An upper level disturbance, a surface warm front and cold front, and ample low level moisture all combined to produce rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours of April 3rd across eastern Kentucky. The bulk of the severe weather reports were of strong thunderstorm wind gusts and downed trees.
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.
An upper level disturbance, a surface warm front and cold front, and ample low level moisture all combined to produce rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours of April 3rd across eastern Kentucky. The bulk of the severe weather reports were of strong thunderstorm wind gusts and downed trees. There were isolated instances of large hail and flooding during this event as well.
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 3, 2:29 PM EST, 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 329 PM EDT THU APR 3 2014 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 328 PM EDT THU APR 3 2014 STATIONARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS CURRENTLY DRAPED ACROSS NORTHERN KENTUCKY. THIS FRONT WILL MEANDER ABOUT OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS SENDING WAVES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EASTWARD ACROSS OUR AREA. CONFIDENCE IN THE DETAILS IS LOW AFTER THIS EVENING BUT LOOKING OVER THE AVAILABLE GUIDANCE SEEMS TO POINT TO SHOWERS AND STORMS MOVING ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE EVENING AND THEN POTENTIALLY LIFTING NORTHWARD BACK TOWARD THE OHIO RIVER LATE TONIGHT. THEN...SHOWERS AND STORM WILL REENTER THE AREA FROM THE WEST AS THE COLD FRONT WORKS ITS WAY ACROSS THE REGION ON FRIDAY. FLASH FLOOD WATCH WAS ISSUED EARLIER. WITH TREES YET TO LEAF OUT HERE LOCALLY (AND THUS NOT ABSORBING THE AMOUNT OF GROUNDWATER THEY WOULD WHEN FULLY LEAFED) AND PWATS PROGGED TO APPROACH THE 99TH PERCENTILE...RUNOFF FROM LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL COULD LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING OF SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS AND POOR DRAINING URBAN AREAS. THE OTHER CONCERN REMAINS THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER. THE AIRMASS HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO SIGNIFICANTLY DESTABILIZE THIS AFTERNOON...ALTHOUGH SBCAPE IS APPROACHING 1000 J/KG OVER OUR SOUTHERN COUNTIES AT THIS TIME. THINK THE SEVERE THREAT IS MINIMAL BUT AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. TOMORROW/S THREAT AGAIN REVOLVES AROUND HOW MUCH INSTABILITY CAN BUILD BEFORE THE FRONT PASSES THROUGH. CURRENT PROJECTIONS PUT THE FRONT THROUGH HERE AROUND MIDDAY...SO THAT WOULD SUPPORT A LESSER SEVERE WEATHER THREAT THAN SHOULD THE FRONT COME THROUGH LATER IN THE DAY. STRONG GUSTY WINDS WILL MATERIALIZE AFTER SUNRISE TOMORROW. BUFKIT SOUNDINGS SUPPORT GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH SO A WIND HEADLINE WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED FOR THE DAY ON FRIDAY. THE PERIOD WILL END QUIETLY AS A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS IN THE FAR EAST END EARLY IN THE EVENING WITH DECREASING CLOUDS. TEMPERATURES WILL FALL INTO THE UPPER 30S TO LOW 40S...WITH SOME COOLER TEMPERATURES POSSIBLE IN OUR WESTERN SHELTERED VALLEYS. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 328 PM EDT THU APR 3 2014 HIGH PRESSURE WILL RETURN THIS WEEKEND...PROVIDING A RELATIVELY NICE...BUT COOLER WEEKEND. WITH A COOLER AIRMASS SETTLING OVER THE AREA HIGHS WILL REMAIN IN THE 50S ON SATURDAY...RECOVERING TO THE 60S BY SUNDAY. OUR NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM TO IMPACT THE AREA WILL EMERGE FROM THE GULF COAST REGION LATE SUNDAY...AND ESPECIALLY SUNDAY NIGHT. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL TRACK NORTH FROM THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER REGION AND ACROSS CENTRAL KENTUCKY. THIS WILL PLACE EASTERN KENTUCKY ON THE WARM SIDE OF THIS SYSTEM. STRONG ISENTROPIC ASCENT WILL LEAD TO WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION DEVELOPMENT SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING. THE SYSTEM WILL DEPART BY MONDAY AFTERNOON...WITH STRONG TROUGHING SETTLING INTO THE REGION. THIS TROUGHING IS LIKELY TO PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK...PROVIDING COOLER AND PERHAPS UNSETTLED WEATHER INTO MIDWEEK. THUS...AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF LOW POPS WILL CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY BEFORE THE TROUGH FINALLY STARTS TO PULL OUT. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THAT PRECIPITATION SHOULD STAY ALL RAIN AS COLD AIR WITHIN THE TROUGH IS NOT COLD ENOUGH. WARMER WEATHER MAY RETURN BY LATE IN THE WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 201 PM EDT THU APR 3 2014 SEVERAL ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE AREA DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. TIMING THE INITIAL LINE INTO THE TAF SITES IS PRETTY STRAIGHT FORWARD. HOWEVER...CONFIDENCE IN TIMING AND IMPACTS AFTER THAT IS VERY UNCERTAIN. LATEST HRRR RUNS SHOW SEVERAL ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND STORMS OVERNIGHT...BUT OTHER MODELS ARE MUCH DRIER. WILL LEAN ON THE HRRR MODEL AS IT APPEARS TO BE VERIFYING MUCH BETTER LOOKING AT UPSTREAM RADAR DATA. THIS WILL YIELD A PROLONGED THREAT OF SHOWERS AT THE TAF SITES. WILL ALSO INCLUDE A VCTS/CB MENTION BETWEEN 20Z AND 00Z WITH THE INITIAL LINE AND THEN AGAIN AFTER 15Z TOMORROW AS A COLD FRONT PASSES THROUGH THE AREA. WIND SHEAR IS ALSO A CONCERN OVERNIGHT AS SOUTHWEST WINDS INCREASE DRAMATICALLY ABOVE THE SURFACE. THESE GUSTY WINDS WILL BEGIN TO SURFACE AFTER 15Z TOMORROW. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR KYZ044-050>052- 058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. && SHORT TERM...ABE LONG TERM...KAS AVIATION...ABE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1255 PM EDT THU APR 3 2014 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-042000- 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 1255 PM EDT THU APR 3 2014 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE FROM THE STRONGEST STORMS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WHERE THUNDERSTORMS PASS REPEATEDLY OVER THE SAME AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY FROM EARLY FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. ADDITIONALLY...WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE OUTSIDE OF THUNDERSTORMS ON FRIDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE ON MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED. ABE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1103 AM EDT THU APR 3 2014 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-032200- 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 1103 AM EDT THU APR 3 2014 ...SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATER TODAY AND THIS EVENING AND AGAIN ON FRIDAY... THE THREAT FOR STRONG TO POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS INCREASING LATER TODAY. AFTER A BRIEF BREAK IN THE SHOWER ACTIVITY AND SOME PEEKS OF SUNSHINE DURING THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS... ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS IS FORECAST TO IMPACT EASTERN KENTUCKY LATE IN THE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. THIS SECOND ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL THE PRIMARY THREAT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE WHERE THUNDERSTORMS PASS REPEATEDLY OVER THE SAME AREAS. A COLD FRONT WILL THEN APPROACH EASTERN KENTUCKY LATE TONIGHT...WITH A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THIS LINE OF STORMS WILL ENTER EASTERN KENTUCKY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING...AND EXIT THE AREA BY EARLY AFTERNOON. SOME OF THE STORMS WILL APPROACH SEVERE LIMITS...WITH DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN THREAT ON FRIDAY. ADDITIONALLY...STRONG WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WILL DEVELOP ALONG AND BEHIND THE FRONT AS IT MOVES THROUGH ON FRIDAY. LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL MEDIA FOR THE LATER UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION. GEOGERIAN/ABE
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 69 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:45 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind, 3 flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A 56 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured at the Morehead Airport AWOS.
A tree was blown down in Campton.
Trees were blown down on Hwy 191 in Hazel Green.
Three trees were blown down on Hwy 1261 in Bethany.
A 59 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured at the KY mesonet site in Morgan county.
Trees were blown down on Hwy 201 at Sitka.
Power lines were blown down in Flatgap.
Kentucky Power reported that more than one thousand people were without power across the county.
There was a brief period when quarter size hail fell.
A residence along Hwy 540 in Strong Fork had standing water in the yard. The home owners reported that the creek nearby was several feet out of its banks.
Creeks in the area were out of their banks and were covering numerous small residential bridges, driveways, and some roads in the area with water, particularly along Morgue Rd.
A member of the public reported that creeks were out of their banks on the south branch of Quicksand Creek and along Smith Branch. The water was flowing across roadways in the area and underneath cars in peoples driveways.
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: 509835, 509826, 509827, 509828, 509834, 509829, 509831, 509833, 509825, 509820, 509823, 509824.