Scattered strong thunderstorms brought isolated instances of very heavy rainfall and flooding to portions of eastern Kentucky during the evening and early overnight hours of August 31st. The hardest hit areas were in Powell county where numerous roads were flooded and two bridges were washed out.
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.
Scattered strong thunderstorms brought isolated instances of very heavy rainfall and flooding to portions of eastern Kentucky during the evening and early overnight hours of August 31st. The hardest hit areas were in Powell county where numerous roads were flooded and two bridges were washed out.
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 Aug 31, 9:38 PM EST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1038 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1038 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014 HEAVIEST RAIN SHIFTED NORTH OF THE ORIGINAL FLASH FLOOD WATCH AREA...AND HAVE DROPPED THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH. HOWEVER A FLASH FLOOD WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM...IS IN EFFECT FOR AREAS JUST NORTH OF THE ORIGINAL WATCH. IFLOWS GAGES IN POWELL COUNTY INDICATE 0.68 INCHES IN 30 MINUTES AT CLAY CITY WITH 1.88 INCHES IN THE LAST 3 HOURS. STANTON HAD 0.76 INCHES IN 30 MINUTES AND 1 INCH IN 1 HOUR. QPE SHOWS 3 HOUR FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE HAS BEEN EXCEEDED IN PARTS OF POWELL COUNTY...AND SOME OF THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAS OCCURRED IN IDENTIFIED FLASH FLOOD PRONE AREAS. ONCE THE CURRENT CLUSTER OF HEAVY RAIN MOVES NORTHEAST AND DIMINISHES...THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT SHOULD BE MORE QUIET. HAVE UPDATED FORECAST FOR LATEST TRENDS. UPDATE ISSUED AT 834 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014 UPDATED NDFD AND ASSOCIATED PRODUCTS BASED ON LATEST OBSERVATIONAL TRENDS. HEAVIEST SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE SHIFTED JUST NORTH OF THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH AREA. ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SW PART OF THE FORECAST AREA ARE HEADED TOWARDS THE WATCH AREA...BUT CURRENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT THIS ACTIVITY WILL DIMINISH AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE HEAVY RAIN THREAT OVER THE NEXT 1 TO 2 HOURS...BUT WILL LIKELY BE ABLE TO CANCEL THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH EARLY. IF CURRENT TRENDS CONTINUE WILL LIKELY BE ABLE TO CANCEL THE WATCH AROUND 10 PM EDT. UPDATE ISSUED AT 628 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014 TRAINING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING FROM SW TO NE ACROSS THE CENTRAL PART OF THE FORECAST AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING...WILL CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. WITH PWS IN EXCESS OF 2 INCHES AND SOME SPOTS ALREADY RECEIVING IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH OVER THE PAST 2 TO 3 HOURS HAVE EXPANDED AND EXTENDED THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR THE CENTRAL PART OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT FOR A SWATH OF COUNTIES FROM JACKSON TO MARTIN AND PIKE. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 315 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014 NONE OF THE MODELS ARE REALLY HANDLING THIS AFTERNOONS SHOWER AND STORM ACTIVITY VERY WELL. AS IT STANDS...THE NAM12 IS CLOSEST BUT STILL IS NOT DOING A VERY GOOD JOB. AS FOR TONIGHT THROUGH THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...A BLEND OF THE VARIOUS SHORT TERM MODELS WAS USED DUE TO UNCERTAINTY...WITH SOME MASSAGING DONE TO MAKE THE RESULTING FORECAST GRIDS LOOK REASONABLE. A WEAK ATMOSPHERIC WAVE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AND EVENTUALLY ACROSS KENTUCKY AND THEN THE OHIO VALLEY THIS EVENING. SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE BEGINNING TO INCREASE IN COVERAGE THIS AFTERNOON AS THE WAVE MOVES THROUGH. OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STORMS...ALL WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. ONCE THE SUN BEGINS TO SET...THE LOSS OF HEATING...AND THE MOVEMENT OF THE WAVE OUT OF THE AREA INTO THE OHIO VALLEY AND POINTS NORTH...SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL QUICKLY DECREASE IN COVERAGE. THE OVERNIGHT HOURS MAY FEATURE SOME ISOLATED ACTIVITY...BUT BY SUN RISE ON MONDAY THE AREA SHOULD BE FREE OF RAIN. AFTER A LULL DURING THE DAY ON MONDAY AND AGAIN MONDAY NIGHT...A FAIRLY WELL DEFINED COLD FRONT WILL FINALLY APPROACH THE AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST...AS A LARGE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE ALOFT PUSHES OFF TO THE EAST OUT OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS. SHOWERS AND STORMS FIRE ALONG THIS FRONT AS IT MOVES ACROSS INDIANA AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY. BY 12Z ON TUESDAY WE SHOULD BEGIN TO SEE ISOLATED TO PERHAPS SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS BEGIN MOVING INTO OUR NORTHWESTERN COUNTIES. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING...AND WE WILL BE LEAVING THIS IN PLACE SINCE IT IS BEGINNING TO RAIN A BIT MORE ACROSS THE AREA. THE EVENING SHIFT WILL DO AS THEY SEE FIT WITH THE FLOOD WATCH. TEMPERATURES DURING THE SHORT TERM WILL LIKELY BE ABOVE NORMAL DUE TO THE PERSISTENT SOUTHERLY FLOW AND MOISTURE FEED OFF THE GULF OF MEXICO. TOMORROWS HIGHS ARE EXPECTED TO TOP OUT IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S...WITH LOWS TONIGHT AND TOMORROW IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 328 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014 THE MODELS START OUT IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH FAIRLY ZONAL FLOW ACROSS THE US WITH AN UPPER TROUGH OVER THE CENTRAL US. AT THE SURFACE...THE BERMUDA HIGH IS RETREATING TO THE EAST AS THE UPPER TROUGH APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. A SURFACE LOW WILL BE LOCATED OVER THE GREAT LAKES WITH A COLD FRONT EXTENDING ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN AND THEN CURVING ACROSS THE TEXAS PANHANDLE. WARM MOIST AIR IS IN PLACE OVER EASTERN KENTUCKY AND WILL RESULT IN THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME AIR MASS THUNDERSTORMS OVER EASTERN KENTUCKY MOSTLY IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THE UPPER TROUGH WILL BE MOVING TO THE EAST AND IT WILL PUSH A COLD FRONT INTO THE AREA ON TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS FRONT MOVE TO THE SOUTH OF THE AREA BY WEDNESDAY. ON WEDNESDAY MORNING THE UPPER FLOW WILL BE VERY ZONAL ACROSS THE US WITH HIGH PRESSURE IN PLACE AT THE SURFACE WHICH WILL STAY IN PLACE ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR WARM MOIST FLOW WITH AFTERNOON AND EVENING AIR MASS THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH FRIDAY. BY SATURDAY MORNING A DEVELOPING SHORT WAVE TROUGH WILL BE PUSHING A COLD FRONT INTO THE BLUEGRASS. THIS WILL INCREASE THE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE FOR THE WEEKEND. BY THE END OF THE PERIOD...THE TIMING OF THE SHORT WAVES BEGIN TO DIFFER AND CONFIDENCE STARTS TO PLUMMET. PREFER THE SLOWER ECMWF SOLUTION TO THE GFS. FOR TEMPERATURES...STAYED CLOSE TO THE MODEL BLEND AS THE MODELS WERE IN BETTER THAN AVERAGE AGREEMENT. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 740 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014 A WEATHER DISTURBANCE MOVING ACROSS KY WILL KEEP SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE EVENING. MVFR TO IFR CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED IN AND NEAR SHOWERS WITH VFR CONDITIONS ELSEWHERE. ANY THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL BE TOO ISOLATED TO MENTION IN THE TAFS. SHOWERS WILL TAPER OFF THIS EVENING...BUT CEILINGS WILL LOWER AND FOG WILL FORM...WITH IFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO PREVAIL FOR THE LATTER PART OF THE NIGHT INTO THE MORNING ON MONDAY. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE DURING THE MORNING ON MONDAY...WITH VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED BY LATE MORNING. VFR CONDITIONS WILL THEN PREVAIL FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY ON MONDAY. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && UPDATE...SBH SHORT TERM...AR LONG TERM...JJ AVIATION...SBH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1014 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-011200- 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 1014 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE EARLY TONIGHT...MAINLY NEAR AND NORTH OF THE MOUNTAIN PARKWAY. HEAVY RAIN MAY LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. PATCHY DENSE FOG IS POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AT TIMES FROM MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...MAINLY DURING EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING COULD BECOME STRONG AND PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY OCCURRENCES OF HEAVY RAIN OR HIGH WATER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. SBH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
701 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014
KYZ058>060-104-106-108-010000-
MENIFEE-POWELL-ELLIOTT-ESTILL-MORGAN-WOLFE-
701 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014
...AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES
THROUGH 800 PM EDT SUNDAY EVENING...
MENIFEE...
NORTHERN MORGAN...
POWELL...
NORTHWESTERN WOLFE...
WESTERN ELLIOTT AND
ESTILL.
AT 701 PM EDT...AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS
LOCATED NEAR HAYSTACK...OR 7 MILES SOUTH OF FRENCHBURG...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...MARIBA AROUND
710 PM EDT...DENNISTON AROUND 715 PM EDT...WELLINGTON AROUND 720 PM
EDT...ARTVILLE AROUND 725 PM EDT...AND EBON AROUND 730 PM EDT.
RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT TORRENTIAL RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATE OF TWO
INCHES PER HOUR OR MORE...GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...AND POSSIBLY
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IN THESE AREAS.
THE HEAVY RAIN WILL LIKELY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON AREA ROADWAYS.
MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO DRIVE CAREFULLY.
&&
LAT...LON 3799 8302 3759 8411 3785 8409 3784 8402
3787 8403 3792 8393 3791 8378 3798 8377
3803 8366 3801 8358 3806 8357 3805 8347
3803 8346 3804 8340 3813 8322 3817 8320
3818 8326 3822 8317
TIME...MOT...LOC 2301Z 241DEG 22KT 3786 8364
GREIFSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
758 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014
KYZ051-052-059-060-104-106-010100-
MENIFEE-POWELL-ROWAN-BATH-ELLIOTT-MORGAN-
758 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014
...AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES
THROUGH 900 PM EDT SUNDAY EVENING...
MENIFEE...
NORTHWESTERN MORGAN...
EASTERN POWELL...
ROWAN...
SOUTHEASTERN BATH AND
ELLIOTT.
AT 757 PM EDT...A TRAINING AREA OF SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
WAS LOCATED NEAR FRENCHBURG...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...SCRANTON AROUND
805 PM EDT...BIG WOODS AROUND 810 PM EDT...BANGOR AROUND 815 PM
EDT...BANGOR AROUND 820 PM EDT...AND LICK FORK AROUND 825 PM EDT.
RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT TORRENTIAL RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATE OF TWO
INCHES PER HOUR OR MORE...GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...AND POSSIBLY
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IN THESE AREAS.
THE HEAVY RAIN WILL LIKELY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON AREA ROADWAYS.
MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO DRIVE CAREFULLY.
&&
LAT...LON 3823 8330 3820 8326 3820 8324 3824 8322
3827 8316 3820 8305 3820 8301 3818 8295
3809 8291 3775 8382 3776 8384 3791 8388
3791 8378 3800 8376 3807 8381 3826 8347
3831 8333
TIME...MOT...LOC 2357Z 245DEG 25KT 3799 8361
GREIFSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
948 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014
KYZ050-051-058>060-010245-
MENIFEE-MONTGOMERY-POWELL-BATH-ESTILL-
948 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH
1045 PM EDT SUNDAY EVENING...
MENIFEE...
SOUTHEASTERN MONTGOMERY...
POWELL...
SOUTHEASTERN BATH AND
NORTHWESTERN ESTILL.
AT 948 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR SPOUT
SPRINGS...OR 7 MILES WEST OF STANTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH.
LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...CLAY CITY
AROUND 955 PM EDT...STANTON AROUND 1000 PM EDT...CAT CREEK AROUND
1005 PM EDT...BEAN AROUND 1010 PM EDT...AND MEANS AROUND 1015 PM
EDT.
RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT TORRENTIAL RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATE OF TWO
INCHES PER HOUR OR MORE...GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...AND CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING IN THESE AREAS.
THE HEAVY RAIN WILL LIKELY CAUSE SIGNIFICANT PONDING OF WATER ON
AREA ROADWAYS. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO DRIVE CAREFULLY.
&&
LAT...LON 3811 8356 3812 8355 3795 8344 3789 8349
3772 8402 3784 8410 3785 8409 3783 8407
3785 8406 3784 8402 3787 8403 3787 8400
3792 8400 3794 8398 3813 8356
TIME...MOT...LOC 0148Z 244DEG 24KT 3784 8396
GREIFPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
1036 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1034 PM HEAVY RAIN STANTON 37.85N 83.86W
08/31/2014 M0.76 INCH POWELL KY MESONET
THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH OF RAIN REPORTED IN THE IFLOWS
GAUGE AT STANTON IN THE PAST 30 MINUTES. 24 HOUR TOTAL
2.52 INCHES.
&&
GREIFPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
1038 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1020 PM HEAVY RAIN CLAY CITY 37.86N 83.93W
08/31/2014 M0.68 INCH POWELL KY MESONET
TWO THIRDS OF AN INCH OF RAIN FELL AT THE CLAY CITY
IFLOWS GAUGE IN 30 MINUTES. 2.48 INCHES TOTAL FOR THE
PAST 24 HOURS.
&&
GREIFSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
1051 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014
KYZ060-104-106-010345-
MENIFEE-ELLIOTT-MORGAN-
1051 PM EDT SUN AUG 31 2014
...AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES
THROUGH 1145 PM EDT SUNDAY EVENING...
EASTERN MENIFEE...
MORGAN AND
ELLIOTT.
AT 1051 PM EDT...AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS
LOCATED NEAR WELLINGTON...OR 6 MILES EAST OF FRENCHBURG...MOVING EAST
AT 20 MPH.
LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...EBON AROUND
1100 PM EDT...OMER AROUND 1105 PM EDT...KELLACEY AROUND 1110 PM
EDT...ZAG AROUND 1115 PM EDT...AND YOCUM AROUND 1120 PM EDT.
RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES BETWEEN
ONE AND TWO INCHES PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...AND
CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IN THESE AREAS.
THE HEAVY RAIN WILL LIKELY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON AREA ROADWAYS.
MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO DRIVE CAREFULLY.
&&
LAT...LON 3817 8291 3811 8289 3800 8302 3793 8298
3784 8345 3786 8349 3785 8352 3786 8366
3799 8366 3805 8346 3803 8348 3803 8346
3802 8346 3805 8343 3804 8340 3807 8335
3809 8334 3820 8301
TIME...MOT...LOC 0251Z 252DEG 18KT 3793 8350
GREIFThe Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 58 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:40 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Two bridges were reported to have been washed out along Jerrica Leigh Lane just to the east of KY Hwy 213.
Water was reported to be flowing over Upper Cane Creek and Lower Cane Creek Roads in a total of four locations with water still rising. As of 1225 am the county was working on closing the roads.
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, August 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: 531754, 534515.