A very hot and potentially unstable airmass interacted with northwesterly flow aloft to produce a derecho across northern Illinois. This derecho then moved rapidly east southeast across the Ohio Valley producing widespread straight line wind damage.
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 ILN wrote it up.
A very hot and potentially unstable airmass interacted with northwesterly flow aloft to produce a derecho across northern Illinois. This derecho then moved rapidly east southeast across the Ohio Valley producing widespread straight line wind damage. This rare derecho affected nearly every county in southeast Indiana, northern Kentucky, and southwestern Ohio with severe winds. This caused widespread power outages that lasted several days in some locations. Isolated large hail also occurred with the stronger portions of the system.
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 Wilmington, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 29, 2:37 PM EST, 1 hour 37 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
337 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012
.SYNOPSIS...
AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BECOME SUPPRESSED ACROSS
THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THIS WILL ALLOW A WEAK
FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO SETTLE ACROSS THE REGION. THIS BOUNDARY WILL
COMBINE WITH WEAK DISTURBANCES IN A NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT TO KEEP
A THREAT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. HOT AND HUMID WEATHER IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
&&
.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SATURDAY MORNING/...
MAIN FORECAST DILEMMA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL BE THE
MCS/DAMAGING WIND EVENT THAT IS ABOUT TO UNFOLD ACRS OUR AREA.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 436 HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR MOST OF
THE AREA. THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX OVER NW OHIO AND NRN INDIANA IS
EXPECTED TO RACE SE ACRS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING PER HRRR MODEL. THESE STORMS WILL FEED INTO A VERY
UNSTABLE AIRMASS WITH 18Z KILN SOUNDING SHOWING MLCAPE VALUES
APPROACHING 3500 J/KG. MODERATE SHEAR IS ALSO OVER THE AREA. FOR
DAMAGING WIND POTENTIAL...DCAPE IS APPROACHING 2000 J/KG AND DELTA
THETA E IS OVER 40 C. NONETHELESS...FORECAST AREA MAY BE DEALING
WITH A DERECHO WHICH WILL PRODUCE HIGH END WINDS ACROSS THE
REGION WITH LOCAL HAIL STONES SIZES POTENTIALLY GREATER THAN 2
INCHES. HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE...BUT WITH FAST MOVING
STORMS...FLOODING SHOULD BE MINIMAL.
MODELS INDICATE THAT THE MCS SHOULD BE EXITING THE SE CWFA BY
EARLY EVENING. IN THE WAKE OF THIS FEATURE...THERE WILL LIKELY BE
A LULL IN CONVECTION DUE TO THE AREA BEING WORKED OVER. HAVE KEPT
THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST DRY OVERNIGHT BEHIND THE MCS.
EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING WILL CONTINUE UNTIL 8 PM...ALBEIT ONCE RAIN
COOLED AIR HITS...HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL DROP. WILL DECIDE HOW TO
HANDLE THIS ONCE CONVECTION MOVES ACRS THE AREA. OVERNIGHT LOWS
WILL BE IN THE LOWER TO MID 70S.
&&
.SHORT TERM /6 AM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/...
UPR LVL PATTERN WILL NOT CHANGE THAT MUCH OVER THE WEEKEND AS
CENTER OF UPR LVL HIGH REMAINS NEAR OR JUST SOUTH OF THE TN RIVER
VALLEY. MEANWHILE...A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL OSCILLATE ACRS
THE AREA. MODELS CONTINUE TO DEPICT EMBEDDED DISTURBANCES ROTATING
SE THROUGH THIS FLOW FROM TIME TO TIME. TIMING OF DISTURBANCES
WILL BE PROBLEMATIC AT BEST ATTM. HAVE KEPT CHANCE POPS IN THE
FORECAST...FAVORING THE DIURNAL CYCLE. HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL
CONTINUE WITH SOME SLIGHT COOLING EXPECTED ON SUNDAY. HAVE
EXTENDED THE EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY AND
PARTS OF SE INDIANA AND SRN OHIO AS VALUES WILL BE UP TO 107
(MONTGOMERY WILL BE UP TO 104 BUT THEY HAVE SPECIAL HEAT HEADLINE
CRITERIA). HEAT ADVISORY WILL BE IN EFFECT FOR THE REMAINDER OF
THE REGION. HEAT HEADLINES MAY BE NEEDED AGAIN SUNDAY FOR SRN
SECTIONS BUT WILL JUST MENTION THIS IN THE HWO ATTM.
HIGHS WILL RANGE FROM THE MID 90S TO LOWER 100S ON SATURDAY AND
LOWER 90S TO NEAR 100 ON SUNDAY.
&&
.LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
THE AREA WILL CONTINUE UNDER NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT ON THE
NORTHERN EDGE OF UPPER LEVEL RIDGING THROUGH MID WEEK. INTERMITTENT
DISTURBANCES EMBEDDED IN THE FLOW WILL BRING CHANCES FOR CONVECTION
THROUGHOUT THE TIME PERIOD. HAVE ONLY FORECAST LOW END
MENTIONABLE POPS DURING THE DAYTIME HOURS FOR THE EXTENDED PERIOD
DUE TO TIMING UNCERTAINTIES. THESE POPS COULD BE INCREASED FAIRLY
QUICKLY AS EACH PARTICULAR WAVE BECOMES MORE APPARENT.
TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL ONLY COOL BY A DEGREE OR TWO AS THE WEEK
PROGRESSES. HAVE THEREFORE KEPT FORECAST HIGH TEMPERATURES WELL
ABOVE NORMAL...GENERALLY IN THE MIDDLE 90S. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL
LIKELY REMAIN IN THE 70S THROUGHOUT THE EXTENDED PERIOD.
&&
.AVIATION /20Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX HAS DEVELOPED INTO NW INDIANA ALONG AND NORTH
OF A QUASI-STATIONARY SFC FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT IS ORIENTED W-E
THRU THE I-70 CORRIDOR ACRS OHIO. UNCERTAINTY EXISTS REGARDING
EXACT STORM EVOLUTION THIS AFTN. LEANING TOWARD LATEST HRRR
SOLN WHICH HAS BEEN POINTING TO THIS DEVELOPMENT FOR SEVERAL RUNS...
EXPECT THIS CONVECTION TO DROP ESE AND BUILD S INTO VERY UNSTABLE
AIRMASS WHERE BLYR CAPES ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 4000 J/KG. HAVE
A PERIOD OF VCTS THIS AFTN AT ALL TAF SITES AND HAVE A TEMPO GROUP
FOR THUNDERSTORMS WITH GUSTS TO 35KTS AT KDAY WHERE BEST THREAT EXISTS.
EXPECT CLOUDS TO GIVE WAY TO CLEARING WITH THE PASSAGE OF THIS SYSTEM
THIS EVENING. IN HUMID AIRMASS...FOG WILL BE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT AND
HAVE A MENTION OF MVFR VSBY REDUCTION AT KCVG/KLUK AND KILN.
ON SATURDAY...BEST FOCUS FOR CONVECTION LOOKS TO BE NORTH OF THE
TAF SITES. THEREFORE...HAVE LEFT THE TAFS DRY WITH VFR CONDITIONS
EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
OUTLOOK...NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EXPECTED.
&&
.ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OH...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR OHZ026-
034-035-042>046-051>056-060-062>065-070>074-080-082.
HEAT ADVISORY FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR
OHZ026-034-035-042>046-051>056-060-062>065-070>074-080-
082.
EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING UNTIL 8 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR OHZ061-
077>079-081-088.
KY...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING UNTIL 8 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR KYZ089>100.
IN...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR INZ050-
058-059-066.
HEAT ADVISORY FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR
INZ050-058-059-066.
EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING UNTIL 8 PM EDT SATURDAY FOR INZ073>075-
080.
&&
SYNOPSIS...HICKMAN
NEAR TERM...HICKMAN
SHORT TERM...HICKMAN
LONG TERM...LATTO
AVIATION...ARHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 339 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012 INZ050-058-059-066-OHZ026-034-035-042>046-051>056-060-062>065- 070>074-080-082-301945- WAYNE-FAYETTE IN-UNION IN-FRANKLIN IN-HARDIN-MERCER-AUGLAIZE-DARKE- SHELBY-LOGAN-UNION OH-DELAWARE-MIAMI-CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-MADISON- FRANKLIN OH-LICKING-PREBLE-GREENE-FAYETTE OH-PICKAWAY-FAIRFIELD- BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-ROSS-HOCKING-HIGHLAND-PIKE- 339 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012 ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 PM EDT SATURDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL INDIANA...SOUTHEAST INDIANA...CENTRAL OHIO...MIAMI VALLEY OF OHIO...SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO...SOUTHWEST OHIO AND WEST CENTRAL OHIO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING. HEAT ADVISORY. A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX WILL RACE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. HEAT ADVISORY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD ACTIVATE AND REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS. INZ073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ061-077>079-081-088-301945- RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO-SWITZERLAND-CARROLL-GALLATIN-BOONE-KENTON- CAMPBELL-OWEN-GRANT-PENDLETON-BRACKEN-ROBERTSON-MASON-LEWIS- MONTGOMERY-HAMILTON-CLERMONT-BROWN-ADAMS-SCIOTO- 339 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012 ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT SATURDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST INDIANA...NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...NORTHERN KENTUCKY...MIAMI VALLEY OF OHIO...SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO AND SOUTHWEST OHIO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING. A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX WILL RACE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING. HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL CONTINUE ON SUNDAY. HEAT HEADLINES MAY BE NEEDED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD ACTIVATE AND REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
509 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0332 PM TSTM WND GST VERSAILLES 40.22N 84.48W
06/29/2012 E80 MPH DARKE OH EMERGENCY MNGR
&&
BINAUPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
510 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0430 PM NON-TSTM WND GST BEAVERCREEK 39.73N 84.06W
06/29/2012 E60 MPH GREENE OH TRAINED SPOTTER
MANY LIMBS LESS THAN 3 INCHES IN DIAMETER BLOWN OFF
TREES.
&&
SFHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
511 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0500 PM TSTM WND DMG LANDEN 39.31N 84.28W
06/29/2012 WARREN OH TRAINED SPOTTER
LARGE TREES DOWN ALONG US 22 IN DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP
&&
MJPSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
511 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012
INZ073>075-080-KYZ089>097-292200-
SWITZERLAND IN-OHIO IN-DEARBORN IN-RIPLEY IN-KENTON KY-OWEN KY-
PENDLETON KY-BOONE KY-BRACKEN KY-CAMPBELL KY-CARROLL KY-GALLATIN KY-
GRANT KY-
511 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN GRANT...GALLATIN...
CARROLL...CAMPBELL...WESTERN BRACKEN...BOONE...NORTHERN PENDLETON...
NORTHWESTERN OWEN...KENTON...SOUTHERN RIPLEY...SOUTHERN DEARBORN...
OHIO AND SWITZERLAND COUNTIES THROUGH 600 PM EDT...
AT 508 PM EDT...RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR AURORA...
MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 50 MPH.
WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. THE WIND GUSTS MAY
OCCUR WELL AHEAD OF ANY RAIN.
IN ADDITION...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED WITH
THIS STORM.
SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...BURLINGTON...RISING
SUN...OAKBROOK...FLORENCE...ELSMERE...UNION...VEVAY...INDEPENDENCE...
WARSAW...WALTON...CRITTENDEN AND DRY RIDGE.
ALSO...HARTFORD...AVONBURG...FRENCH...BEAR BRANCH...PATE...
FAIRVIEW...BELLEVIEW AND ABERDEEN ARE NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STRONG
THUNDERSTORM.
DO NOT STAY IN THE OPEN NOR SEEK SHELTER UNDER TREES WHEN LIGHTNING
THREATENS. MOVE INDOORS WHEN A THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES.
LAT...LON 3914 8544 3916 8482 3910 8482 3913 8477
3867 8410 3859 8498 3887 8521 3891 8521
3891 8525
ASLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
512 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0510 PM TSTM WND GST 1 W DUBLIN 40.12N 83.15W
06/29/2012 E75 MPH FRANKLIN OH TRAINED SPOTTER
POLES SNAPPED AND WIRES DOWN
&&
BINAUPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
514 PM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0500 PM TSTM WND GST KILN WILMINGTON APT 39.43N 83.79W
06/29/2012 M67 MPH CLINTON OH ASOS
&&
BINAUThe Cincinnati radar (KILN), 68 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:13 UTC.
13 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were reported down in the Newport area due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Numerous trees were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
The spotter estimated the magnitude of the wind gust.
Trees were uprooted and awnings were damaged at Kentucky Motor Speedway due to damaging thunderstorm winds. One crew member was injured.
Large limbs were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Canopies were blown over at Kentucky Motor Speedway due to thunderstorm winds.
Large trees were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Trees were downed due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Roof damage occurred to a Pizza Hut and numerous trees were downed in the area due to thunderstorm winds.
One roof was completely ripped off of a barn with numerous reports of other barns also damaged due to thunderstorm winds. Trees were downed across the county.
Numerous trees were downed due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
Trees were downed across the county due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
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, June 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: 390172, 390177, 390181, 390183, 390173, 390182, 390185, 390186, 390174, 390176, 390184, 390189, 390188.