Kentucky, 2013

Damaging Wind and Strong Wind in Kentucky, October 31, 2013

October 31, 2013 · NWS JKL · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

High winds that occurred ahead of a strong cold front brought down trees across eastern Kentucky during the evening and early overnight hours of Halloween 2013. A line of severe thunderstorms moved into the eastern Bluegrass just prior to midnight, downing trees in Montgomery County.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$24,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS JKL wrote it up.

High winds that occurred ahead of a strong cold front brought down trees across eastern Kentucky during the evening and early overnight hours of Halloween 2013. A line of severe thunderstorms moved into the eastern Bluegrass just prior to midnight, downing trees in Montgomery County. This line of storms produced additional wind damage across eastern Kentucky after midnight on November 1st.

What forecasters said that 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 Oct 31, 7:20 PM EST, 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 31, 7:20 PM EST, 40 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 31, 7:45 PM EST, 15 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
845 PM EDT THU OCT 31 2013

KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-020345-
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
845 PM EDT THU OCT 31 2013

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM EDT FRIDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL IMPACT THE REGION TONIGHT...BRINGING WITH
IT STRONG WIND GUSTS AS WELL AS A FEW THUNDERSTORMS. WIND GUSTS
THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS WILL REACH THE 35 TO 45 MPH RANGE FOR
MOST LOCATIONS...WITH UP TO 50 MPH EXPECTED FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 2000
FEET BORDERING VIRGINIA. HIGHER GUSTS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN ASSOCIATION
WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE ASKED TO RELAY ANY HIGH WIND GUSTS...TREES BLOWN DOWN...
OR WIND DAMAGE TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN JACKSON.

GEOGERIAN/GREIF

In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 31, 5:42 PM EST, 2 hours 18 minutes before
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Local storm report, Oct 31, 6:18 PM EST, 1 hour 42 minutes before
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The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:43 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 strong wind, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Knox

When
October 31, 8:00 PM EST
Where
Knox forecast zone
Measured
38 kt (44 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$500
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
36.891, -83.854 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Small trees were blown down on KY233 near DeWitt.

Strong Wind, Whitley

When
October 31, 8:30 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Whitley forecast zone
Measured
43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
36.758, -84.145 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Whitley county dispatch reported that power outages had occurred county wide around 10 pm due to non-thunderstorm wind gusts. Trees were also reported down across the entire county between 930 and 10 pm.

Strong Wind, McCreary

When
October 31, 9:45 PM EST
Where
McCreary forecast zone
Measured
43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$500
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
36.737, -84.484 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Trees were blown down and across a portion of KY Hwy 1651 in the vicinity of Strunk.

Strong Wind, Laurel

When
October 31, 10:40 PM EST
Where
Laurel forecast zone
Measured
43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$500
Reported by
Amateur Radio
Coordinates
37.111, -84.118 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A tree was reported blown down along KY 192 about 3 miles east of KY 312.

Strong Wind, Bell

When
October 31, 10:45 PM EST
Where
Bell forecast zone
Measured
43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates
36.731, -83.674 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Trees were blown down in Frakes. One of the trees fell on a home.

Strong Wind, Floyd

When
October 31, 11:25 PM EST
Where
Floyd forecast zone
Measured
43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$500
Reported by
Fire Department/Rescue
Coordinates
37.557, -82.746 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Trees were blown down and were blocking a portion of KY Hwy 2030 in Blue Moon.

Strong Wind, Perry

When
October 31, 11:45 PM EST
Where
Perry forecast zone
Measured
43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$500
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
37.244, -83.221 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Trees were blown down in Viper.

Thunderstorm Wind, Montgomery

When
October 31, 11:45 PM EST
Where
Montgomery County, 2.31 mi NE of Mt Sterling Arpt
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Department of Highways
Coordinates
38.096, -83.953

Highway 11, Maysville Road, closed due to downed trees and powerlines.

What these are

Strong Wind
Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Kentucky in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, October 2013

Sources

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 480328, 480331, 480332, 480333, 480334, 480337, 480338, 484490.