Isolated severe thunderstorms occurred in the very hot and unstable late afternoon hours. The storms occurred on the eastern periphery of a strong upper-level high centered over the southern Plains.
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.
Isolated severe thunderstorms occurred in the very hot and unstable late afternoon hours. The storms occurred on the eastern periphery of a strong upper-level high centered over the southern Plains. A weak surface warm front extended from Iowa to southwest Indiana.
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 Jul 18, 2:04 PM CST, 4 hours 56 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
304 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012
.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT)
ISSUED AT 230 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012
SOME WELCOMED CHANGES STILL EXPECTED IN THE SHORT TERM.
UNFORTUNATELY THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON THE COMBINATION OF HIGH
AND HUMIDITY WILL PRODUCE HEAT INDICES FROM AROUND 100 OVER THE
SOUTHEAST SECTIONS OF THE CWA TO AROUND 110 OVER THE NORTHERN AND
WESTERN SECTIONS. CLOUD COVER WITH ANY CONVECTION THAT DEVELOPS
MAY PREVENT SOME AREAS FROM REACHING THEIR FORECAST HEAT INDEX...BUT
IT SHOULD BE NO PROBLEM ELSEWHERE.
BY LATE THURSDAY THE UPPER RIDGE SHOULD BEGIN TO RETROGRADE
ENOUGH TO ALLOW AN UPPER LEVEL TROF TO DROP SOUTHWARD ACROSS THE
LOWER OHIO VALLEY ON FRIDAY. THE TROF IS EXPECTED TO PUSH A WEAK
COLD FRONT SLOWLY ACROSS OUR CWA...SO WE EXPECT A BIT MORE
CONVECTION THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY OVER AREAS EAST OF THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER. WEST OF THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI EXPECT LESS
DEVELOPMENT WITH THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE UPPER RIDGE POKING IN
ALONG WITH WARMER TEMPERATURES ALOFT.
PRECIP CHANCES MAY LINGER OVER THE SOUTHEAST SECTIONS OF THE CWA
FRIDAY NIGHT BEFORE THE AFOREMENTIONED TROF AND FRONTAL BOUNDARY
CLEAR THE AREA.
.LONG TERM...(SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)
ISSUED AT 230 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012
MODELS ARE IN FAIRLY DECENT AGREEMENT FOR THE EXTENDED PERIOD. WITH
THE PASSAGE OF THE FRONT ON FRIDAY...HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD BACK
IN FOR THE WEEKEND GIVING US A SLIGHTLY COOLER AND DRIER COUPLE OF
DAYS. THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BUILD BACK OVER THE REGION FROM THE
WEST NEXT WEEK. THE RIDGE WILL BE WEAKEST OVER OUR EASTERNMOST
COUNTIES AND HAVE INCLUDED SLIGHT CHANCES OF DIURNAL SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE ON THE RISE TOPPING OUT IN THE
MIDDLE AND UPPER 90S BY WEDNESDAY. HEAT INDICES WILL BE BACK ABOVE
100 DEGREES BOTH TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.
&&
.AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY AFTERNOON)
ISSUED AT 230 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012
SCATTERED CONVECTION IS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON BUT NO CONFIDENCE
FOR WHERE OR WHEN THEY WILL DEVELOP AND IF THEY WILL OCCUR NEAR ONE
OF THE TAF SITES. HAVE SCATTERED CU AOA 4K THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. CU
SHOULD DISSIPATE AFTER SUNSET AND WINDS WILL DIE DOWN AND BECOME
MORE VARIABLE. EXPECT PATCHY FOG AFTER 06Z AT MOST SITES. AFTER 14Z
SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL PICK BACK UP BETWEEN 5 AND 10 KTS.
&&
.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IL...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM CDT THURSDAY FOR ILZ089>094.
EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING UNTIL 10 PM CDT THURSDAY FOR ILZ075>078-
080>088.
MO...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM CDT THURSDAY FOR MOZ110>112-114.
EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING UNTIL 10 PM CDT THURSDAY FOR MOZ076-086-
087-100-107>109.
IN...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING UNTIL 10 PM CDT THURSDAY FOR INZ081-082-
085>088.
KY...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM CDT THURSDAY FOR KYZ001>008-010-011-
013-015-016-020.
EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING UNTIL 10 PM CDT THURSDAY FOR KYZ014-018-
019.
&&
SHORT TERM...JP
LONG TERM....MLHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 346 AM CDT WED JUL 18 2012 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-191000- 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- 346 AM CDT WED JUL 18 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM FOR THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE REGION...WHERE THE HEAT INDEX WILL PEAK AROUND 105. THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE REGION WILL PEAK AROUND 100. REFER TO THE ADVISORY PRODUCT AND SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR DETAILS. A CHANCE OF MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS IS FORECAST AS WELL. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT...BUT A STRAY STORM MAY BRIEFLY PULSE UP TO NEAR SEVERE LEVELS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS FORECAST THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE THE PRIMARY THREAT...BUT A STRAY STORM MAY BRIEFLY PULSE UP TO NEAR SEVERE LEVELS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD MAINTAIN ALERT STATUS IN CASE THEIR ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 213 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012 KYZ009-012-017-021-022-190400- CALLOWAY-TRIGG-CHRISTIAN-MUHLENBERG-TODD- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MURRAY...CADIZ...HOPKINSVILLE... GREENVILLE...ELKTON 213 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012 ...HEAT INDICES FROM 100 TO 105 THIS AFTERNOON AND THURSDAY AFTERNOON... HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT AND SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS AT THE SURFACE WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO CLIMB INTO THE MID 90S TODAY AND THURSDAY OVER THAT PART OF KENTUCKY GENERALLY SOUTH AND EAST OF A LINE FROM GREENVILLE TO MURRAY. HEAT INDEX VALUES IN THIS AREA WILL RANGE FROM 100 TO 105 IN THE AFTERNOON. FOR AREAS IMMEDIATELY NORTH AND WEST OF THIS AREA...A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 10 PM THURSDAY FOR FORECAST HEAT INDEX VALUES NEAR 105. HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE THROUGH THURSDAY WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. HOWEVER...HEAT INDEX VALUES ARE STILL LIKELY TO CLIMB TO AT LEAST 100 ONCE AGAIN THURSDAY AFTERNOON. TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY...DO NOT SPEND EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF TIME IN THE SUN. DRINK PLENTY OF EXTRA FLUIDS...AND TRY TO STAY IN AN AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENT. JP
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
254 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0252 PM HAIL 7 N PEMBROKE 36.88N 87.36W
07/18/2012 E0.75 INCH CHRISTIAN KY TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
DLLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
412 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0409 PM TSTM WND DMG HOPKINSVILLE 36.85N 87.49W
07/18/2012 CHRISTIAN KY TRAINED SPOTTER
TREE DOWN ON ANTIOCH ROAD NORTH OF HOPKINSVILLE. A
POWERLINE DOWN ON BUTLER ROAD
&&
DLLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
509 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0340 PM TSTM WND DMG 6 S HOPKINSVILLE 36.77N 87.49W
07/18/2012 CHRISTIAN KY EMERGENCY MNGR
LATE REPORT. TREE AND MULTIPLE 5 INCH LIMBS DOWN ALONG
LONG POND ROAD. CORN FLATTENED.
&&
SMITTYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
649 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0647 PM HAIL HAZEL 36.51N 88.33W
07/18/2012 M1.75 INCH CALLOWAY KY TRAINED SPOTTER
GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN THE COMMUNITY. HAIL THE
SIZE OF QUARTERS REPORTED NORTH OF TOWN. WIND GUSTS 40 TO
50 MPH OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
&&
SMITTYSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 708 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012 KYZ019-190030- DAVIESS KY- 708 PM CDT WED JUL 18 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EASTERN DAVIESS COUNTY IN NORTHWEST KENTUCKY UNTIL 730 PM CDT... AT 705 PM CDT...STORM SPOTTERS REPORTED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR KNOTTSVILLE...OR 15 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ROCKPORT...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE IMPACTED INCLUDE... WHITESVILLE. DB
The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 68 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:58 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Some tree branches were blown down. Wind gusts were measured up to 63 mph. The strong winds occurred outside of the precipitation area of thunderstorms that were located on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, July 2012
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: 391221.