Numerous strong to severe thunderstorms brought multiple rounds of severe weather to eastern KY during the afternoon and early evening hours of May 22nd. 75 inch diameter hail and downed trees were received at the Jackson weather office on this day.
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 JKL wrote it up.
Numerous strong to severe thunderstorms brought multiple rounds of severe weather to eastern KY during the afternoon and early evening hours of May 22nd. Numerous reports of 0.25 to 0.75 inch diameter hail and downed trees were received at the Jackson weather office on this 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 Jackson, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 22, 2:22 PM EST, 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 322 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011 .SHORT TERM.../TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/...UPDATED THE MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH GENERALLY MAINTAINING BROAD SOUTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE OHIO AND TENNESSEE VALLEYS THROUGH THE SHORT TERM. THE UPPER LEVEL LOW CURRENTLY SPINNING ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS WILL DAMPEN AND EVENTUALLY BE ABSORBED INTO A DEEPER TROUGH TRAVERSING SOUTHEAST CANADA. MEANWHILE...ANOTHER STRONG SHORT WAVE WILL MOVE IN FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND EVENTUALLY CUTOFF AS IT DEVELOPS ACROSS THE ROCKIES AND INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. OCCLUDED/COLD FRONT CURRENTLY ALIGNED FROM SOUTHERN MN DOWN THROUGH SOUTHERN KS WILL WEAKEN AND EVENTUALLY LAY OUT ALONG OR JUST NORTH OF THE OHIO RIVER BY TUESDAY...WITH A DEEPER AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ORGANIZING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. CURRENTLY...A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAS DEVELOPED OUT AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING MCS OUT OF TN/AR. MODERATE INSTABILITY AND SHEAR OUT AHEAD OF THIS LINE WILL SUPPORT A SEVERE THREAT THROUGH THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. ONCE THIS LINE MOVES THROUGH...CONVECTION WILL BE ON THE DEMISE UNTIL OVERNIGHT TONIGHT...WHEN A LOW LEVEL JET RAMPS UP ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY. THE MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THIS FEATURE...SO HAVE RAMPED UP POPS TO LIKELY FOR MOST BETWEEN 06 AND 12Z. THE NOCTURNALLY DRIVEN LOW LEVEL JET WILL SUBSIDE MONDAY MORNING... WITH MODELS SHOWING SOME SHORT WAVE RIDGING TAKING PLACE DURING THE DAY AND SOUNDINGS DRYING OUT. STILL...CAN NOT RULE OUT SOME ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION RE-FIRING IN THE AFTERNOON...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES NEARBY. MONDAY NIGHT...ANOTHER LOW LEVEL WILL RAMP UP ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY...YIELDING AN INCREASE IN CONVECTION ONCE AGAIN BETWEEN 06 AND 12Z. SINCE THE JET WILL BE MORE FOCUSED A BIT FURTHER NORTH...HAVE FAVORED A NORTH TO SOUTH GRADIENT IN POPS. BY TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT...AREAS OF LOW PRESSURE WILL BE TRAVERSING THE SURFACE BOUNDARY NEARBY. WILL GENERALLY MAINTAIN HIGHER POPS IN THE NORTH AND LESS IN SOUTH. THERE WILL BE AN ONGOING SLIGHT CHANCE OF SEVERE THREAT THROUGH THE SHORT TERM AS WELL...PARTICULARLY DURING THE TIMES OF PEAK HEATING. FOR TEMPERATURES...STUCK CLOSE TO THE INHERITED NUMBERS...FAVORING A MORE DIURNALLY LIMITED RANGE IN TEMPERATURES...WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW TO MID 80S AND LOWS IN THE 60S. .LONG TERM.../WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...UPDATED THE MODELS SEEM TO BE IN BETTER AGREEMENT ALOFT FOR THE START OF THE EXTENDED PORTION OF THE FORECAST TODAY THAN YESTERDAY. A PROGRESSIVE CLOSED LOW WILL ROTATE ITS WAY EAST THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND INTO THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ON WEDNESDAY. AS THIS HAPPENS RIDGING WILL BUILD BRIEFLY THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF THE NATION. HOWEVER...THIS LOW WILL OPEN UP BY THURSDAY MORNING AND DIFFERENCES BEGIN TO MAGNIFY IN THE MODEL SOLUTIONS. THE GFS STARTS TO MOVE THIS FEATURE FASTER TO THE EAST WHEN COMPARED TO THE GEM AND 00Z ECMWF. REGARDLESS...AS THIS LOW FILLS ITS ENERGY WILL DRIFT EAST THROUGH THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY DURING THE DAY THURSDAY CARRIED BY MID LEVEL SOUTHWEST FLOW. BY 00Z FRIDAY...THE ECMWF IS CLEARLY THE LEAST PROGRESSIVE MODEL AT 500 MBS...HOLDING BACK THE BULK OF ITS ENERGY. THESE TIMING DIFFERENCES MAINTAIN THE LOWER THAN USUAL CONFIDENCE LEVELS FOR THE LATTER PART OF THE EXTENDED. THE QUESTION REMAINS FOR THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND JUST HOW THE EASTERN TROUGH EVOLVES IN THE WAKE OF RE-ENFORCING ENERGY ENTERING THE PICTURE FROM THE NORTHWEST. THE ECMWF...TO A GREATER EXTENT THAN THE OTHERS...ALLOWS THE ENERGY FROM THE NEXT WAVE TO MEET UP WITH ITS OHIO VALLEY TROUGH. THIS WILL EFFECTIVELY HOLD THE LOW HEIGHTS IN PLACE...NEARLY OVERHEAD...WELL INTO THE WEEKEND. IN FACT...BY SUNDAY...THE PREFERRED ECMWF IS ENTIRELY OUT OF PHASE WITH THE GFS...REFLECTING A DEEP CLOSED LOW THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY RATHER THAN RIDGING. GIVEN CONTINUITY AND ENSEMBLE SUPPORT HAVE FOLLOWED THE 00Z ECMWF FOR WEATHER DETAILS. SENSIBLE WEATHER WILL FEATURE SEVERAL SFC WAVES MOVING THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY IN CONJUNCTION WITH A WAVY BOUNDARY LYING JUST NORTH OF THE CWA. INITIALLY THIS WILL FAVOR THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA FOR CONVECTION...BUT ONCE INITIATED...OUTFLOWS AND MESO/MICROSCALE FEATURES WILL DRIVE THE EVOLUTION OF ANY STORMS...LOWERING PREDICTABILITY. THE CONVECTION WILL LIKELY FAVOR A DIURNAL PEAK LATE EACH AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...BUT NOCTURNAL ACTIVITY FROM THE NORTHWEST MAY IMPINGE ON PARTS OF THE AREA WELL AFTER THE DAYTIME HEAT WOULD HAVE DISSIPATED. THE BEST CHANCE OF CONVECTION WILL LIKELY HOLD OFF FOR ALL OF EAST KENTUCKY UNTIL LATER IN THE WEEK AS THE UPPER LOW AND ITS SFC REFLECTION MOVE DEEPER INTO THE OHIO VALLEY LATER THURSDAY AND INTO FRIDAY. UNTIL THEN...HAVE DRAWN A MINIMUM IN POPS AND SKY FOR THE FAR SOUTHEAST...BUT WITH THE BOUNDARY CLOSER TO THE NORTHWEST...POPS IN THOSE AREAS WILL PEAK NEAR 50 PERCENT EACH AFTERNOON. FOR THE WEEKEND...FOLLOWING THE 00Z ECMWF SOLUTION... HAVE PAINTED A DAMPER AND COOLER FORECAST THAN IMPLIED BY THE SUPER PROGRESSIVE GFS. WHILE THE WEATHER WILL BE RATHER UNSETTLE UP TO AND THROUGH THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND...EXPECT THE TIMES OF STORMS TO BE INFREQUENT ENOUGH TO PRECLUDE ANY HYDRO ISSUES OUTSIDE OF FLASH FLOODING SHOULD EXCESSIVE TRAINING OCCUR. FOLLOWED A BLEND OF THE INHERITED GRIDS AND HPC GUIDANCE FOR FORECAST HIGHS AND LOWS THROUGH THE LONG TERM ALONG WITH MINOR TERRAIN DRIVEN ADJUSTMENTS MADE FOR MINIMUMS. AS FOR POPS...ENDED UP ON THE DRY SIDE OF MEX THROUGH FRIDAY...BUT MAINTAINED HIGHER VALUES OVER THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. && .AVIATION.../18Z TO 18Z/ A BROKEN LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING IN FROM CENTRAL TENNESSEE AND WESTERN KENTUCKY WILL REACH SME BETWEEN 20 AND 21Z AND LOZ BETWEEN 21 AND 22Z. AM COUNTING ON THESE HOLDING TOGETHER ENOUGH FOR TEMPORARY MVFR IMPACT AT BOTH TERMINALS AT THESE TIMES. AT JKL...THERE IS MORE UNCERTAINTY...AND WILL ONLY CARRY A VCTS. DEPENDING UPON CLEARING AND THE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL RECEIVED...IFR FOG AT BOTH SME AND LOZ IS CERTAINLY POSSIBLE. FOR NOW...HAVE CONTINUED TO MENTION A DROP DOWN TO MVFR. OVERNIGHT...A LOW LEVEL JET WILL RAMP UP ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY...BRINGING A RENEWED THREAT OF CONVECTION ACROSS THE AREA. THE CONVECTION WILL LIKELY EASE UP BY THE MID-MORNING HOURS ON MONDAY...WITH ONLY WIDELY SCATTERED STORMS POSSIBLE LATER IN THE AFTERNOON. SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 5 TO 10 KTS WILL LIGHTEN UP TOWARDS DUSK THIS EVENING...AND THEN RAMP UP TO AROUND 10 KTS AFTER 15Z ON MONDAY. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 9 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR KYZ044- 050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. && SHORT TERM...GEOGERIAN LONG TERM...GREIF AVIATION...GEOGERIAN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 849 AM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-231100- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE- JACKSON-PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-HARLAN- ELLIOTT-MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-LEE-BREATHITT-KNOTT- OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-LETCHER-MARTIN-PIKE- 849 AM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD APPROACH SEVERE LIMITS...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE MAIN THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. SOME OF THE STORMS ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY COULD APPROACH SEVERE LIMITS...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS BEING THE MAIN THREATS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY OCCURRENCES OF HAIL AS WELL AS STRONG OR DAMAGING WINDS THROUGH TUESDAY. GEOGERIAN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 257 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011 KYZ068-069-080-221930- ROCKCASTLE-LAUREL-JACKSON- 257 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH 330 PM EDT SUNDAY AFTERNOON... JACKSON... SOUTHEASTERN ROCKCASTLE AND NORTH CENTRAL LAUREL. AT 257 PM EDT...A STRENGTHENING THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR HAZEL PATCH...OR 9 MILES NORTHWEST OF LONDON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...VICTORY AROUND 305 PM EDT...MERSHONS AROUND 310 PM EDT...TEMPLER AROUND 315 PM EDT...CARICO AROUND 320 PM EDT...DANGO AROUND 325 PM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AS HIGH AS 40 TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER THEN LIGHTNING IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE A HAZARD. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY. PELTON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 259 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011 KYZ104-221915- ELLIOTT- 259 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTY THROUGH 315 PM EDT SUNDAY AFTERNOON... EASTERN ELLIOTT. AT 259 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BRUIN...OR 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF SANDY HOOK...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...RURAL EAST CENTRAL ELLIOTT COUNTY AROUND 305 PM EDT. RURAL EXTREME EAST CENTRAL ELLIOTT COUNTY AROUND 310 PM EDT. RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER THEN LIGHTNING IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE A HAZARD. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY. PELTON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 304 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011 KYZ080-084>087-116-221930- LAUREL-WHITLEY-MCCREARY-CLAY-KNOX-BELL- 304 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011 ...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH 330 PM EDT SUNDAY AFTERNOON... SOUTH CENTRAL CLAY... SOUTHEASTERN LAUREL... KNOX... WHITLEY... EASTERN MCCREARY AND BELL. AT 304 PM EDT...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED NEAR PERKINS...OR 9 MILES NORTHEAST OF WILLIAMSBURG...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...DISHMAN SPRINGS AROUND 310 PM EDT...PROVIDENCE AROUND 315 PM EDT...CANNON AROUND 320 PM EDT...GIRDLER AROUND 325 PM EDT...GREEN ROAD AROUND 330 PM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER THEN LIGHTNING IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE A HAZARD. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY. PELTON
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
324 PM EDT SUN MAY 22 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0312 PM HAIL 6 ESE BRUIN 38.17N 82.92W
05/22/2011 E0.50 INCH ELLIOTT KY TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
KASThe Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 68 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:34 UTC.
14 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were blown down along KY Hwy 577 in Moores Creek.
Two trees were reported down along KY Hwy 11 in the northern end of the county.
The county dispatch office reported trees down along KY Hwy 587 two miles south of New Zion.
A few trees and large limbs were reported to have been blown down in Monticello.
Ping pong ball size hail fell for about 5 minutes in Manchester.
Trees were blown down in Oneida.
A tree was blown down 1 mile southwest of Eubank.
A tree was blown down in Woodstock along KY Hwy 39.
A tree was blown down along Homestead Drive.
A tree was blown down 1 mile east of Elihu.
A tree was blown down along County Rd.
A tree was blown down along Hwy 451 west of Hazard.
A tree was blown down near KY Hwy 15 south of Ned.
Trees and power lines were blown down in Staffordsville.
Trees and power lines were blown down in Stambaugh.
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, May 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: 306494, 306495, 306496, 306497, 306498, 306499, 306500, 306501, 306502, 306504, 306505, 306506, 306507, 306508, 306509, 306511, 306512, 306513.