Isolated incidences of flash flooding were reported in Floyd and Pike counties during the late morning hours of August 15th.
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.
Isolated incidences of flash flooding were reported in Floyd and Pike counties during the late morning hours of August 15th.
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 Aug 15, 7:17 AM EST, 1 hour 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 817 AM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 815 AM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 GRIDS AND ZFP WERE FRESHENED UP TO BETTER TIME THE BAND OF SHOWERS ACROSS THE REGION. THE SHOWERS SHOULD TAPER TO SPRINKLES AND ISOLATED SHOWERS AND GRADUALLY END FROM WEST TO EAST OVER THE NEXT 5 TO 6 HRS AS THE MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE DEPARTS. UPDATE ISSUED AT 608 AM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 A BAND OF SHOWERS HAS DEVELOPED OVER THE WESTERN...AND PARTICULARLY SOUTHWESTERN PART OF THE CWA IN ADVANCE OF A SHORTWAVE TROUGH. THE LOCATION OF PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN GENERALLY WHERE IT WAS EXPECTED EARLIER...BUT KY MESONET...AWOS AND ASOS OBS OVER SOUTHCENTRAL KY INDICATE THE PRECIPITATION IS MEASURING. WITH THAT IN MIND...OPTED TO RAISE POPS ACROSS LOCATIONS GENERALLY SOUTH OF THE MTN PARKWAY AND FINE TUNED TIMING BASED ON RADAR AND 6Z MODEL TRENDS. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 345 AM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 EARLY THIS MORNING...A MEAN TROUGH EXTENDED FROM THE HUDSON BAY REGION SOUTH INTO THE EASTERN CONUS...WITH RICING OVER THE DESERT SW. A RELATIVELY VIGOROUS SHORTWAVE TROUGH WAS ENTERING THE NORTHERN ROCKIES WITH ANOTHER JUST UPSTREAM OF THE REGION OVER SOUTHERN IL AND WESTERN KY AND WESTERN TN...MOVING THROUGH THE MEAN TROUGH POSITION. AT THE SFC...THE BOUNDARY THAT MOVED THROUGH THE REGION ON TUE AFTERNOON/EVENING...OR WHAT IS LEFT OF IT EXTENDED FROM THE NORTHEASTERN STATES SW INTO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. PLENTY OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE LINGERS ACROSS THE REGION BEHIND THIS BOUNDARY...AS EVIDENCED BY LOW STRATUS AND FOG CURRENTLY AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS IN EASTERN KY AND NEARBY SW VA AND WV. THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH JUST TO OUR WEST WILL MOVE EAST INTO THE REGION OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS...PASSING EAST BY MIDDAY. THE MODEL CONSENSUS IS FOR SOME RENEWED CONVECTION DEVELOP PRIOR TO DAWN AND WINDING DOWN BY AROUND MIDDAY AS THE SHORTWAVE PASSES AND INTERACTS WITH MOISTURE REMAINING BEHIND THE BOUNDARY. ELEVATED INSTABILITY COULD BE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH FOR AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN COUNTIES A COUPLE OF HOURS EITHER SIDE OF 12Z. CURRENT RADAR RETURNS ARE NOT ALL THAT IMPRESSIVE AS OF YET...AND THE MODELS SEEM TO INDICATE THAT THE CONVECTION WILL DEVELOP OVER THE JKL CWA AFTER ABOUT 9Z OR CLOSER TO 5 AM. ISOLATED POPS HAVE BEEN USED FOR THIS IN THE NORTH AND SCATTERED POPS IN THE SE...WITH THE HIGHEST NEAR THE VA BORDER. UPSLOPE LOW LEVEL FLOW MAY LEAD TO SHOWERS LINGERING A BIT LONGER NEAR THE VA BORDER. OTHERWISE...HEIGHT RISES/UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE RIDGING SHOULD BUILD INTO THE REGION IN THE WAKE OF THE SHORTWAVE BY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN LATER TODAY...BEFORE MOVING EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF THE APPALACHIANS ON THU. THE UPPER RIDGING WILL ALSO BE RATHER SHORT LIVED...THOUGH AND WILL SHIFT EAST OF THE REGION ON THU. CLEARING SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS SHOULD FAVOR AT LEAST PATCHY VALLEY FOG TONIGHT AS THE GROUND WILL REMAIN MOIST IN SOME AREAS...AND AIR TEMPS THERE SHOULD ALSO FALL BELOW STREAM WATER TEMPS. DRY WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED ON THU IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT APPROACHING SHORTWAVE TROUGH AND SFC COLD FRONT THAT WILL AFFECT THE REGION IN THE LONG TERM PORTION OF THE FORECAST. MAX TEMPS WILL BE SUPPRESSED TODAY WITH INITIAL CLOUD COVER AND SCATTERED PRECIP. WITH THE HIGH IN PLACE...MIN T TONIGHT WILL ALSO AVERAGE A COUPLE OF DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. HOWEVER...RETURN FLOW IN ADVANCE OF THE NEXT SYSTEM WILL LEAD TO MAX T MODERATING TO A COUPLE OF DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FOR THU. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 300 AM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 MODELS IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH MUCH OF THE EXTENDED. SOME SLIGHT DIFFERENCES WITH RESPECT TO TIMING WITH A COLD FRONT ON FRIDAY WITH REALLY THE NAM BEING THE OUTLIER. THE ECMWF...SREF...AND GFS ARE A BIT SLOWER...SO HAVE KEPT THE FORECAST TOWARDS THE SLOWER SOLUTION. SHOWERS AND STORMS MAY BE KNOCKING ON OUR DOOR BY 00Z FRIDAY...BUT AS THE SHOWERS AND STORMS OUTRUN THE BETTER DYNAMICS AND INSTABILITY WANES...MUCH OF THIS SHOULD DISSIPATE PRIOR TO REACHING THE I-75 CORRIDOR. THE FRONT WILL MAKE PROGRESS TOWARDS EASTERN KENTUCKY BY DAYBREAK FRIDAY WITH RAIN CHANCES INCREASING FROM THE NORTHWEST. THESE CHANCES WILL CONTINUE TO GO UP ON FRIDAY AS THE FRONT PUSHES ITS WAY SOUTH AND EAST ACROSS THE AREA. THERE IS SOME WEAK INSTABILITY AND WEAK WIND SHEAR THROUGH THE DAY FRIDAY TO SUPPORT A SLIGHT RISK FOR A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. HOWEVER...IF CLOUD COVER IS A BIT MORE ROBUST...THIS COULD PUT THE CAP ON ANY POTENTIAL STRONG THUNDERSTORMS. MAIN THREAT WOULD LIKELY BE DAMAGING WINDS WITH THE FREEZING LEVEL SO HIGH AND NOT TERRIBLY IMPRESSIVE INSTABILITY. SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL LINGER INTO FRIDAY EVENING WITH A FEW SHOWERS POSSIBLY LINGERING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST TOWARDS DAYBREAK SATURDAY. HOWEVER...HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN BEHIND THE DEPARTING FRONT WITH A VERY COOL AIRMASS SPREADING SOUTH INTO THE AREA FOR THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. THIS WILL SET UP A BEAUTIFUL WEEKEND WITH HIGHS IN THE 70S AND LOWS IN THE 50S. PUT SOME RIDGE/VALLEY LOCAL EFFECTS FOR TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK. THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY MAY STALL TO OUR SOUTHEAST AND IF IT ENDS UP HANGING UP MORE TO THE NORTH...WE COULD SEE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SOME SHOWERS LATE IN THE WEEKEND ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST. HOWEVER...ALL MODELS SEEMS TO SUPPORT THIS FRONT STAYING WELL SOUTH OF US WITH VERY LITTLE THREAT FOR ANY SHOWERS THROUGH AT LEAST EARLY NEXT WEEK AND PERHAPS EVEN INTO THE MIDDLE PART OF NEXT WEEK. THE COOLER WEATHER LOOKS TO HANG AROUND INTO NEXT WEEK AS WELL...PROVIDING AN EXTENDED STRETCH OF PLEASANT AND COMFORTABLE WEATHER TO EASTERN KENTUCKY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 815 AM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 MVFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS...AT LEAST BRIEFLY SHOULD OCCUR AS THE BAND OF CONVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH A MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE MOVES ACROSS THE REGION...DEPARTING FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH 17Z. ONCE THE SHOWERS END...CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE TO VFR. UNDER HIGH PRESSURE VALLEY FOG SHOULD FORM BETWEEN 6Z AND 12Z...AND POSSIBLY LIFT UP TO RIDGETOP LOCATIONS SUCH AS JKL PRIOR TO 12Z. SOME OF THIS FOG COULD BRING VIS NEAR OR BELOW AIRPORT MINIMUMS. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && UPDATE...JP SHORT TERM...JP LONG TERM....KAS AVIATION...JP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 802 AM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-161100- 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- 802 AM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE THIS MORNING...GENERALLY TO THE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 64. PATCHY VALLEY FOG MAY BECOME DENSE LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. LINGERING PATCHY DENSE VALLEY FOG WILL DISSIPATE BETWEEN 9 AND 10 AM ON THURSDAY MORNING. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FROM THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. JP
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 453 AM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 KYZ052-060-085>088-104-106>120-151200- ROWAN-MENIFEE-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-HARLAN-ELLIOTT-MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE- MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-LEE-BREATHITT-KNOTT-OWSLEY-PERRY-CLAY-LESLIE-LETCHER- MARTIN-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOREHEAD...FRENCHBURG...CORBIN... WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE...MIDDLESBORO...PINEVILLE...HARLAN... SANDY HOOK...WEST LIBERTY...PAINTSVILLE...CAMPTON...SALYERSVILLE... PRESTONSBURG...BEATTYVILLE...JACKSON...HINDMAN...BOONEVILLE... HAZARD...MANCHESTER...HYDEN...WHITESBURG...INEZ...PIKEVILLE 453 AM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 ...AREAS OF DENSE FOG TO GRADUALLY DISSIPATE THROUGH 8 AM... LIGHT WINDS AND A MOIST AIRMASS HAVE COMBINED TO BRING AREAS OF DENSE FOG THIS MORNING. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING IN FROM THE WEST WILL BRING A BAND OF ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND AN INCREASE IN LOW CLOUDS FROM WEST TO EAST THROUGH AROUND SUNRISE...WHICH SHOULD SERVE TO BREAK UP THE FOG FROM WEST TO EAST. HOWEVER...UNTIL THEN...THE FOG WILL BE LOCALLY DENSE...REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN A QUARTER OF A MILE AT TIMES...IN THE VALLEYS...WHILE IN SOME LOCATIONS THE FOG WILL BE A BIT MORE ELEVATED AND AFFECT MIDSLOPE AND RIDGETOP LOCATIONS. PORTIONS OF THE MOUNTAIN PARKWAY...KY HIGHWAY 80...KY HIGHWAY 3...THE HAL ROGERS PARKWAY...U.S. 23...INTERSTATE 75...AND U.S. 119 CORRIDORS MAY BE AMONG THE ROADWAYS AFFECTED. IF TRAVELING EARLY THIS MORNING...SLOW DOWN...LEAVE PLENTY OF DISTANCE BETWEEN YOUR VEHICLE AND THE ONE IN FRONT OF YOU...USE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS AND ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION. JP
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 617 AM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 KYZ068-069-079-080-151100- PULASKI-ROCKCASTLE-LAUREL-JACKSON- 617 AM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 ...A THUNDERSTORM PRODUCING HEAVY DOWNPOURS TO AFFECT THE INTERSTATE 75 CORRIDOR AND THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH 700 AM EDT WEDNESDAY MORNING... SOUTHWESTERN JACKSON... NORTHEASTERN PULASKI... SOUTHERN ROCKCASTLE AND NORTHERN LAUREL. AT 616 AM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM MOUNT VERNON TO 9 MILES SOUTH OF MOUNT VERNON TO 14 MILES EAST OF SOMERSET...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...BURR AROUND 625 AM EDT...PINE HILL AROUND 635 AM EDT...SINKS AROUND 640 AM EDT... DONARO AROUND 645 AM EDT...JEP HILL AROUND 650 AM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE AND THREE QUARTER INCHES PER HOUR IN THESE AREAS. PELTON
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 646 AM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 KYZ068-069-080-086-116-151130- ROCKCASTLE-LAUREL-KNOX-JACKSON-CLAY- 646 AM EDT WED AUG 15 2012 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH 730 AM EDT WEDNESDAY MORNING... EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL KNOX... EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL JACKSON... SOUTHEASTERN ROCKCASTLE... WESTERN CLAY AND NORTHERN LAUREL. AT 645 AM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BERNSTADT...OR 6 MILES NORTHWEST OF LONDON...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...PITTSBURG AROUND 650 AM EDT...LONDON AROUND 655 AM EDT...MAPLESVILLE AROUND 700 AM EDT...MCWHORTER AROUND 705 AM EDT...LANGNAU AROUND 710 AM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE AND ONE QUARTER INCHES PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. PELTON
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 39 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:58 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flood water temporarily trapped a motorist on Alum Lick Rd. The water was four to five feet deep over the road at one point.
Rising water shifted an occupied trailer on Rt 612 near Williamson.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, August 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: 394446, 394449.