A mesoscale convective system intensified over the Lower Ohio Valley as it interacted with a moist and increasingly unstable atmosphere. The combination of daytime heating and an unstable southerly wind flow contributed to the intensification of the system, which exhibited bowing structures at times.
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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 mesoscale convective system intensified over the Lower Ohio Valley as it interacted with a moist and increasingly unstable atmosphere. The combination of daytime heating and an unstable southerly wind flow contributed to the intensification of the system, which exhibited bowing structures at times. Westerly winds of 40 to 45 knots in the mid levels of the atmosphere supported the acceleration of the bow echo across the region. Isolated wind damage accompanied the system.
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 Jun 27, 5:55 AM CST, 4 hours 51 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 655 AM CDT MON JUN 27 2011 .UPDATE... UPDATED BOTH PUBLIC AND AVIATION SECTIONS && .DISCUSSION... CLOUD TOPS ASSOCIATED WITH MISSOURI MCS CONTINUE TO STEADILY WARM IN IR IMAGERY EARLY THIS MORNING. A LARGE AREA OF ELEVATED SHOWERS AND STORMS DEVELOPED ABOVE THE SURFACE COLD POOL ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SE MISSOURI. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD WEAKEN AS THE LOW LEVEL JET WEAKENS THIS MORNING. RAISED POPS FOR THE MORNING HOURS ACROSS PARTS OF THE AREA DUE TO THIS ELEVATED CONVECTION. IN ADDITION...NEW CONVECTION DEVELOPED NEAR THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY ACROSS THE PENNYRILE REGION OF WEST KENTUCKY AROUND 11Z. THIS OUTFLOW BOUNDARY MAY CONTINUE TO SERVE AS THE FOCUS FOR NEW STORMS THROUGH THE DAY AS DAYTIME HEATING COMMENCES. GIVEN THE STRENGTH OF 700 MB WARM ADVECTION AND RESULTANT CAPPING...SURFACE BASED DEVELOPMENT MAY NOT OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON IN SOUTHWEST COUNTIES. WILL MAINTAIN SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR THE AFTERNOON HOURS ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA...EXCEPT UP TO 50 PERCENT IN THE REGION OF WEAKER CAPPING IN THE PENNYRILE REGION AND ALONG INTERSTATE 64. A SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL SAG SOUTHEAST TONIGHT...REACHING THE OHIO RIVER IN THE 06Z TO 09Z TIME FRAME. AS THIS FRONT ENCOUNTERS COOLING MID LEVEL TEMPS ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG SHORTWAVE CROSSING THE GREAT LAKES REGION...THE CHANCE OF STORMS WILL INCREASE ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THE FRONT WILL EXIT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE FORECAST AREA AROUND 12Z. POPS TONIGHT WILL BE KEPT SOMEWHAT HIGHER THAN MOST MODEL GUIDANCE. MODERATELY STRONG MID LEVEL FLOW WILL SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL FOR ORGANIZED CLUSTERS OR LINES...WITH SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS. IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT...SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING A SURGE OF DRIER AIR...SIMILAR TO THE AIR MASS OF LATE LAST WEEK. GIVEN ABUNDANT SUNSHINE...HIGH TEMPS WILL ACTUALLY BE WARMER BEHIND THE FRONT DUE TO THE ABSENCE OF CLOUDS AND STORMS. THE HIGH WILL KEEP THIS AIR MASS IN PLACE TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...THEN SOUTHEAST TO SOUTH RETURN FLOW WILL BRING HOT WEATHER FOR THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THE AXIS OF A STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BECOME ESTABLISHED FROM EAST TO WEST ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY TO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE UPPER HIGH WILL BEGIN TO BREAK DOWN LATE IN THE WEEKEND...ALLOWING AT LEAST A SLIGHT CHANCE OF STORMS AND SLIGHT COOLING SUNDAY. THIS TREND SHOULD CONTINUE INTO MONDAY THE FOURTH. && .AVIATION... SCT TSRA THROUGH MID MORNING FOR ALL TAF SITES. VFR CIGS AND VSBYS EXCEPT MVFR IN STORMS. WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST AROUND 10 MPH WITH A FEW HIGHER GUSTS POSSIBLE. AFTER A REPRIEVE FROM THE MORNING TSRA...SHOULD SEE ANOTHER CHANCE OF STORMS IN THE EVENING HOURS MONDAY WITH A FRONTAL PASSAGE. WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE WINDS SHOULD VEER AROUND TO THE NORTHWEST AROUND 10 MPH. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... KY...NONE. MO...NONE. IL...NONE. IN...NONE. && PUBLIC...MY AVIATION...JAP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 408 AM CDT MON JUN 27 2011 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-280915- 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- 408 AM CDT MON JUN 27 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT. DURING THE DAY...MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR ALONG AND NORTHEAST OF A LINE FROM CARBONDALE ILLINOIS TO HOPKINSVILLE KENTUCKY. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE REGION TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY. THE MAIN HAZARDS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL PRODUCED BY LINES OR CLUSTERS OF STORMS. VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL OCCUR WITH THE STORMS...BUT THE QUICK MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS SHOULD LIMIT RAINFALL AMOUNTS. RIVER FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ON SOME AREA RIVERS. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD STATEMENTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY HOT AND HUMID WEATHER WILL ARRIVE LATE IN THE WEEK. THE HEAT INDEX MAY PEAK OVER 100 DEGREES IN PARTS OF THE REGION FRIDAY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS FORECAST LATE IN THE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED TODAY OR TONIGHT. MY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 1008 AM CDT MON JUN 27 2011 ILZ084-MOZ076-271530- JACKSON IL-PERRY MO- 1008 AM CDT MON JUN 27 2011 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL JACKSON COUNTY IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...AND CENTRAL PERRY COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI UNTIL 1030 AM CDT... AT 1004 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY STRONG WINDS BETWEEN 40 AND 50 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR PERRYVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 50 MPH. LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE IMPACTED INCLUDE GORHAM...MURPHYSBORO...DE SOTO AND CARBONDALE. FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS AS WELL. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN...WHICH MAY RESULT IN STANDING WATER ON AREA ROADS. WATER LEVELS IN SMALL CREEKS...STREAMS AND IN DITCHES MAY RISE QUICKLY...ESPECIALLY IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.
The Paducah radar (KPAH), 13 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:45 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 1 heavy rain, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Two trees were blown down on a rural road.
A wind gust to 62 mph was measured at the National Weather Service at Barkley Regional Airport.
A National Weather Service employee estimated a wind gust to 60 mph along U.S. Highway 60 just west of Paducah. At least a dozen trees were blown down in the Paducah area. One tree landed across a roadway. Another tree landed on a house in Paducah. Large tree limbs were blown down on the south side of Paducah. Some limbs were down on cars. Widespread power outages were reported. At the Paducah high school, a fence was damaged at the tennis courts. Track and field equipment was damaged.
Large tree limbs were down. Siding was blown off a house.
Ponding of water was reported on streets in Owensboro. The storm dumped 1.89 inches at Stanley. About two inches was estimated to have fallen at Owensboro. Most of the rain fell within 30 minutes.
Numerous large tree limbs were blown down on the west side of the city, where a wind gust of 61 mph was measured. In downtown Owensboro, a wind gust to 60 mph was measured.
Two trees were blown down on Route 973 on the northwest side of Dunmor.
Sporadic power outages occurred due to lightning strikes.
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, June 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: 314641, 314651, 314642, 314643, 315051, 314644, 314645, 314639.