Widespread moderate to heavy rain showers brought heavy rain to portions of eastern KY on September 5th and 6th. The counties that received the most rain were Letcher, Bell, Lee, and Perry.
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.
Widespread moderate to heavy rain showers brought heavy rain to portions of eastern KY on September 5th and 6th. The counties that received the most rain were Letcher, Bell, Lee, and Perry. Two to four inches of rain fell in these areas. An isolated flooding event also occurred in the town of Gordon in Letcher county. The Tri-Cities area of Harlan county received 7.03 inches of rainfall over a 48 hour period beginning on Sunday, September 4th and ending on Tuesday, September 6th. Other areas of Harlan county received between 5.26 and 5.77 inches of rain over the Labor Day weekend.
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 Sep 4, 12:56 PM EST, 1 hour 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 156 PM EDT SUN SEP 4 2011 .SHORT TERM.../THE REST OF TODAY/ SURFACE COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY ALIGNED FROM NORTHERN OHIO DOWN THROUGH SOUTHEAST INDIANA AND CLOSE TO THE OHIO RIVER...WITH NEARLY STATIONARY LINE OF CONVECTION ONGOING ACROSS WESTERN KENTUCKY. ONLY MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS ARE STREAMING IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST FROM LEE...HOWEVER THERE HAS BEEN NO CONVECTION POPPING JUST YET ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY. TEMPERATURES HAVE JUMPED TO THE MID 80S WHERE THE CLOUDS HAVE BEEN THINNER...WHILE UPPER 70S AND LOWER 80S ARE THE RULE UNDER THE THICKER DECK. WILL MAINTAIN THE GOOD CHANCE TO LIKELY POPS FOR THIS AFTERNOON AS CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURES WILL EVENTUALLY BE REACHED WITH LITTLE IN THE WAY OF A CAP TODAY. HAVE JUST CONFINED THESE HIGHER POPS TO SMALLER AND LATER WINDOW FOR TODAY. THE PREVIOUS SHORT TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... /TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/ A COLD FRONT STRETCHING FROM OKLAHOMA CITY TO NEAR CHICAGO EARLY THIS MORNING WILL CONTINUE SWEEPING SOUTHEAST TODAY BUT THEN SLOW UP TONIGHT AS IT BEGINS TO INTERACT WITH A NORTHWARD MOVING TROPICAL STORM LEE. THE FRONT WILL LIKELY STALL OVER EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT WHILE THE REMNANTS OF LEE TRACK SLOWLY NORTHEASTWARD INTO ALABAMA. THE COMBINATION OF DEEP MOISTURE FLOWING NORTH FROM TROPICAL STORM LEE...AN APPROACHING SURFACE FRONT...AND INCREASING UPPER DIVERGENCE FROM THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF AN DEVELOPING H3 JET MAX WILL RESULT IN INCREASING RAIN CHANCES TODAY AND TONIGHT. WHILE CLOUD COVER WILL LIMIT DESTABILIZATION TO AN EXTENT TODAY...PROGS INDICATE QPF BLOSSOMING BETWEEN 21Z AND 00Z. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD DEVELOP BY MIDDAY AND THEN BECOME MORE NUMEROUS FROM WEST TO EAST LATE IN THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. INSTABILITY WILL FADE QUICKLY DURING THE EVENING AND THE PRECIP WILL TRANSITION TO A STRATIFORM RAIN AS THE SURFACE FRONT EASES THROUGH AND SETS UP TO OUR SOUTHEAST. THE DEEPER MOISTURE AND BEST LIFT WILL TRANSITION SLOWLY SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE DAY ON MONDAY...WITH RAIN DIMINISHING OVER OUR NORTHWEST COUNTIES BY AFTERNOON WHILE FAR SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY HOLDS ON TO A STEADY RAIN. RAIN MAY THEN TAPER OFF FOR A WHILE MONDAY EVENING OVER SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY...BUT ANOTHER WAVE OF RAIN IS EXPECTED TO FEED NORTH MONDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY AS THE FADING TROPICAL SYSTEM APPROACHES. THE NORTHWESTWARD EXTENT TO THE SECOND WAVE OF RAIN IS SOMEWHAT UNCERTAIN. THE 04/00Z MODEL SUITE..AFTER THROWING OUT THE NAM WHICH HAS INITIALIZED POORLY AROUND TROPICAL STORM LEE...CONTINUES TO PEG SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL. THROUGH 12Z TUE... AMOUNTS UP TO 3 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE VIRGINIA BORDER WITH LESSER AMOUNTS TO THE NORTHWEST. FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE IS VERY HIGH DUE TO THE RECENT DRY CONDITIONS AND THE PROLONGED NATURE OF THE EXPECTED RAINFALL SHOULD KEEP ANY HYDRO RELATED PROBLEMS TO A MINIMUM. HOWEVER...THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS DEPENDING ON WHERE THE SURFACE FRONT SETS UP...SO WILL ISSUE A HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTING OUR RAINFALL FORECAST AND ANY POTENTIAL IMPACTS. THE OTHER NOTEWORTHY ASPECT TO THIS PATTERN CHANGE WILL BE THE DRAMATIC CHANGE IN TEMPERATURES. CLOUDS AND FALLING HEIGHTS ALOFT WILL PRODUCE AT LEAST A 10 DEGREE DROP IN HIGHS TODAY COMPARED TO YESTERDAY TO BE FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER 15 TO 20 DEGREE REDUCTION IN HIGHS ON MONDAY. .LONG TERM.../TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/ THE FORECAST PERIOD WILL BE DOMINATED BY THE REMNANT LOW FROM TROPICAL STORM LEE. THE ECMWF AND GFS ARE SIMILAR IN THEIR HANDLING OF THE SYSTEM. ON TUESDAY MORNING ITS CENTER SHOULD BE OVER MS AND AL AND DRIFTING SLOWLY NORTH. DEEP MOISTURE WILL BE DRAWN NE ALONG THE APPALACHIANS IN THE FLOW OF A LARGE SCALE EASTERN CONUS MID/UPPER LEVEL TROUGH. THE BEST CHANCE AT RAIN WITHIN THE JKL FORECAST AREA WILL BE IN OUR SE ON TUESDAY. AS THE MAIN PART OF THE TROUGH LIFTS OUT...THE MOIST CONVEYOR WILL WEAKEN AND MOVE EAST. HOWEVER...THE REMNANT LOW IS FORECAST TO BE LEFT BEHIND MEANDERING OVER THE TN AND OH VALLEYS. THIS WILL MEAN A PERSISTENT POSSIBILITY OF SHOWERS...BUT WITH POPS SHOWING AN OVERALL LOWERING TREND AS THE LOW SLOWLY FILLS AND WEAKENS. ALTHOUGH POPS WILL BE LOWER BY THE END OF THE WEEK...A REDUCTION IN CLOUDS MAY ALLOW ENOUGH HEATING FOR THUNDER TO OCCUR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. FOR TEMPS...DIURNAL RANGE WILL BE LIMITED BY CLOUDS/PRECIP EARLY IN THE PERIOD...WITH HIGH TEMPS BEING BELOW NORMAL. BY THE END OF THE PERIOD TEMPERATURES SHOULD REBOUND CLOSER TO SEASONAL LEVELS. && .AVIATION.../18Z TO 18Z/...UPDATED ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN AREAL COVERAGE THROUGH THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON. STILL...WITHOUT ANYTHING ORGANIZED MOVING IN...HAVE ONLY INCLUDED VCTS AT THE TAF SITES...AND THEREFORE KEPT VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE EVENING. ANY DIRECT HIT FROM A HEAVIER SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM WILL BRING TEMPORARY LIFR OR WORSE CONDITIONS. MORE STEADIER RAINFALL AS MOISTURE FROM LEE STREAMS IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST OVERNIGHT...WHEN CEILINGS WILL GRADUALLY LOWERING TO IFR. SOME IMPROVEMENT WILL LIKELY OCCUR TOWARDS THE END OF THE PERIOD...AS THE FIRST WAVE OF MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH LEE EXITS. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SHORT TERM...ABE/GEOGERIAN LONG TERM....HAL AVIATION...GEOGERIAN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 439 AM EDT SUN SEP 4 2011 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-051100- 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- 439 AM EDT SUN SEP 4 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS EVENING. MOISTURE FROM THE REMNANTS OF TROPICAL STORM LEE WILL ALSO RESULT IN A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL BY LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. A PROLONGED PERIOD OF RAIN...HEAVY AT TIMES...IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST TUESDAY FOR MUCH OF EAST KENTUCKY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 2 TO 4 INCHES BY TUESDAY EVENING ALONG THE TENNESSEE AND VIRGINIA BORDER WITH 1 TO 2 INCHES ELSEWHERE. ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE IN AREAS THAT EXPERIENCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. ALSO...SIGNIFICANT RISES ARE LIKELY ON AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS...ESPECIALLY SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM LONDON...TO HAZARD...TO PRESTONSBURG. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND ANY INSTANCES OF FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON. ABE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 216 PM EDT SUN SEP 4 2011 KYZ120-041845- PIKE- 216 PM EDT SUN SEP 4 2011 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTY THROUGH 245 PM EDT SUNDAY AFTERNOON... PIKE. AT 215 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR MARROWBONE... OR 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF PIKEVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...FISHTRAP LAKE AROUND 225 PM EDT...RACCOON AROUND 230 PM EDT...PHYLLIS AROUND 235 PM EDT...BIGGS AROUND 240 PM EDT...KIMPER AROUND 245 PM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES AROUND ONE INCH TO ONE AND ONE QUARTER INCHES PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY 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. PELTON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 217 PM EDT SUN SEP 4 2011 KYZ119-120-041900- MARTIN-PIKE- 217 PM EDT SUN SEP 4 2011 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH 300 PM EDT SUNDAY AFTERNOON... SOUTHEASTERN MARTIN AND NORTH CENTRAL PIKE. AT 217 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR CANADA...OR 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WILLIAMSON...MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH. LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...CANADA AROUND 225 PM EDT...BELFRY AROUND 230 PM EDT...FOREST HILLS AROUND 235 PM EDT...SOUTH WILLIAMSON AROUND 240 PM EDT...RURAL AROUND 245 PM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES AROUND ONE INCH TO ONE AND ONE QUARTER INCHES PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS UP TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY 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. PELTON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 225 PM EDT SUN SEP 4 2011 KYZ110-120-041900- PIKE-FLOYD- 225 PM EDT SUN SEP 4 2011 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH 300 PM EDT SUNDAY AFTERNOON... WESTERN PIKE AND SOUTHEASTERN FLOYD. AT 224 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR GALVESTON...OR 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PIKEVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...OSBORN AROUND 230 PM EDT...CHLOE AROUND 235 PM EDT...PIKEVILLE AROUND 240 PM EDT... COAL RUN AROUND 245 PM EDT...ZEBULON AROUND 250 PM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES AROUND ONE INCH TO ONE AND ONE QUARTER INCHES PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS UP TO 45 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY 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. PELTON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 247 PM EDT SUN SEP 4 2011 KYZ120-041915- PIKE- 247 PM EDT SUN SEP 4 2011 ...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTY THROUGH 315 PM EDT SUNDAY AFTERNOON... PIKE. AT 246 PM EDT...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED NEAR GARDEN VILLAGE...OR NEAR PIKEVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...CHLOE AROUND 300 PM EDT...FISHTRAP LAKE AROUND 305 PM EDT...RACCOON AROUND 310 PM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF ONE TO ONE AND A HALF INCHES PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 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. DUSTY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 250 PM EDT SUN SEP 4 2011 KYZ058-059-041930- POWELL-ESTILL- 250 PM EDT SUN SEP 4 2011 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH 330 PM EDT SUNDAY AFTERNOON... POWELL AND ESTILL. AT 250 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR WINSTON...OR NEAR IRVINE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...WISEMAN CROSSING STATION AROUND 255 PM EDT...HARGETT AROUND 300 PM EDT... HARDWICK AROUND 305 PM EDT...VAUGHNS MILL AROUND 310 PM EDT... KNOWLTON AROUND 315 PM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES BETWEEN ONE AND TWO INCHES 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. DUSTY
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
9 heavy rain, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
A coop weather observer reported that 3.38 inches of rain had fallen near Whitesburg since Sunday afternoon. Of that total, 2.27 inches had fallen since 7 am Monday morning.
From 730 pm on September 4th through 230 pm on September 5th, 2.70 inches of rain fell near Whitesburg.
A trained spotter reported that 2 inches of rain had fallen in Engle since 730 pm on Sunday, September 4th.
A half an inch of rain fell in 30 minutes near Whitesburg. The total rainfall since Sunday evening was 3 inches.
Water of unknown depth flowing over Hwy 160 in Gordon. Road is currently open and this is a flood prone area.
The 12 hour rainfall total ending at 8 pm at Whitesburg was 3.05 inches. The 24 hour rainfall total was 4.16 inches.
As 730 am on September 6th, 5.40 inches of rain had fallen in Cumberland. This was a 48 hour rainfall total.
A total of 2.67 inches of rain had fallen in Ida May since Sunday, September 4th.
A total of 1.65 inches of rain had fallen near Pineville since Monday afternoon. The storm total rainfall since Sunday afternoon was 4.35 inches.
The 48 hour rainfall total ending at 730 pm in Chavies was 2.80 inches.
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, September 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: 339397, 339395, 339398, 339394, 339630, 339399, 339403, 339400, 339401, 339402.