Isolated severe thunderstorms downed trees and power lines and produced large hail for portions of eastern KY during the afternoon hours of July 13. A westward moving upper level area of low pressure combined with abundant low level moisture to produce strong to severe thunderstorms on this day.
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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.
Isolated severe thunderstorms downed trees and power lines and produced large hail for portions of eastern KY during the afternoon hours of July 13. A westward moving upper level area of low pressure combined with abundant low level moisture to produce strong to severe thunderstorms on this day.
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 13, 10:02 AM EST, 1 hour 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1102 AM EDT SAT JUL 13 2013 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1102 AM EDT SAT JUL 13 2013 FRESHENED UP THE GRIDS ACCORDING TO THE LATEST RADAR AND OBSERVATION TRENDS. CONVECTION IS TRYING TO WIND DOWN...ALTHOUGH A FEW CLUSTERS REMAIN ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA. STILL EXPECT A GENERAL DOWNWARD TREND IN THE AREAL COVERAGE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW GRADUALLY EXITS WEST AND HEIGHTS RECOVER. UPDATE ISSUED AT 835 AM EDT SAT JUL 13 2013 CONVECTION CONTINUES TO BLOSSOM AROUND A VORT LOBE ROTATING AROUND THE UPPER LEVEL LOW...WHICH IS STARTING TO MAKE ITS WESTWARD MOVEMENT NOW. HAVE UPDATED FOR AN INCREASE IN POPS BASED ON THE LATEST RADAR TRENDS. CONVECTIVE COVERAGE SHOULD DECREASE THIS AFTERNOON AS THE UPPER LOW PULLS WEST AND HEIGHTS RECOVER. UPDATE ISSUED AT 625 AM EDT SAT JUL 13 2013 SOME ELEVATED CONVECTION HAS FIRED UP ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA FOR THE PAST HOUR ASSOCIATED WITH SOME MOISTURE CONVERGENCE INDUCED BY THE UPPER LEVEL LOW. LATEST HRRR MODEL AND NAM12 SUPPORT SCATTERED ACTIVITY THROUGH THE MORNING. WILL INCLUDE CHANCE POPS THROUGH THE MID-MORNING HOURS BASED ON THE LATEST RADAR TRENDS AND MODEL GUIDANCE...BEFORE BLENDING IN WITH THE EXISTING FORECAST FOR THIS AFTERNOON. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 352 AM EDT SAT JUL 13 2013 AN AREA OF SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS ANCHORED FROM NEW ENGLAND THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES. THIS HAS PROVIDED A NICE REPRIEVE FROM THE HUMIDITY ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY AS TEMPERATURES HAVE SLIPPED INTO THE UPPER 50S AND LOWER 60S. MEANWHILE...AN UPPER LEVEL LOW IS CURRENTLY SPINNING ITS WHEELS ACROSS NORTHEASTERN KENTUCKY...MAINLY SPREADING SOME AREAS OF MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUD COVER ACROSS THE AREA. THE MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THE SHORT TERM...GRADUALLY SHIFTING THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WESTWARD...WHILE AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE RAMPS UP ACROSS NEW ENGLAND AND EVENTUALLY INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. AS THE UPPER LOW SHIFTS WEST TODAY...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA...WITH MOST MODELS SHOWING SLIGHTLY BETTER COVERAGE IN THE WESTERN HALF OF THE AREA. WHILE LAPSE RATES WILL NOT BE AS STEEP COMPARED TO YESTERDAY...LINGERING MID-LEVEL DRY AIR WILL ALLOW FOR THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW STRONG STORMS. HIGHS TODAY WILL REACH INTO THE MID 80S...WITH DEW POINTS UP A FEW MORE DEGREES AS WELL. CONVECTION WILL DIE OFF QUICKLY EARLY THIS EVENING...BETWEEN THE LOSS OF HEATING AND HEIGHTS REBOUNDING AS THE UPPER LOW PULLS AWAY. LOWS WILL GET DOWN INTO THE LOW TO MID 60S...WITH SOME PATCHY FOG ALONG THE RIVER VALLEYS. ON SUNDAY...HIGHS WILL RETURN TO THE UPPER 80S FOR MOST LOCATIONS...WITH THE THREAT OF AT LEAST SOME ISOLATED CONVECTION ONCE AGAIN. .LONG TERM...(SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 315 AM EDT SAT JUL 13 2013 THE MODELS...PARTICULARLY GFS AND ECMWF...ARE IN REALLY GOOD AGREEMENT ALOFT THROUGH THE EXTENDED AS THEY CONTINUE TO MOVE THE UPPER LOW...VISITING US THIS WEEKEND...WEST THROUGH THE SOUTHERN PLAINS TO START THE UPCOMING WORK WEEK. THIS AMPLIFIED FEATURE IS REPLACED OVER THE AREA BY A...MORE TYPICAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR...RIDGE. THIS RIDGE WILL BE LIKEWISE AMPLIFIED AS IT SETTLES OVER THE REGION MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THE MODELS ALL AGREE THAT IT WILL SLOWLY WEAKEN WITH TIME THROUGH THE BREADTH OF THE WEEK...BUT GENERALLY REMAIN CENTERED OVER THE OHIO VALLEY AS IT DOES SO. GRADUALLY...THE WESTERLIES WILL START TO PRESS DOWN FROM THE NORTH AND SHIFT THE RIDGE SOUTHWARD IN TIME TOWARD THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. AS IT DOES SO... THERE WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME MID LEVEL ENERGY BRUSHING BY THE CWA FRIDAY...BUT...ALBEIT IN CONJUNCTION WITH SMALL HEIGHT FALLS...NONE OF THE WAVES APPEAR TO BE THAT SUBSTANTIAL IN THE MODELS THAT FAR OUT. THE EXTENDED FORECAST WILL FEATURE A SEASONABLY WARM AND FAIRLY TYPICAL WEEK OF MID SUMMER WEATHER. AS THE RIDGE ALOFT FADES WITH TIME SO WILL THE SFC HIGH. WHEN THIS TAKES PLACE...FROM MID WEEK ON...EXPECT LESS IN THE WAY OF SUPPRESSION OF CONVECTION SO THAT POPS WILL BE A BIT HIGHER ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WHEN COMPARED TO THE MINIMAL THREAT ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY. IN GENERAL...THE POPS EACH DAY WILL MAX OUT DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS BEFORE FADING DURING THE EVENING. HOWEVER...WITH LITTLE IN THE WAY OF TRIGGERS AND THE RIDGES IN PLACE WILL GO NO HIGHER THAN SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...EVEN LATE IN THE WEEK. ALSO...ANTICIPATE A BIT HIGHER POPS OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF FAR SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY DAILY...WHEN COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE AREA. FINALLY...THE WARM TEMPERATURES ON TAP WILL FEEL EVEN MORE UNCOMFORTABLE DURING THIS UPCOMING WEEK AS THE HUMIDITY CREATES HEAT INDICES IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 90S FOR A TIME EACH AFTERNOON. THE CR GRID LOAD CAME IN DECENT OVERALL...THOUGH DID ADJUST POPS DOWN A BIT DURING PEAK HEATING FOR THE LATTER PART OF THE EXTENDED. ALSO...ADJUSTED OVERNIGHT LOWS EACH NIGHT TO ACCOUNT FOR ANTICIPATED RIDGE TO VALLEY TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCES. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 835 AM EDT SAT JUL 13 2013 AN EXITING UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM HAS ALLOWED FOR SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS CONVECTION THIS MORNING. EXPECT THE BEST COVERAGE TO MOVE OUT THROUGH 16Z...WITH MAINLY ISOLATED COVERAGE EXPECTED THEREAFTER. IFR OR WORSE CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED IN ANY PASSING THUNDERSTORMS. ALL CONVECTION WILL DISSIPATE THIS EVENING...WITH PATCHY VALLEY FOG LIKELY FORMING ONCE AGAIN BETWEEN 06 AND 12Z. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && UPDATE...GEOGERIAN SHORT TERM...GEOGERIAN LONG TERM...GREIF AVIATION...GEOGERIAN
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 424 AM EDT SAT JUL 13 2013 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-141100- 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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FLEMINGSBURG...MOUNT STERLING... OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD...IRVINE...STANTON...FRENCHBURG... MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE...SOMERSET...LONDON...MONTICELLO... WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN...WILLIAMSBURG...BARBOURVILLE...MIDDLESBORO... PINEVILLE...HARLAN...SANDY HOOK...WEST LIBERTY...PAINTSVILLE... CAMPTON...SALYERSVILLE...PRESTONSBURG...BEATTYVILLE...JACKSON... HINDMAN...BOONEVILLE...HAZARD...MANCHESTER...HYDEN...WHITESBURG... INEZ...PIKEVILLE 424 AM EDT SAT JUL 13 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY. A FEW OF THESE COULD BECOME STRONG...CONTAINING GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FROM TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES REACHING THE 95 TO 100 DEGREE RANGE EACH DAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. GEOGERIAN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 733 AM EDT SAT JUL 13 2013 KYZ112-117-131215- LESLIE-BREATHITT- 733 AM EDT SAT JUL 13 2013 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH 815 AM EDT SATURDAY MORNING... EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL LESLIE AND SOUTH CENTRAL BREATHITT. AT 733 AM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BARWICK...OR 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF HAZARD...MOVING NORTH AT 10 MPH. LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...BARWICK AROUND 740 AM EDT...BUSH BRANCH AROUND 745 AM EDT...ALTRO AROUND 750 AM EDT...WOLF COAL AROUND 755 AM EDT...CROCKETTSVILLE AROUND 800 AM EDT... RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO 1 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. GEOGERIAN
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
833 AM EDT SAT JUL 13 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0752 AM HAIL 4 N CORBIN 37.00N 84.11W
07/13/2013 E0.50 INCH LAUREL KY FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
HALF INCH HAIL FELL IN HEAVY AMOUNTS AT THE LILY FIRE
DEPARTMENT NUMBER 2. ENDED AT 759 AM
&&
TBREWERThe Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 49 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:16 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were down across State Hwy 1350 in the Clark community.
Multiple trees were blown down. One whole side of a barn was blown in.
Trees were reported down along Jasper Bend Road.
Power lines were reported to have been blown down onto trees.
Large limbs were blown down between mile markers 55 and 57 on I75.
Several trees were blown down off of Big Cave Road.
Several trees were blown down in a swath through downtown Beattyville. Spotters estimated winds at least 50 to 60 mph. Power was knocked out throughout the town.
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, July 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: 463944, 463950, 463951, 463952, 463953, 463957, 463958, 467543, 463966.