A large storm system developed over the central Plains, bringing several rounds of very heavy rain to the region between April 30th and May 2nd. The Mississippi River flooding that occurred below its confluence with the Ohio River was due to large volumes of water coming down the Ohio from the Tennessee Valley.
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 large storm system developed over the central Plains, bringing several rounds of very heavy rain to the region between April 30th and May 2nd. The Mississippi River flooding that occurred below its confluence with the Ohio River was due to large volumes of water coming down the Ohio from the Tennessee Valley. Record rainfall occurred in parts of the Tennessee Valley in early May.
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 30, 1:09 PM CST, 10 hours 51 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
209 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010
...SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAIN EVENT LIKELY TONIGHT ON THROUGH THE
WEEKEND...
.DISCUSSION...
SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/...MODEL GUIDANCE AND HPC
CONTINUES TO SHOW A SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAIN AND POTENTIAL FLOOD
EVENT TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...COMING IN TWO WAVES. THE FIRST
WAVE WILL BE TONIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY...ESPECIALLY ACROSS
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI INTO SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...GRADUALLY PROGRESSING
EAST INTO CENTRAL SECTIONS OF THE CWFA TOWARD 12Z SAT. THERE IS
A SLIGHT RISK OF SOME SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS LATE TODAY AND THIS EVENING.
THAT IS WHEN MODELS SHOW THE GREATEST DEGREE OF INSTABILITY.
A POTENTIAL LULL...OR SLIGHT DECREASE WILL BE POSSIBLE SATURDAY
ESPECIALLY NORTH AND WEST OF THE OHIO RIVER. THEN ROUND TWO IS
EXPECTED SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY...AND ESPECIALLY SOUTH AND
EAST OF A LINE FROM PRINCETON INDIANA TO DEXTER MISSOURI INCLUDING
WEST KENTUCKY. AS STATED BEFORE...THE LOW LEVEL MOIST INFLUX WILL
BE VERY IMPRESSIVE...WITH UPPER JET DYNAMICS INTERACTING...WHICH
WILL LIKELY RESULT IN RATHER EFFICIENT CONVECTION AND HEAVY RAIN.
AS OF RIGHT NOW...WE ARE GOING TO STAY CLOSE TO OUR GOING STORM
TOTAL QPF FORECASTS. WE EXPECT 2 TO 3 INCH RAIN TOTALS OVER THE
NW 1/4 OF THE FA...SAY ALONG A LINE FROM GREENVILLE MO...TO MT
CARMEL IL...AND POINTS NORTH. SOUTHEAST OF THAT LINE...WHICH
INCLUDES ALL OF WEST KENTUCKY...THE SOUTHERN TIP OF ILLINOIS...FAR
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA...3 TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN
APPEARS LIKELY. SOME MODELS...AS WELL AS HPC ARE PROJECTING
GREATER THAN 6 INCHES ACROSS WEST KENTUCKY (NAM AND ECMWF SHOW 8
TO 10 INCHES). THE LAST TIME WE SAW STORM TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS
OF THIS MAGNITUDE...WAS DURING THE MARCH 18TH-19TH 2008 FLOOD
EVENT THAT AFFECTED PARTS OF THE REGION AND ESPECIALLY SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI INTO SOUTHERN ILLINOIS.
THE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY TIME FRAME WILL BE OF GREATEST
CONCERN. TONIGHTS CONVECTION WILL PRIME THE REGION WITH ITS INITIAL
RAINS. THE HEAVIEST RAINS ARE EXPECTED LATE SATURDAY INTO EARLY
SUNDAY...BEFORE SHIFTING EAST OF THE AREA BY SUNDAY EVENING. TO
ACCOUNT FOR TIMING ISSUES...WE ARE GOING TO ADJUST THE FLASH FLOOD
WATCH...AND HAVE SE MISSOURI AND SRN ILLINOIS IN TONIGHT THROUGH
MIDDAY SUNDAY...AND HAVE WEST KENTUCKY INTO SOUTHWEST INDIANA IN
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT.
THE PROBABILITY FOR SEVERE STORMS SEEMS RATHER LOW SATURDAY THROUGH
SUNDAY DUE TO A WARMING MID LEVEL THERMAL PROFILE...AND MARGINAL
INSTABILITY SEEN IN THE MODELS. THE WIND FIELDS WILL BE IMPRESSIVE
SO IT IS HARD TO COMPLETELY DISCOUNT THE SEVERE WEATHER ASPECT.
OUR MODEL PREFERENCE IS A BLEND OF THE LAST SEVERAL RUNS OF THE
HI-RES ECMWF...THE 12Z NAM AND 06Z GFS. THE NEW 12Z GFS HAS
SHIFTED AROUND A BIT AND LOWERED QPF AMOUNTS...SOMETHING NOT SEEN
IN THE OTHER MODELS UP TO THIS POINT. THE SREF IS RATHER UNDERDONE
COMPARED TO THE OTHER MODELS STORM TOTAL QPF.
..NOLES..
LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...MAINLY DRY AND SEASONABLY
WARM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AS A DEEP LAYER RIDGE SLOWLY CROSSES
THE GULF COAST REGION. SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL RESULT IN HIGHS
GRADUALLY CLIMBING FROM ABOUT NORMAL ON MONDAY TO THE LOWER 80S BY
THE END OF THE WEEK. THE 500 MB FLOW PATTERN WILL BECOME ZONAL
LATE IN THE WEEK...WITH THE STRONGEST FLOW REMAINING NEAR OR NORTH
OF THE REGION. A SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL SAG SOUTH TOWARD THE
LOWER OHIO VALLEY BY THE END OF THE WEEK. HOWEVER...THE AVAILABLE
MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY LOOKS MEAGER. SLIGHT CHANCE POPS APPEAR
REASONABLE FOR FRIDAY /DAY 7/.
THE ONLY OTHER SLIGHT CHANCE OF PRECIP IS EARLY IN THE PERIOD
/MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT/ AS THE REMNANTS OF THE SOUTHWESTERN UPPER
TROUGH LIFT NORTHEAST ACROSS THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY. LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE/CONVERGENCE/INSTABILITY WILL BE TOO LOW FOR ANYTHING MORE
THAN SLIGHT CHANCE POPS.
..YORK..
&&
.AVIATION...
A SURGE OF MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY MOVING NORTH ACROSS THE REGION
WILL RESULT IN WIDESPREAD RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT INTO
SATURDAY. INITIALLY...LOW CLOUDS OVER THE TAF SITES WILL PRODUCE
LOCAL MVFR CIGS THIS AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP OVER SRN
MISSOURI THIS AFTERNOON...THEN SHIFT EAST/NORTHEAST ACROSS THE LOWER
OHIO VALLEY THIS EVENING. STRONG GUSTY WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THESE
STORMS OVER SE MISSOURI THIS EVENING...BUT SHOULD DIMINISH
OVERNIGHT. A PERIOD OF WIDESPREAD IFR CONDITIONS IN TSTMS IS
EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT...THEN A SLOW IMPROVEMENT SHOULD OCCUR
SATURDAY MORNING.
..YORK..
&&
.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KY...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR BALLARD-
CALDWELL-CALLOWAY-CARLISLE-CHRISTIAN-CRITTENDEN-DAVIESS-
FULTON-GRAVES-HENDERSON-HICKMAN-HOPKINS-LIVINGSTON-LYON-
MARSHALL-MCCRACKEN-MCLEAN-MUHLENBERG-TODD-TRIGG-UNION KY-
WEBSTER.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE SUNDAY
NIGHT FOR BALLARD-CALDWELL-CALLOWAY-CARLISLE-CHRISTIAN-
CRITTENDEN-DAVIESS-FULTON-GRAVES-HENDERSON-HICKMAN-HOPKINS-
LIVINGSTON-LYON-MARSHALL-MCCRACKEN-MCLEAN-MUHLENBERG-TODD-
TRIGG-UNION KY-WEBSTER.
MO...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR BOLLINGER-
BUTLER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-CARTER-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID-PERRY
MO-RIPLEY-SCOTT-STODDARD-WAYNE MO.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING FOR BOLLINGER-BUTLER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-CARTER-
MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID-PERRY MO-RIPLEY-SCOTT-STODDARD-WAYNE
MO.
IL...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR ALEXANDER-
EDWARDS-FRANKLIN-GALLATIN-HAMILTON-HARDIN-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-
JOHNSON-MASSAC-PERRY IL-POPE-PULASKI-SALINE-UNION IL-WABASH-
WAYNE IL-WHITE-WILLIAMSON.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING FOR ALEXANDER-EDWARDS-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON-JACKSON-
JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-PERRY IL-PULASKI-SALINE-UNION IL-WABASH-
WAYNE IL-WHITE-WILLIAMSON.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE SUNDAY
NIGHT FOR GALLATIN-HARDIN-MASSAC-POPE.
IN...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR GIBSON-PIKE-
POSEY-SPENCER-VANDERBURGH-WARRICK.
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE SUNDAY
NIGHT FOR GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-SPENCER-VANDERBURGH-WARRICK.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 924 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-011000- 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- 924 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND TORNADOES WILL SPREAD NORTHEASTWARD FROM SOUTHERN MISSOURI AND NORTHEAST ARKANSAS ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...AS WELL AS THE PURCHASE AREA OF WEST KENTUCKY THROUGH THE LATE EVENING AND INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR CERTAIN LOCATIONS TO EXPERIENCE MULTIPLE SEVERE STORMS TONIGHT. IN ADDITION...LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING ISSUES THROUGH THE NIGHT. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR MUCH OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. REFER TO THE WATCH FOR DETAILS ON THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A SIGNIFICANT HEAVY RAIN EVENT IS EXPECTED FROM SATURDAY THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE ENTIRE AREA AS A RESULT. PLEASE REFER TO THE WATCH PRODUCT FOR DETAILS ON THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CANNOT BE RULED OUT MAINLY SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. THE KEY WILL BE THE DEGREE OF INSTABILITY...AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE WILL BE ENOUGH. THE PRIMARY CONCERN WILL REMAIN HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THROUGH THE NIGHT FOR ALL OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...AND THE PURCHASE AREA OF WEST KENTUCKY. SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NECESSARY AGAIN OVER THE ENTIRE AREA SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. SPOTTERS ARE REMINDED TO REPORT LOCATIONS WHERE DITCHES ARE NEARLY FULL OF WATER AND WHERE WATER IS OVER THE ROADS.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1107 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1104 PM HAIL DU QUOIN 38.00N 89.24W
04/30/2010 M0.88 INCH PERRY IL TRAINED SPOTTER
NICKLE SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN THE COMMUNITY.
&&
SMITTYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1108 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1104 PM HAIL DU QUOIN 38.00N 89.24W
04/30/2010 M0.88 INCH PERRY IL TRAINED SPOTTER
NICKEL SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN THE COMMUNITY.
&&
SMITTYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1119 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1113 PM HAIL BUNCOMBE 37.47N 88.97W
04/30/2010 M1.00 INCH JOHNSON IL TRAINED SPOTTER
QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED.
&&
SMITTYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1154 PM CDT FRI APR 30 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1150 PM TSTM WND GST CAPE GIRARDEAU 37.31N 89.55W
04/30/2010 M58 MPH CAPE GIRARDEAU MO BROADCAST MEDIA
&&
SMITTYSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 1215 AM CDT SAT MAY 1 2010 ILZ076>078-083-INZ081-085-010600- WHITE IL-WABASH IL-EDWARDS IL-WAYNE IL-GIBSON IN-POSEY IN- 1215 AM CDT SAT MAY 1 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN WAYNE...EDWARDS...WABASH AND NORTHERN WHITE COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...AND NORTHERN POSEY AND WESTERN GIBSON COUNTIES IN SOUTHWEST INDIANA UNTIL 100 AM CDT... AT 1213 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY STRONG WINDS AROUND 50 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 9 MILES NORTH OF MOUNT ERIE TO 4 MILES SOUTH OF ENFIELD...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE WILL BE NEAR... GOLDEN GATE AROUND 1220 AM CDT. CARMI AROUND 1225 AM CDT. WEST SALEM...CROSSVILLE AND ALBION AROUND 1230 AM CDT. PHILLIPSTOWN...GRAYVILLE...BROWNS AND BONE GAP AROUND 1235 AM CDT. BELLMONT AND GRIFFIN AROUND 1240 AM CDT. LANCASTER AND KEENSBURG AROUND 1245 AM CDT. MOUNT CARMEL AROUND 1255 AM CDT. IN ADDITION TO STRONG WINDS...THIS STORM IS PRODUCING FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA. STAY TUNED TO WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1217 AM CDT SAT MAY 01 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1215 AM FLASH FLOOD POPLAR BLUFF 36.76N 90.41W
05/01/2010 BUTLER MO LAW ENFORCEMENT
SEVERAL ROADS BECOMING FLOODED AND IMPASSABLE. COUNTY
HIGHWAY 302 HAVE SECTIONS OF THE ROAD WASHED AWAY.
&&
SMITTYThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Minor flooding of agricultural bottomlands and woods occurred along the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau. The Mississippi River backed into several creeks, producing flooding of farm fields.
Minor flooding occurred along the Mississippi River near New Madrid. Mainly bottomland fields were affected. Highway 162 was closed in the river bottoms south of New Madrid.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, 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: 228612, 228613.