A line of strong to severe thunderstorms, associated with an eastward moving cold front, caused significant wind damage across Bell, Harlan, Johnson, and Whitley counties during the afternoon hours of April 28th. The worst of the damage occurred in Harlan county where a storm damage survey revealed that estimated straight line winds of 90 mph downed trees and power lines across the county.
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 JKL wrote it up.
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms, associated with an eastward moving cold front, caused significant wind damage across Bell, Harlan, Johnson, and Whitley counties during the afternoon hours of April 28th. The worst of the damage occurred in Harlan county where a storm damage survey revealed that estimated straight line winds of 90 mph downed trees and power lines across the county. Three people were injured in Evarts as a result of the severe winds.
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 Apr 28, 7:04 AM EST, 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 804 AM EDT MON APR 28 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 803 AM EDT MON APR 28 2014 AS OF 12Z THIS MORNING...THE MUCH ANTICIPATED LINE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE REACHING THE WESTERN EXTENT OF THE CWA AND HAVE TWEAKED THE POPS AND TEMPS THIS MORNING TO BETTER REFLECT THE TRENDS THIS MORNING. WITH THIS UPDATE THERE WERE NO NOTABLE CHANGES TO THE EXPECTED PRECIP ARRIVAL THIS MORNING SO A NEW ZFP WILL NOT BE NEEDED. CONVECTION THIS MORNING ARRIVING AT THE I-75 CORRIDOR THIS MORNING WILL SLOWLY BEGIN TO WEAKEN AND STILL TRACK TO THE NORTH WITH SOME SCATTERED STORMS OVER EASTERN KENTUCKY THIS MORNING. WITH THIS IN MIND...STILL EXPECTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE WEATHER LATER TODAY. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY) ISSUED AT 500 AM EDT MON APR 28 2014 CURRENT CONDITIONS ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY AS OF 08Z FEATURE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CROSSING THE I-65 CORRIDOR CURRENTLY ASSOCIATED WITH A WEAKENING QUASI-LINEAR CONVECTIVE SYSTEM OVER WESTERN KENTUCKY SLOWLY MOVING EASTWARD. THIS LINE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST NORTHEAST INTO EASTERN KENTUCKY. WHILE DUE TO DECREASING INSTABILITY...THIS LINE SHOULD POSE NO REAL SEVERE THREAT THIS MORNING BESIDES A STRONG STORM IN THE WEST OR EVEN THE SOUTHWEST COUNTIES. WILL KEEP IN THE LIKELY POPS AS MEASURE-ABLE PRECIP WILL TAKE PLACE THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS AS THE LINE ENTERS SOUTHWEST ALONG THE I-75 CORRIDOR AND EVENTUALLY PASSING THROUGH TO THE NORTHEAST AND INTO THE BLUEGRASS AREA. MODELS DURING THE LATE MORNING HOURS ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY CONTINUE TO HINT IN A LULL IN THE PRECIP AND POSSIBLY EVEN SOME A FEW PEAKS IN THE CLOUD COVER ACROSS MAINLY SOUTHEASTERN KENTUCKY. GIVEN THAT SOME OF THE ENERGY FROM THE UPPER LOW BEGINS TO MOVE INTO THE AREA BY THIS AFTERNOON AND BUILDING INSTABILITY...WILL KEEP POPS IN THE HIGH CHANCE TO LIKELY RANGE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. PARTICULAR ATTENTION NEEDS TO BE PAID ON HOW INSTABILITY BUILDS TODAY OVER THE SOUTHEAST AND IF SOME BREAKS IN CLOUD COVER DO OCCUR...WHICH MAY LEAD TO AN INCREASED SEVERE THREAT LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT. MENTIONING THE UPPER LEVELS...LATER TODAY...THE UPPER LOW SHIFTS EAST AND BEGINS TO BANK AGAINST THE MID LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE APPALACHIAN CHAIN AND BEGINS TO WEAKEN. THIS INTERN LEADS TO LESS FORCING AT THE SURFACE THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...THE STRONG SHORTWAVE WILL BE SWINGING THROUGH THE BASE OF THE UPPER LOW INTO WESTERN KY/TN LATE TODAY AND DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE WEATHER OVER CENTRAL TN AND MS/AL WILL BE OCCURRING AND MOVING NORTHEAST. LOW LEVEL INGREDIENTS WILL BE IN PLACE AS PLENTY OF DIRECTIONAL SHEAR AND INSTABILITY LOOKS TO BE IN PLACE BUT MAINLY SOUTHWEST OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. SOME OF THE DYNAMICS MAKE IT INTO SOUTHWEST EASTERN KENTUCKY BY LATE TODAY AND THIS WILL BEGIN THE SEVERE THREAT FOR THE AREA AND FROM 20Z THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING...POPS WILL BE CATEGORICAL WITH A MENTION OF SEVERE POSSIBILITY IN THE FORECAST. GETTING INTO THE TENDENCY OF THE STORMS THIS EVENING...IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WITH THE INGREDIENTS AVAILABLE...THAT SOME DISCRETE CELLS MAY FORM IN TN AND MAKE IT INTO EXTREME WESTERN OR SOUTHWESTERN EAST KENTUCKY...BUT WITH THE MAIN FORCING EVENTUALLY PUSHING EAST...THIS WILL EVENTUALLY EVOLVE INTO A LINE OF STORMS PUSHING THROUGH EASTERN KENTUCKY AFTER 00Z AND CONTINUING INTO TUESDAY MORNING BEFORE WEAKENING. DUE TO THIS...AND THE FACT THAT SPC HAS MENTIONED SOME PROBABILITY...WILL KEEP THE SPS GOING WITH A MENTION OF DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND HEAVY RAINFALL WITH A POSSIBILITY OF AN ISOLATED TORNADO. EVEN WITH THIS SCENARIO...THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY ON HOW THE CONVECTION WILL BEHAVE...BUT HEADING INTO TUESDAY...THERE IS EVEN MORE UNCERTAINTY ON THE SEVERE THREAT. FOR TUESDAY...HAVE LEFT IN HIGH CHANCE TO LIKELY POPS THROUGH THE DAY ON TUESDAY. THE UPPER LOW...STILL WEAKENING...BRINGS ANOTHER STRONG WAVE THROUGH THE BASE OF THE TROUGH IN THE MID LEVELS AND ANOTHER LINE OF ACTIVITY DEVELOPS OVER CENTRAL KY/TN AND MOVES EAST. FOR THIS...WILL STILL MENTION SEVERE CHANCES BUT WITH STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF SHEAR IN PLACE BUT WITH MINIMAL INSTABILITY. PLUS...THERE IS A 15 PERCENT PROBABILITY FOR TUESDAY MENTIONED BY SPC. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 500 AM EDT MON APR 28 2014 THE MODELS REMAIN IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH REGARDS TO THE LARGE UPPER LEVEL LOW THAT WILL SLOWLY SPIRAL ITS WAY TOWARDS THE GREAT LAKES AND WEAKEN THROUGH THURSDAY. THE REMNANT WILL THEN GET PULLED FURTHER NORTH INTO SOUTHERN CANADA...BEFORE GETTING KICKED SOUTHEAST BY THE WESTERLIES AT THE END OF THE WEEK...AS THE LONG WAVE PATTERN FLATTENS OUT ACROSS THE CONUS. HIGHER POPS AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL LINGER INTO WEDNESDAY ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY...BEFORE INSTABILITY IS LOST. TUESDAY NIGHT WILL BE THE LAST OF THE BEEFIER SHOTS OF MOISTURE...FORCING...AS WELL AS SHEAR...KEEPING AT LEAST A SLIGHT THREAT OF SEVERE POTENTIAL GOING. BY LATE WEDNESDAY...WE ARE THEN LEFT WITH DIURNALLY DRIVEN SCATTERED SHOWERS EACH DAY THROUGH SATURDAY...WITH THE AID OF OCCASIONAL PASSING SHORT WAVE TROUGHS IN THE SLOWLY DE-AMPLIFYING FLOW PATTERN. DRY WEATHER WILL RETURN FOR SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. HIGHS WILL START OFF NEAR NORMAL EARLY ON...BUT THEN COOL TO BELOW NORMAL VALUES FOR THE REST OF THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 803 AM EDT MON APR 28 2014 MOST LOCATIONS WILL HOLD OUT WITH VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING. BY LATER IN THE MORNING MORNING...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL FURTHER MOVE INTO THE WESTERN CWA AND FURTHER EASTWARD WITH A LINE PUSHING THROUGH THE TAF SITES AND HAVE PUT IN SOME MVFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE 14Z TO 18Z RANGE MAINLY DUE TO VISIBILITY IN THE SLIGHTLY HEAVIER SHOWERS AND STORMS. WILL THEN SHOW SOME VFR CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE THE NEXT STRONG TO SEVERE LINE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS MOVE IN BY 00Z AND SO HAVE GONE MVFR TO IFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY THROUGH THE LAST 12 HOURS OF THE TAF PERIOD. WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE SOUTH FOR MUCH OF THE PERIOD WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 KNOT OUTSIDE OF THUNDERSTORMS. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && UPDATE...SHALLENBERGER SHORT TERM...SHALLENBERGER LONG TERM...GEOGERIAN AVIATION...SHALLENBERGER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 535 AM EDT MON APR 28 2014 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-291245- 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 535 AM EDT MON APR 28 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY AND TONIGHT. SOME STORMS MAY BE SEVERE LATE TODAY INTO TONIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THE STORMS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. HOWEVER...AN ISOLATED TORNADO CAN NOT BE RULED OUT. IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. FROM THIS...ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING COULD DEVELOP. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE AT TIMES TUESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINS WILL BE POSSIBLE FROM TUESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. FROM THIS...LOCALIZED HIGH WATER ISSUES COULD DEVELOP. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED FOR STORM REPORTS LATE TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. SHALLENBERGER
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 522 AM EDT MON APR 28 2014 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-282100- 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 522 AM EDT MON APR 28 2014 ...SEVERE WEATHER AND HEAVY RAINFALL POSSIBLE LATE TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT FOR EASTERN KENTUCKY... A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE MOVING INTO THE UPPER PLAINS AND BRING A SERIES OF POTENT UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES INTO EASTERN KENTUCKY TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL SET THE STAGE FOR TIMES OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATER TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. THOUGH THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY WITH TIMING AND INTENSITY...THE INDIVIDUAL BOUTS OF SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL ARE EXPECTED TO BE CENTERED ON THE LATE THIS AFTERNOON TIME FRAME WITH ANOTHER POTENTIAL SET UP FOR LATE TONIGHT AND PERHAPS A FINAL ONE FROM LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE NIGHT. IT APPEARS THAT DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE DOMINANT SEVERE WEATHER THREAT THROUGHOUT THIS EVENT. HOWEVER...AN ISOLATED TORNADO...CANNOT BE RULED OUT. ADDITIONALLY...ANY THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTAIN LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. TONIGHT...IT APPEARS THAT THERE WILL BE A BETTER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS PASSING REPEATEDLY OVER A GIVEN LOCATION...CREATING A POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING. GREIF/SHALLENBERGER
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 60 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:44 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A county employee was struck by lightning. The person was taken to a hospital but there were no details available on specific injuries.
Trees and power lines were blown down on Hwy 1804 near the Kentucky/Tennessee state line.
Several trees were blown down in and around Gatliff.
One tree was reported to have been blown down. This report was a public report relayed via social media.
Power lines and trees were reported to have been blown down near the Hulen community.
A Storm Survey Team comprised of officials from the National Weather Service and Harlan County Emergency Management determined that the wind damage that occurred on Monday April 28th in the Harlan and Evarts Communities of Harlan County was caused by straight-line winds of up to 90 mph. The thunderstorm which caused the damaging winds moved from Tennessee across southeast Whitley County, Bell County and Harlan County producing sporadic wind damage along it's path. The damage in Harlan County included several large hardwood and softwood trees either uprooted or snapped at the base, and damage to at least three structures. Three minor injuries were reported as well.
While a couple witnesses stated that a funnel cloud was observed, all damage surveyed was blown in a northeasterly direction, consistent with straight line wind damage. Either the funnel cloud didn't touch down, or only did so very briefly and the touchdown location was indistinguishable from the straight-line wind damage.
A 70 mph wind gust was measured at the KY mesonet site on the top of Black Mountain at an elevation of 4031 feet.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, April 2014
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: 509837, 509838, 509839, 509840, 509841, 514059, 509845.