A complex of thunderstorms remained nearly stationary over western Kentucky beneath an upper-level low. Rainfall amounts were locally very heavy under this complex of storms.
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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 PAH wrote it up.
A complex of thunderstorms remained nearly stationary over western Kentucky beneath an upper-level low. Rainfall amounts were locally very heavy under this complex of storms.
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 Aug 17, 1:48 PM CST, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 248 PM CDT Sat Aug 17 2013 .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Monday night) ISSUED AT 244 PM CDT SAT AUG 17 2013 A closed upper low pressure system centered over the lower Ohio valley is forecast to weaken and open up as it tracks very slowly off to the northeast. For tonight and Sunday, we are expecting the highest POPS over the southeast half of our CWA where moisture will be deepest combined with weak upper level troughing. During this period precipitation chances will diminish as you go north and west across our CWA. Not looking for any severe activity, but with PWATs in the 1.50 inch range, locally heavy rainfall should be the biggest threat with the stronger storms. Sunday night is looking dry at the moment, but there could be a few widely scattered showers and thunderstorms over the southeast quadrant of our CWA on Monday when a remnant of deeper moisture will combine with weak troughing and the heat of the day. Again locally heavy rainfall should be the biggest threat. Monday night should be dry as weak ridging aloft drifts over the region combined with lack of moisture. Temperatures are expected to remain below normal through the short term period. .LONG TERM...(Tuesday through Sunday) ISSUED AT 244 PM CDT SAT AUG 17 2013 A rather stagnant weather pattern will prevail through the middle to latter part of the week - typical August fanfare. A lack of forcing in the weak upper flow pattern will keep mainly dry conditions in place. However, enough diurnal instability will be present in the very warm and humid air mass such that the development of isolated thunderstorms in the heat of the day cannot be completely ruled out. Left out any mention for now given the anticipated low coverage. An upper level high will be migrating eastward into the Mississippi Valley by Friday and Saturday. This should result in a very slight warm up by late week. Forecast highs average in the upper 80s to near 90, with lows in the upper 60s. && .AVIATION... ISSUED AT 244 PM CDT SAT AUG 17 2013 Better than anticipated shower coverage this morning has largely dissipated as of early afternoon. The resultant impact should be for lesser redevelopment this afternoon. Locations such as KCGI that did not receive rain this morning will be more susceptible to afternoon redevelopment. Models suggest the next substantial rain chance will hold off until late Sunday morning into the afternoon. VFR conditions will prevail, with brief reductions in ceiling and visibility in the vicinity of thunderstorms. Enough sky cover should preclude fog development tonight, but locations that receive intervals of clearing may see some patchy fog towards daybreak. Winds will be northeast less than 10 knots. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...NONE. MO...NONE. IN...NONE. KY...NONE. && SHORT TERM/FIRE WX...JP LONG TERM/AVIATION...RJP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 258 PM CDT SAT AUG 17 2013 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-182000- 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- 258 PM CDT SAT AUG 17 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT MAINLY OVER THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE QUAD STATE REGION. STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE...HOWEVER LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AND MONDAY MAINLY OVER THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE QUAD STATE REGION. STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME SEVERE...HOWEVER LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED BUT ANY REPORTS OF HEAVY RAINFALL WOULD BE APPRECIATED. JP
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Kentucky Highway 135 was flooded in northern Livingston County. Water over road signs were posted, and travel was discouraged along that section of road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, August 2013
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: 472522.