Kentucky, 2013

Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Kentucky, October 5 to 6, 2013

October 5 to 6, 2013 · NWS PAH · 9 events in 6 counties and zones

Thunderstorms increased over southeast Missouri and southern Illinois within a moist and unstable environment ahead of an advancing cold front moving across southeast Missouri. Low level winds strengthened as the storms moved east across the Lower Ohio Valley, resulting in isolated strong wind gusts.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
$15,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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 PAH wrote it up.

Thunderstorms increased over southeast Missouri and southern Illinois within a moist and unstable environment ahead of an advancing cold front moving across southeast Missouri. Low level winds strengthened as the storms moved east across the Lower Ohio Valley, resulting in isolated strong wind gusts. The air mass ahead of the front was warm and humid, reminiscent of late summer. Moisture was in abundance, and storms were very efficient rain makers. Rainfall amounts ahead of the front were between 1 and 3 inches, although there were scattered amounts between 4 and 5 inches.

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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 4, 10:50 PM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 4, 10:50 PM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 4, 3:17 PM CST, 8 hours 43 minutes before
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The radar

The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 70 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:02 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 heavy rain, 3 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Daviess

When
October 5, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
Daviess County, Sorgho
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
37.750, -87.250

A trained spotter reported a calendar day rainfall total of 3.46 inches.

Heavy Rain, McCracken

When
October 5, 12:00 AM CST to 11:59 PM CST
Where
McCracken County, Paducah
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
37.080, -88.630

A trained spotter measured a calendar day rainfall of 4.10 inches.

Heavy Rain, Webster

When
October 5, 6:00 AM CST to October 6, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Webster County, Dixon
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
37.520, -87.700

A co-operative observer measured a daily rainfall total of 5.24 inches.

Heavy Rain, Daviess

When
October 5, 2:00 PM CST to 9:40 PM CST
Where
Daviess County, Owensboro
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
37.770, -87.120

A trained spotter reported 2.40 inches of rain.

Thunderstorm Wind, Carlisle

When
October 5, 4:30 PM CST
Where
Carlisle County, Bardwell
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
36.870, -89.020

Wind gusts were estimated between 55 and 60 mph by law enforcement personnel.

Flash Flood, McCracken

When
October 5, 9:39 PM CST to October 6, 2:30 AM CST
Where
McCracken County, 0.69 mi N of Avondale Hgts to 1.82 mi ENE of Paducah
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
37.080, -88.670

Several houses experienced flooding of garages. At least one house had water inside the residence. Street flooding was reported in Paducah on a main artery, creating traffic problems. A low flood-prone spot under a railroad overpass on U.S. Highway 62 in Paducah was impassable. At the National Weather Service office just west of Paducah, 2.35 inches of rain fell in an hour.

Flash Flood, Carlisle

When
October 5, 9:59 PM CST to October 6, 2:30 AM CST
Where
Carlisle County, 2.3 mi NW of Arlington to 2.42 mi WSW of Arlington
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
36.802, -89.052

The intersection of State Routes 80 and 1772 was impassable due to flooding.

Flash Flood, Crittenden

When
October 5, 11:10 PM CST to October 6, 3:00 AM CST
Where
Crittenden County, 1.22 mi ENE of Marion to 1.14 mi SSE of Marion
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
37.338, -88.060

An intersection along U.S. Highway 641 was impassable due to flooding.

Heavy Rain, Ballard

When
October 5, 11:25 PM CST to October 6, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Ballard County, Lovelaceville
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
36.970, -88.820

A trained spotter reported two inches of water over U.S. Highway 62.

What these are

Heavy Rain
Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
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.
Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

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: 480676, 480678, 480677, 480675, 476964, 480674, 480679, 480681, 480698.