IN THE EVENING ONCE AGAIN...MAINLY IN THE VALLEYS. WINDS THROUGH THE PERIOD WILL BE GENERALLY LIGHT... OUTSIDE OF ANY THUNDERSTORM...AND EVENTUALLY SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST FOLLOWING FROPA. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR KYZ058>060-068-069- 079-080-083>088-106>120. && SHORT TERM...GEOGERIAN LONG TERM....SBH/GEOGERIAN AVIATION...GREIF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1117 AM EDT THU AUG 5 2010 KYZ058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-106>120-061100- ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE-JACKSON-PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE- MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-HARLAN-MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN- FLOYD-LEE-BREATHITT-KNOTT-OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-LETCHER-MARTIN- PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...IRVINE...STANTON...FRENCHBURG... MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE...SOMERSET...LONDON...MONTICELLO... WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN...WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE...MIDDLESBORO... PINEVILLE...HARLAN...WEST LIBERTY...PAINTSVILLE...CAMPTON... SALYERSVILLE...PRESTONSBURG...BEATTYVILLE...JACKSON...HINDMAN... BOONEVILLE...HAZARD...MANCHESTER...HYDEN...WHITESBURG...INEZ... PIKEVILLE 1117 AM EDT THU AUG 5 2010 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 574 IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. MAXIMUM HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL BE AROUND 100 DEGREES TODAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME NUMEROUS THIS AFTERNOON. SOME STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND POSSIBLY HAIL. ADDITIONALLY...SOME THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...POSSIBLY CAUSING MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. FOR LOCATIONS THAT HAVE SEEN RECENT HEAVY RAINFALL...MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING. THUNDERSTORMS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH IN INTENSITY AND AREAL COVERAGE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE TENNESSEE AND VIRGINIA BORDERS ON FRIDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR ALL OF EASTERN KENTUCKY ON WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY OCCURRENCES OF HEAVY RAINFALL...FLOODING...AS WELL HAIL OR STRONG OR DAMAGING WIND. KYZ044-050>052-104-061100- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ELLIOTT- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING... OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD...SANDY HOOK 1117 AM EDT THU AUG 5 2010 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 574 IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME NUMEROUS THIS AFTERNOON. SOME STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND POSSIBLY HAIL. ADDITIONALLY...SOME THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...POSSIBLY CAUSING MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. THUNDERSTORMS WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH IN INTENSITY AND AREAL COVERAGE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY OCCURRENCES OF HEAVY RAINFALL...FLOODING...AS WELL HAIL OR STRONG OR DAMAGING WIND. GEOGERIAN/JP
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
934 AM EDT THU AUG 05 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0250 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 SE GULNARE 37.60N 82.51W
08/04/2010 PIKE KY EMERGENCY MNGR
A LARGE TREE WAS BLOWN DOWN AND BLOCKED KY HIGHWAY 194
BETWEEN MILLERS CREEK AND LOWES BRANCH.
0325 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 NW GULNARE 37.64N 82.56W
08/04/2010 PIKE KY DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
TREES WERE REPORTED DOWN ON KY HIGHWAY 194.
0330 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 WNW META 37.59N 82.50W
08/04/2010 PIKE KY DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
TREES WERE REPORTED DOWN TO HAVE BEEN BLOWN DOWN ALONG KY
HIGHWAY 194.
&&
JPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
1029 AM EDT THU AUG 05 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0500 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 SW ELLIOTTVILLE 38.16N 83.30W
08/04/2010 ROWAN KY DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
TREES WERE REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN BLOWN DOWN IN THE DRY
CREEK COMMUNITY.
0515 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 W SANDY HOOK 38.09N 83.20W
08/04/2010 ELLIOTT KY COUNTY OFFICIAL
COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTS THAT TREES WERE BLOWN DOWN.
0530 PM TSTM WND DMG NW DIABLOCK 37.23N 83.17W
08/04/2010 PERRY KY DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
LARGE LIMBS WERE REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN BLOWN DOWN.
&&
JPSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1120 AM EDT THU AUG 5 2010 KYZ044-051-052-051545- FLEMING-ROWAN-BATH- 1120 AM EDT THU AUG 5 2010 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH 1145 AM EDT THURSDAY MORNING... SOUTHERN FLEMING... WEST CENTRAL ROWAN AND NORTHERN BATH. AT 1120 AM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BETHEL...OR 14 MILES NORTHWEST OF OWINGSVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...BETHEL AROUND 1125 AM EDT...PEBBLE AROUND 1130 AM EDT...WYOMING AROUND 1135 AM EDT...RINGOS MILLS AROUND 1140 AM EDT...SHARKEY AROUND 1145 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. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM EDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY. RAY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1125 AM EDT THU AUG 5 2010 KYZ050-051-051600- BATH-MONTGOMERY- 1125 AM EDT THU AUG 5 2010 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH NOON EDT THURSDAY... SOUTH CENTRAL BATH AND CENTRAL MONTGOMERY. AT 1126 AM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR GRASSY LICK...OR 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF WINCHESTER...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...MOUNT STERLING AROUND 1135 AM EDT...GATEWOODS STATION AROUND 1140 AM EDT...HOWARDS MILL AROUND 1145 AM EDT...PEELED OAK AROUND 1150 AM EDT...HOPE AROUND 1155 AM EDT. RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL 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. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 600 PM EDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY. RAY
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 99 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:24 UTC.
25 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Four trees were blown down from Flemingsburg towards Dalesburg on Hwy 57 and Cherry Grove Rd.
A tree was blown down on Hwy 57 in Dalesburg.
A tree was blown down on Highway 30 W.
Multiple trees were blown down near Jackson.
A member of the public phoned in a report of a 60 mph wind gust near Southwest High School in Somerset.
A tree was blown down on Hwy 3245.
Numerous trees were blown down on Ringo Rd, University Drive, and Hwy 2993.
A tree was blown down on KY Hwy 858.
Several trees were blown down in and near Monticello, blocking roads.
Numerous trees were blown down on Hwy 30 and Cornelius Rd.
A tree was blown down on KY Hwy 1258.
A tree was blown down near Aflex.
Several trees were blown down.
Trees were reported down along KY Hwy 194 near Kimper.
A few large trees and several large limbs were blown down. Corn was blown flat in a field and shingles were removed from some roofs in the area.
A man was killed when a tree fell on his car as he was driving past the Grapevine Elementary School on Hwy 194.
A few trees were blown down north northwest of Barbourville.
A tree was blown down in Rockholds.
Trees were blown down along KY Hwy 194.
One tree was blown down near the intersection of KY Hwy 779 and Whetstone Rd.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down in the Busy, Big Willard, and Briar Fork communities.
Four trees were blown down.
Numerous trees were blown down in the Hazard and Viper areas.
Three trees were blown down in Evarts.
Three trees were blown down in Thornton.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind, Pike | 2010-08-05 | Male | Unknown | Direct |
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, August 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: 245772, 245776, 245777, 245778, 245780, 245782, 245783, 245784, 245785, 245787, 245789, 245790, 245792, 245794, 245828, 245797, 245801, 245799, 245804, 245807, 245811, 245813, 245817, 245819, 245823.