Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms downed trees and power lines across eastern Kentucky during the afternoon and evening hours of July 8th. The worst damage occurred in Pulaski county where numerous trees were blown down and roofs were removed from several buildings in Mount Victory.
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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 JKL wrote it up.
Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms downed trees and power lines across eastern Kentucky during the afternoon and evening hours of July 8th. The worst damage occurred in Pulaski county where numerous trees were blown down and roofs were removed from several buildings in Mount Victory.
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 Jul 8, 1:48 PM EST, 57 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 248 PM EDT SUN JUL 8 2012 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 248 PM EDT SUN JUL 8 2012 A COLD FRONT STILL ALONG THE OHIO RIVER CONTINUES TO BE THE FOCUS FOR THE PERIOD. CONVECTION HAS RAMPED UP IN THE LAST HOUR AND EXPECT THIS ACTIVITY TO CONTINUE DEVELOPING AND STRENGTHENING OVER THE COURSE OF THE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING AS THE FRONT SLOWLY SAGS SOUTH. FCST SOUNDINGS STILL INDICATE A GOOD POTENTIAL FOR STORMS TO OUTFLOW WITH GUSTO AND WILL CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT DAMAGING WINDS AS A PRIMARY THREAT THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. STILL CANNOT COMPLETELY RULE OUT SOME HAIL WITH ANY STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT GIVEN THE PARAMETERS SEEN IN BOTH THE NAM AND GFS BUFR SOUNDINGS...THOUGH A LACK OF SHEAR ALONG WITH RIDICULOUSLY HIGH WET BULB ZERO HEIGHTS WOULD SEEM TO PRECLUDE THIS THREAT. FINALLY...DESPITE THE PERSISTENT DROUGHT CONDITIONS...ANTICIPATED DEEP WARM CLOUD PROCESSES COMBINED WITH PWATS APPROACHING 2 INCHES COUPLED WITH SINGLE DIGIT FCST STORM MOTIONS THOUGH MONDAY NIGHT WILL CERTAINLY PORTEND A THREAT FOR LOCALIZED...SHORT FUSED HYDRO ISSUES. TEMPERATURES WILL BE A RELATIVE NON ISSUE TONIGHT WITH LOWS AIMING FOR THE LOW 70S....AND LOOK TO BEGIN RETURNING TO MORE NORMAL RANGES ON MONDAY WITH HIGHS EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW 90 FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER A WEEK AND OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) THE LONG TERM FORECAST DISCUSSION WILL BE ISSUED SHORTLY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 127 PM EDT SUN JUL 8 2012 VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THRU THE FIRST FEW HOURS OF THE PERIOD. HOWEVER...TSTMS ARE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP OVER CNTRL KY AND EXPECT ACTIVITY TO BEGIN TO IMPACT TERMINALS OF ERN KY BY 20-21Z. OUTSIDE OF ANY STORMS...CIGS LOOK TO REMAIN VFR THROUGH 00Z. CIGS ARE EXPECTED TO DROP INTO MVFR WITH VSBYS POSSIBLY DROPPING INTO IFR OR WORSE IN AND AROUND ANY OF THE HEAVIER DOWNPOURS. WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY CONCERN THROUGH THE PERIOD AS ANY STORMS THROUGH 12Z WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE WIND GUSTS AROUND 30 KTS. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR KYZ044-050>052- 058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. && SHORT TERM...MB LONG TERM... AVIATION...MB
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 336 PM EDT SUN JUL 8 2012 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-104-106>114-119-120-092245- FLEMING-MONTGOMERY-BATH-ROWAN-ESTILL-POWELL-MENIFEE-ROCKCASTLE- JACKSON-ELLIOTT-MORGAN-JOHNSON-WOLFE-MAGOFFIN-FLOYD-LEE-BREATHITT- KNOTT-OWSLEY-MARTIN-PIKE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING... OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD...IRVINE...STANTON...FRENCHBURG... MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE...SANDY HOOK...WEST LIBERTY...PAINTSVILLE... CAMPTON...SALYERSVILLE...PRESTONSBURG...BEATTYVILLE...JACKSON... HINDMAN...BOONEVILLE...INEZ...PIKEVILLE 336 PM EDT SUN JUL 8 2012 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 482 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS A COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO PUSH SOUTH INTO THE REGION. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOME SLOW MOVING STORMS MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. IN ADDITION...LARGE HAIL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE AREA WILL NOT BE AS HOT AS IN RECENT DAYS THIS AFTERNOON BUT ABNORMAL MAX TEMPERATURES STILL WILL BE PRESENT TODAY. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST SDFNPWJKL FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HEAT ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ALSO WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PARTS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY FROM MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TO REPORT ANY THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE...LARGE HAIL...OR INSTANCES OF FLOODING THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT. KYZ079-080-083>088-115>118-092245- PULASKI-LAUREL-WAYNE-MCCREARY-WHITLEY-KNOX-BELL-HARLAN-PERRY-CLAY- LESLIE-LETCHER- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SOMERSET...LONDON...MONTICELLO... WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN...WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE...MIDDLESBORO... PINEVILLE...HARLAN...HAZARD...MANCHESTER...HYDEN...WHITESBURG 336 PM EDT SUN JUL 8 2012 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS A COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO PUSH SOUTH INTO THE REGION. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL ARE THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOME SLOW MOVING STORMS MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. IN ADDITION...LARGE HAIL WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE AREA WILL NOT BE AS HOT AS IN RECENT DAYS THIS AFTERNOON BUT ABNORMAL MAX TEMPERATURES STILL WILL BE PRESENT TODAY. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST SDFNPWJKL FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HEAT ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ALSO WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PARTS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY FROM MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TO REPORT ANY THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE...LARGE HAIL...OR INSTANCES OF FLOODING THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT. MB
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 317 PM EDT SUN JUL 8 2012 KYZ044-082000- FLEMING- 317 PM EDT SUN JUL 8 2012 ...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTY THROUGH 400 PM EDT SUNDAY AFTERNOON... FLEMING. AT 317 PM EDT...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED NEAR WALLINGFORD...OR 7 MILES EAST OF FLEMINGSBURG...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...PLUMMERS LANDING AROUND 340 PM EDT...MUSES MILLS AROUND 350 PM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE INCH 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 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 1000 PM EDT SUNDAY EVENING FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY. JACOBSON
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 89 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:43 UTC.
16 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees were blown down and the roof of porch was damaged.
One tree was blown down on Highway 32.
Trees and power lines were blown down on Hwy 203.
Trees were blown down along Hwy 705.
A tree fell and broke a power line and a power pole.
One tree was blown down on Hwy 89 south.
Multiple trees were blown down and the roofs of several buildings were blown off in Mount Victory.
Trees were blown down on Gentry Lane in Somerset.
A tree fell onto a house on May St.
Trees were blown down near the intersection of Hwy 39 and Country Acres Dr.
Power lines were blown down on Hwy 1247 south of Science Hill.
Trees were blown down and power lines were blown down and onto a house in the Zula and Alpha communities.
Trees were blown down near the intersection of Gover Lane and Murphy Avenue.
Two trees were blown down on Hwy 1673.
One tree was blown down on Page Cuttoff Rd.
One tree was blown down on Hwy 840.
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, 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: 389502, 389503, 389504, 389505, 389506, 389507, 389508, 389509, 389517, 389510, 389511, 389512, 389513, 389514, 389515, 389516.