Isolated severe thunderstorms produced a few occurrences of downed trees and large hail in Pike and Pulaski counties on May 17th.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 thunderstorms produced a few occurrences of downed trees and large hail in Pike and Pulaski counties on May 17th.
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 17, 1:42 PM EST, 1 hour 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 242 PM EDT MON MAY 17 2010 .SHORT TERM.../TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...UPDATED THE LATEST RUN OF THE SREF SEEMED TO HAVE THE BEST HANDLE ON THE CURRENT SYNOPTIC PATTERN AND ONGOING WEATHER...SO ITS SOLUTION WAS PREFERRED. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE ONGOING EAST...SOUTHEAST...AND SOUTH OF THE WEATHER OFFICE AT AFD ISSUANCE. NONE OF THESE STORMS HAVE GOTTEN VERY STRONG...BUT THEY HAVE BEEN ONLY SLOWLY ACROSS THE AREA...SO THE GROUND BENEATH WHERE THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED HAS BEEN FURTHER SATURATED. THE PRIMARY CONCERN IN THE SHORT TERM IS WITH A SMALL CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND STORMS THAT WAS JUST BEGINNING TO FORM OVER WESTERN KY AHEAD OF AN ADVANCING UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE TROUGH. THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO FORM INTO A LINE AND STRENGHTEN AS THE MOVE EAST ACROSS THE STATE. ALTHOUGH A WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAIN EVENT IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS POINT...THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF RAIN THAT HAS FALLEN ACROSS THE AREA SINCE LAST FRIDAY...IT WILL NOT TAKE MUCH MORE RAIN TO PRODUCE FLOODING PROBLEMS...ESPECIALLY FOR AREAS SOUTH OF THE HAL ROGERS PARKWAY AND THE HIGHWAY 80 CORRIDOR LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE AND PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AS WELL. ONCE THE DISTURBANCE PASSES BY TO THE EAST LATER TONIGHT...ENOUGH ENERGY AND MOISTURE WILL BE LEFT OVER TO KEEP AT LEAST A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS IN THE FORECAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY. KEPT DAYTIME TEMPERATURES BELOW MOS VALUES TOMORROW AND WEDNESDAY ACCOUNTING FOR CLOUD COVER AND PRECIPITATION. OVERALL VERY FEW CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE FORECAST. RECALCULATED QPF AND WEATHER GRIDS AND MADE SOME TWEAKS TO SKY GRIDS BASED ON OBSERVED TRENDS AND THE LATEST MODEL DATA. .LONG TERM.../WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...UPDATED THIS FCST WILL BEGIN WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING UP FROM THE SE IN THE MID LEVELS AND BUILDING DOWN FROM THE GT LKS AT THE SFC. EXPECT A PERIOD OF CALM WX THAT WILL LAST UNTIL LATE THU NITE WHEN THE HIGH PRESSURE WILL EASE TOWARD THE EAST COAST AND A RETURN FLOW OF MOISTURE AND WARM AIR SURGES NORTH FROM THE GULF. LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE FROM ERN OK THU NITE TO CNTRL OH BY FRI NITE. THIS WILL SWEEP A WARM FNT THRU ERN KY BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF PCPN. EXPECTING AFTERNOON AND EVENING TSRA WITH RA FOR THE OVERNITE AND EARLY MORNING PERIODS. BY LATE SAT AFTERNOON THE CONVECTION SHOULD PUSH ACROSS THE MTNS AND LEAVE A COOLER AIR MASS FOR SAT NITE... ESP IF WE CAN GET SOME OF THE PESKY CLOUDS THAT SEEM TO LINGER IN THE UPSLOPE FLOW TO DISSIPATE WITH THE OVERNITE COOLING. HAVE FOLLOWED GFS TEMPS WITH SOME TWEAKS FOR MY NEIGHBORS WHICH KEEPS HIGHS WARMING THRU THE WEEKEND AND ENDING UP IN THE LOWER 80S. LOWS WILL FOLLOW SUIT... CLIMBING FROM AROUND 50 THU MORNING TO THE LOWER 60S BY THE END OF THE WEEKEND. ALTHO PCPN SEEMS TO LINGER THRU THE FCST... IT WILL BE IN WAVES WITH MORE DAY TIME ACTIVITY AND CALMER NITES. THE QPF ALSO REMAINS ON THE LOW SIDE AND EVEN THO INDIVIDUAL TSRA IN DURING THE DAY COULD MAKE FOR HEAVIER RAIN... THE OVERALL BASIN AVERAGES SHOULD BE UNDER A QUARTER OF AN INCH FOR EACH 6 HR TIME PERIOD AND STRETCHED OUT OVER SEVERAL DAYS WILL NOT HAVE A LARGE IMPACT ON AREA RIVERS. && .AVIATION.../18Z TO 18Z/ A LINE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS WAS MOVING ACROSS THE AREA AT TAF ISSUANCE EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF JKL. THESE SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE CURRENTLY NOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO ANY OF THE TAF SITES TO CAUSE ANY PROBLEMS...BUT THAT WILL LIKELY CHANGE AS THE DAY WEARS ON. AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE WILL MOVE OUT OF WESTERN ILLINOIS AND ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AS IT DOES...FURTHER SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL BREAK OUT AHEAD OF IT. BASED ON THE CURRENT ACTIVITY AND THE MOIST AND UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT...THE POSSIBILITY WILL EXIST FOR A FEW OF THESE STORMS TO BECOME SEVERE. LARGE HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREATS. SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE AT LOZ AND SME AS THE GROUND IN THAT AREA IS ALREADY SATURATED. VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT LOZ AND SME UNTIL THE STORMS MOVE IN AFTER 21Z. AFTER THAT...MVFR CIGS AND VSBYS WILL BE POSSIBLE AT BOTH SITES ONCE THE RAIN HAS BEGUN TO FALL. JKL WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE BROKEN CLOUDS BETWEEN 2 AND 2.5K OR MVFR CIGS. ONCE THE SHOWERS AND STORMS MOVE ACROSS THE AREA...ANY OF THE TAF SITES COULD EXPERIENCE BRIEF PERIODS OF IFR CIGS AND VSBYS IN THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL PRODUCED BY THE MORE INTENSE STORMS. ONCE THE STORMS PASS BY LATER TONIGHT...AFTER 6 OR 7Z...SOME FOG WILL LINGER ACROSS THE AREA...WITH MVFR CONDITIONS AT TIMES. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT FOR KYZ079-080- 083>088-110-113-115>120. && SHORT TERM...AR LONG TERM...DUSTY AVIATION...AR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 340 PM EDT MON MAY 17 2010 KYZ079-080-083>088-110-113-115>118-120-182245- PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-HARLAN-FLOYD-KNOTT- PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-LETCHER-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SOMERSET...LONDON...MONTICELLO... WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN...WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE...MIDDLESBORO... PINEVILLE...HARLAN...PRESTONSBURG...HINDMAN...HAZARD...MANCHESTER... HYDEN...WHITESBURG...PIKEVILLE 340 PM EDT MON MAY 17 2010 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 179 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A SLOW MOVING STORM SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE REGION WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. WITH SATURATED SOILS IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA...ANY ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WILL POSE A THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING COULD ALSO BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL A SECONDARY THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY AND THURSDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN FROM THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY OCCURRENCES OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS OR FLOODING TO THE JACKSON WEATHER OFFICE. KYZ119-182245- MARTIN- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...INEZ 340 PM EDT MON MAY 17 2010 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A SLOW MOVING STORM SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE REGION WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. WITH SATURATED SOILS IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA...ANY ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WILL POSE A THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY AND THURSDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN FROM THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY OCCURRENCES OF FLOODING TO THE JACKSON WEATHER OFFICE. KYZ044-051-052-104-106-107-182245- FLEMING-BATH-ROWAN-ELLIOTT-MORGAN-JOHNSON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD... SANDY HOOK...WEST LIBERTY...PAINTSVILLE 340 PM EDT MON MAY 17 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY AND THURSDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN FROM THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. KYZ050-058>060-068-069-108-109-111-112-114-182245- MONTGOMERY-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE-JACKSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN- LEE-BREATHITT-OWSLEY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOUNT STERLING...IRVINE...STANTON... FRENCHBURG...MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE...CAMPTON...SALYERSVILLE... BEATTYVILLE...JACKSON...BOONEVILLE 340 PM EDT MON MAY 17 2010 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 179 IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL THE PRIMARY THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY AND THURSDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AGAIN FROM THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY OCCURRENCES OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS OR FLOODING TO THE JACKSON OFFICE. AR
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 5 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:34 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 1 dense fog. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree about 2 feet in diameter was blown down and across Hwy 30 east near Round Bottom.
A spotter on Hwy 27 reported dime to quarter size hail 4 miles north of Somerset.
A member of the broadcast media reported dime to quarter size hail 4 miles northeast of Somerset.
A member of the broadcast media reported that several trees were blown down and a horse barn was destroyed northeast of Somerset.
Dense fog reduced visibility to 1/4 mile or less in London.
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, May 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: 228291, 228292, 228293, 228294, 228295.