Showers and storms moved southeast across the lower Ohio Valley through the day on April 11 as a cold front slowly tracked across the area. A few of these storms became severe during the afternoon hours across south central Kentucky as they encountered more unstable air.
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 LMK wrote it up.
Showers and storms moved southeast across the lower Ohio Valley through the day on April 11 as a cold front slowly tracked across the area. A few of these storms became severe during the afternoon hours across south central Kentucky as they encountered more unstable air. These storms produced a few damaging wind gusts across this region.
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 Louisville, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 11, 9:06 AM CST, 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 1106 AM EDT MON APR 11 2011 ...FORECAST UPDATE... OVERALL THE FORECAST WAS IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE THIS MORNING. MADE SOME SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS TO THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE AS THE AREA OF MODERATE STRATIFORM RAINS HAS MADE IT INTO NORTH CENTRAL KY LATE THIS MORNING...ONLY EXPECTING CHANCE THUNDER HERE. SOUTH OF THE LEADING LINE OF CONVECTION (SOUTH CENTRAL KY/EAST CENTRAL KY)...T-STORM CHANCES STILL LOOK GOOD. IT/LL BE A RACE BETWEEN HOW FAR SOUTH CONVECTION MAKES IT BEFORE DAYTIME HEATING CAN HEAT THE SFC SUFFICIENTLY FOR STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS. RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE STRONG STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE...BUT ANY SEVERE POTENTIAL MAY BE QUITE LIMITED TO THE LAKE CUMBERLAND REGION AT BEST. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THOUGH. ADJUSTED HOURLY TEMPS AS WELL TO MATCH CURRENT OBS AND THE LATEST MODEL TRENDS. .SHORT TERM (TODAY AND TONIGHT)... RECENT GUIDANCE CONCERNING THE UPCOMING RAIN EVENT TODAY HAS SHIFTED A BIT. THE 12Z NAM AND ESPECIALLY THE LATEST OPERATIONAL GFS HAVE TENDED TO SPLIT ENERGY WITHIN THE DEEP TROUGH NOW ACROSS THE CENTRAL CONUS. AS ENERGY ASSOCIATED WITH THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THIS TROUGH QUICKLY MOVES EAST ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES...IS IS LOOKING MORE LIKELY THAT LEFT OVER ENERGY WILL LAG ACROSS THE LOWER MISSOURI VALLEY EARLY MONDAY. THIS WILL LEAD TO A CLOSING OFF OF THE SOUTHERN END OF THIS TROUGH AS IT PASSES ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH LATE MONDAY. SHOULD THIS VERIFY...STRONG LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF THE GREAT LAKES JET WILL LINGER OVER THE COMMONWEALTH DURING THE DAY MONDAY. ALL OF THIS WILL LEAD TO A SLIGHT SLOWING OF THE COLD FRONT AS IT PASSES ACROSS THE REGION TODAY...AND SHOWERS THAT WILL LINGER BEHIND THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY ALL AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. AGREE WITH HPC THINKING OF WIDESPREAD SOAKING RAINS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES FOR TODAY INTO THIS EVENING. PRECEDING RAINS EARLIER THIS MONTH HAVE LEFT THE GROUND FAVORABLY MOIST. TODAY'S RAINS MAY LEAD TO SOME RAPID RISES IN AREA STREAMS AND SOME PONDING ON LOCAL FIELDS AND PASTURES. RAIN WILL ENTER OUR SOUTHWESTERN INDIANA COUNTIES AROUND DAWN AS A BROKEN LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. THIS LEADING EDGE WILL THEN SLOWLY MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS OUR REGION...MOVING INTO THE SOUTHERN BLUEGRASS AND LAKE CUMBERLAND REGIONS BY EARLY TO MID AFTERNOON. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW A STRONG LOW LEVEL WIND FIELD WITH WEAK INSTABILITY. ALTHOUGH INITIALLY...SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BE STRONG WITH GUSTY WINDS...DO NOT EXPECT SEVERE WINDS THIS MORNING. HOWEVER...BY LATE MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON...THIS LINE MAY ENCOUNTER WARMER MORE UNSTABLE AIR ACROSS THE BLUEGRASS AND LAKE CUMBERLAND REGIONS. FEEL THAT AN ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUST IS POSSIBLE EARLY THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS OUR EASTERN COUNTIES. LIGHT SHOWERS OR RAIN SHOULD LINGER THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON HOURS...SLOWLY ENDING FROM WEST TO EAST. HIGHS TODAY SHOULD RANGE FROM NEAR 70 ACROSS SOUTHERN INDIANA TO THE MID TO UPPER 70S ACROSS OUR EASTERN COUNTIES. COLDER AIR WILL ARRIVE OVERNIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES FALLING INTO THE UPPER 40S. .LONG TERM (TUESDAY - SUNDAY)... WILL INSERT CHC POPS OVER OUR ERN COUNTIES TUE MORNING DUE TO DEEPENING LOW PRES BOTH SFC/UPPER LEVELS AS MOISTURE IS THROWN WESTWARD. AFTERWARD...SKIES WILL CLEAR WEST TO EAST...ALLOWING FOR SOME AFTERNOON SUNSHINE AND TEMPS TO REBOUND INTO THE LOWER 60S. THEREAFTER...TROUGHING OVER THE PAC NW WILL CAUSE DOWNSTREAM RIDGING FOR MOST OF THE NATION/S MIDSECTION...INCLUDING THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY. CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN PLEASANT AND DRY THROUGH WED AND MOST OF THU...WITH HIGHS BOTH DAYS AROUND 70 AND INTO THE LOWER/MID 70S RESPECTIVELY. FOR THURSDAY NIGHT ON...THE WEATHER WILL BE QUITE UNSETTLED THROUGH THE REST OF THE LONG TERM. POTENT PAC NW SHORTWAVE WILL DIVE SE ACROSS THE ROCKIES THURSDAY NIGHT AND QUICKLY BECOME A NEGATIVELY TILTED TROUGH WITH AN ASSOCIATED DEEPENING SFC LOW OVER CENTRAL IL BY FRIDAY MORNING. WITH A COUPLE OF DAYS OF SOUTHERLY FLOW AND INCREASING MOISTURE AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM...INSTABILITY WILL BE DECENT AS THIS SYSTEM APPROACHES. THE SYSTEM/S WARM FRONT WILL LIKELY BRING SHOWERS AND STORMS TO THE REGION THU NIGHT...WITH OUR FORECAST AREA GETTING WARM SECTORED BRIEFLY AHEAD OF A PRE-FRONTAL TROUGH WITH SHRA/TSRA ACCOMPANYING IT EARLY FRI. BOTH 00Z RUNS OF GFS/EURO NOW ON BOARD WITH THIS...SPEEDING UP THE SYSTEM. NO CHANGES WILL BE MADE FOR THE WEEKEND...STILL LOOKS UNSEASONABLY COOL/SHOWERY SAT AND SAT NIGHT WITH THE SYSTEM MOVING OUT AND CLEARING ON SUN. MOS TEMPS CONTINUE TO TREND DOWN WITH OUR FORECAST AREA IN UPPER LOW CLOSED CIRCULATION MOVING SLOWLY ACROSS THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY. && .AVIATION (12Z TAF ISSUANCE)... A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT WILL BRING A LINE OF SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE REGION. THE LEADING EDGE OF THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE SDF AREA SHORTLY AFTER 12Z. THIS LINE WILL THEN AFFECT THE LEX AND BWG AREAS AROUND 15 TO 16Z. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN WILL ARRIVE WITH THESE STORMS AND TEMPORARILY REDUCE VISIBILITIES AND CEILINGS TO LOW END MVFR. OCCASIONAL SHOWERS WITH A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON AT ALL OF THE TAF SITES WITH MVFR CIGS AND VISIBILITIES. SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 12 TO 15KT WILL CONTINUE RIGHT UNTIL FRONTAL PASSAGE...THEN SWITCH TO THE WEST AROUND 10 MPH. BY LATE AFTERNOON...NORTHWEST WINDS OF 12 TO 15 MPH ARE EXPECTED. LIGHT RAIN AND MVFR CEILINGS WILL LINGER THROUGH MID EVENING BEFORE RAINS ENDS BY MIDNIGHT. NORTHWEST WINDS OF 10 TO 12 MPH AND MVFR CEILINGS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. && .LMK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE. IN...NONE. && UPDATE.........AML SHORT TERM.....JSD LONG TERM......DK/11 AVIATION.......JSD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 411 AM EDT MON APR 11 2011 INZ076>079-083-084-089>092-KYZ023>043-045>049-053>057-061>067- 070>078-081-082-120815- ORANGE IN-WASHINGTON IN-SCOTT IN-JEFFERSON IN-DUBOIS IN- CRAWFORD IN-PERRY IN-HARRISON IN-FLOYD IN-CLARK IN-HANCOCK KY- BRECKINRIDGE KY-MEADE KY-OHIO KY-GRAYSON KY-HARDIN KY-BULLITT KY- JEFFERSON KY-OLDHAM KY-TRIMBLE KY-HENRY KY-SHELBY KY-FRANKLIN KY- SCOTT KY-HARRISON KY-SPENCER KY-ANDERSON KY-WOODFORD KY- FAYETTE KY-BOURBON KY-NICHOLAS KY-NELSON KY-WASHINGTON KY- MERCER KY-JESSAMINE KY-CLARK KY-LARUE KY-MARION KY-BOYLE KY- GARRARD KY-MADISON KY-BUTLER KY-EDMONSON KY-HART KY-GREEN KY- TAYLOR KY-CASEY KY-LINCOLN KY-LOGAN KY-WARREN KY-SIMPSON KY- ALLEN KY-BARREN KY-MONROE KY-METCALFE KY-ADAIR KY-RUSSELL KY- CUMBERLAND KY-CLINTON KY- 411 AM EDT MON APR 11 2011 /311 AM CDT MON APR 11 2011/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONT WILL ARRIVE TODAY...STARTING AROUND SUNRISE OVER SOUTHERN INDIANA AND EXITING THE SOUTHERN BLUEGRASS REGION AND LAKE CUMBERLAND AREAS OF KENTUCKY BY MONDAY EVENING. THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE HEAVY RAINFALL AND LIGHTNING. HOWEVER...ISOLATED STRONG STORMS WITH 50-60 MPH WINDS AND SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER EAST CENTRAL KENTUCKY DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AMOUNTS BETWEEN ONE AND TWO INCHES THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS MAY LEAD TO SHARP RISES IN SMALLER STREAMS AND PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND OPEN FIELDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. ANOTHER POTENT WEATHER SYSTEM WILL BRING THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY NIGHT. THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL LIKELY OCCUR FRIDAY AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY AND THIS EVENING. JSD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY 721 AM EDT MON APR 11 2011 INZ076>079-083-084-089>092-KYZ023>043-045>049-053>057-061>067- 070>078-081-082-112000- ORANGE IN-WASHINGTON IN-SCOTT IN-JEFFERSON IN-DUBOIS IN- CRAWFORD IN-PERRY IN-HARRISON IN-FLOYD IN-CLARK IN-HANCOCK KY- BRECKINRIDGE KY-MEADE KY-OHIO KY-GRAYSON KY-HARDIN KY-BULLITT KY- JEFFERSON KY-OLDHAM KY-TRIMBLE KY-HENRY KY-SHELBY KY-FRANKLIN KY- SCOTT KY-HARRISON KY-SPENCER KY-ANDERSON KY-WOODFORD KY- FAYETTE KY-BOURBON KY-NICHOLAS KY-NELSON KY-WASHINGTON KY- MERCER KY-JESSAMINE KY-CLARK KY-LARUE KY-MARION KY-BOYLE KY- GARRARD KY-MADISON KY-BUTLER KY-EDMONSON KY-HART KY-GREEN KY- TAYLOR KY-CASEY KY-LINCOLN KY-LOGAN KY-WARREN KY-SIMPSON KY- ALLEN KY-BARREN KY-MONROE KY-METCALFE KY-ADAIR KY-RUSSELL KY- CUMBERLAND KY-CLINTON KY- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...PAOLI...SALEM...SCOTTSBURG...MADISON... JASPER...MARENGO...TELL CITY...CORYDON...NEW ALBANY... JEFFERSONVILLE...HAWESVILLE...HARDINSBURG...BRANDENBURG... BEAVER DAM...LEITCHFIELD...ELIZABETHTOWN...FORT KNOX... MOUNT WASHINGTON...SHEPHERDSVILLE...LOUISVILLE...LA GRANGE... BEDFORD...NEW CASTLE...SHELBYVILLE...FRANKFORT...GEORGETOWN... CYNTHIANA...TAYLORSVILLE...LAWRENCEBURG...VERSAILLES... LEXINGTON...PARIS...CARLISLE...BARDSTOWN...SPRINGFIELD... HARRODSBURG...NICHOLASVILLE...WINCHESTER...HODGENVILLE... LEBANON...DANVILLE...LANCASTER...RICHMOND...MORGANTOWN... BROWNSVILLE...MUNFORDVILLE...GREENSBURG...CAMPBELLSVILLE... LIBERTY...STANFORD...RUSSELLVILLE...BOWLING GREEN...FRANKLIN... SCOTTSVILLE...GLASGOW...TOMPKINSVILLE...EDMONTON...COLUMBIA... JAMESTOWN...BURKESVILLE...ALBANY 721 AM EDT MON APR 11 2011 /621 AM CDT MON APR 11 2011/ ...WIDESPREAD RAINS TODAY MAY LEAD TO SHARP RISES IN AREA STREAMS... A COLD FRONT WILL SLOW AS IT CROSSES THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY TODAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ACCOMPANY THIS FRONT...ARRIVING ACROSS SOUTHWEST INDIANA AROUND DAWN...AND BEGINNING BY EARLY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE SOUTHERN BLUEGRASS AND LAKE CUMBERLAND REGIONS. SHOWERS WILL LINGER THROUGH THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS AS A TROUGH APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. WIDESPREAD ONE TO TWO INCH RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH LATE THIS EVENING. WITH LOCAL FIELDS AND PASTURES ALREADY MOIST...THIS ADDITIONAL RAIN MAY LEAD TO SHARP RISES IN AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS...AS WELL AS PONDING OF WATER. JSD/AML
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
1116 AM EDT MON APR 11 2011
KYZ061-070>073-111545-
ALLEN-BUTLER-LOGAN-SIMPSON-WARREN-
1016 AM CDT MON APR 11 2011
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN...AND
GUSTY WINDS...
AT 1011 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF RUSSELLVILLE...AND MOVING
EAST AT 65 MPH.
OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING...HEAVY RAIN WITH RAINFALL RATES OF AROUND ONE
INCH PER HOUR REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN ONE MILE...AND GUSTY
WINDS OF AROUND 35 TO 40 MPH...ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
* THIS STORM WILL ALSO IMPACT...
FRANKLIN...
THREE SPRINGS...
RUSSELLVILLE...
PLUM SPRINGS...
MOUNT VICTOR...
GASPER AND COSTELOW...
BROWNING AND BUFFALO FORK...
BLUE LEVEL AND ROCKFIELD...
WARREN COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT AND BARREN RIVER...
THIS STORM WILL AFFECT INTERSTATE 65 IN KENTUCKY BETWEEN MILE MARKERS
20 AND 6.
THIS STORM WILL AFFECT THE NATCHER PARKWAY BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND
7.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS OCCURRING. EXPECT PONDING OF WATER ON LOCAL
ROADWAYS. DRIVERS SHOULD SLOW DOWN AND TURN ON THEIR HEADLIGHTS IF
ENCOUNTERING HEAVY RAINS.
&&
LAT...LON 3665 8705 3707 8705 3708 8698 3708 8694
3710 8691 3722 8644 3665 8627
TIME...MOT...LOC 1516Z 258DEG 55KT 3692 8691
AMLThe Nashville radar (KOHX), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:47 UTC.
3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
There was damage to the roof and windows at a lumber company. The time is estimated based on radar.
Two barns were damaged. One was completely blown over and the other had its roof blown off.
Four trees were uprooted. One fell on a house. Power poles and lines were down near the intersection of Shawnee Ave. and French Valley Rd.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, April 2011
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: 300004, 300007, 300013.