Kentucky, 2010

Damaging Winds in Kentucky, October 26, 2010

October 26, 2010 · NWS RLX · 4 events in 1 county or zone

A squall line developed ahead of a strong autumn cold front. The front was associated with the record setting low pressure system lifting northeast through Minnesota into Canada.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$37,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS RLX wrote it up.

A squall line developed ahead of a strong autumn cold front. The front was associated with the record setting low pressure system lifting northeast through Minnesota into Canada. The front passed through northeast Kentucky during the mid to late afternoon. Strong to severe wind gusts occurred near the squall line and in its wake. Temperatures dropped rapidly from around 80 degrees to near 60 degrees.

What forecasters said that day

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 Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 26, 2:15 PM EST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 26, 2:15 PM EST, 0 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>
Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 26, 11:45 AM EST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 26, 1:41 PM EST, 34 minutes before
<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

The radar

The Cincinnati radar (KILN), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:14 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenup

When
October 26, 2:15 PM EST
Where
Greenup County, South Shore
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
38.720, -82.970

Traffic lights and their poles were blown down in town.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenup

When
October 26, 2:29 PM EST
Where
Greenup County, 1.09 mi ESE of Flatwoods
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
38.515, -82.701

Trees were blown down in Russell.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenup

When
October 26, 2:37 PM EST
Where
Greenup County, Raceland
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
38.530, -82.720

Two trees were blown down in town.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greenup

When
October 26, 2:40 PM EST
Where
Greenup County, 1.02 mi SE of Flatwoods
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
38.509, -82.708

Traffic lights and their poles were knocked down on Diederich Boulevard and at Bellefronte Street.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Kentucky in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, October 2010

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 264707, 264706, 264708, 264705.