A strong cold front that moved across eastern Kentucky brought severe weather to the area on February 20th and 21st. Numerous trees were felled across the forecast area by thunderstorm wind gusts.
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 strong cold front that moved across eastern Kentucky brought severe weather to the area on February 20th and 21st. Numerous trees were felled across the forecast area by thunderstorm wind gusts. Heavy rain also lead to isolated flooding issues for a few locations.
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 Feb 20, 7:48 AM EST, 2 hours 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 748 AM EST THU FEB 20 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 748 AM EST THU FEB 20 2014 THE WARM FRONT DID NOT GET FIRED UP UNTIL IT WAS ALMOST OUT OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. WITHIN THE LAST HOUR...SOME LIGHTNING WAS DETECTED OVER ELLIOT COUNTY. THIS LINE WILL CONTINUE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST LEAVING EASTERN KENTUCKY IN THE WARM AIR TODAY. EXPECTING HIGH TEMPERATURES NEAR 70 TODAY. THE FRONT THIS EVENING STILL LOOKS PRETTY DANGEROUS. SPC JUST UPDATED CENTRAL KENTUCKY TO A MODERATE RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. EASTERN KENTUCKY IS STILL IN THE SLIGHT RISK. WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE HOW FAR INTO EASTERN KENTUCKY THE SYSTEM WILL GET BEFORE IT FALLS APART. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 416 AM EST THU FEB 20 2014 THE MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH JUST SOME SLIGHT VARIANCES IN TIMING. THE COLD FRONT MOVING INTO THE AREA DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS TONIGHT IS POISED TO PACK QUITE A WALLOP. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT EASTERN KENTUCKY CAN OFTEN BE A GRAVE YARD FOR SYSTEMS LIKE THIS AS THEY BECOME STARVED FOR INSTABILITY THE FURTHER EAST THEY CONTINUE INTO THE COAL FIELDS. THERE ARE MULTIPLE CONCERNS WITH THIS SYSTEM. THE MOST LIKELY ISSUE TO OCCUR IS THE STRONG GUSTY WINDS. THE NAM TIME HEIGHT IS SHOWING VERTICAL THETA SURFACES THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO MIX DOWN WINDS UP TO 60 MPH. THE VERTICAL THETA SURFACE MEANS THAT THE HIGHER VELOCITY WINDS ALOFT CAN EASILY MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE. THE VERTICAL THETAS ARE NOT AS IMPRESSIVE AS THE RUN FROM LAST NIGHT...HOWEVER ARE STILL A CLEAR INDICATOR OF THE WIND GUST POTENTIAL. THE NEXT CONCERN IS THE POTENTIAL FOR TORNADOES THAT ARE SPUN UP WITH A QUASI LINEAR CONVECTING SYSTEM (QLCS). THESE SPRING SQUALL LINES ARE PERFECT FOR QLCS DEVELOPMENT. WHAT HAPPENS IN A QLCS SYSTEM IS THAT A TORNADO CAN SPIN UP VERY QUICKLY IN PLACES WHERE THERE IS A BREAK IN THE SQUALL LINE. THE SPIN UP IS SO QUICK...THAT LEAD TIME TENDS TO BE VERY LIMITED. THE BIG QUESTION IS HOW FAR INTO EASTERN KENTUCKY WILL THIS SYSTEM BE ABLE TO MOVE...BEFORE STARTING TO WEAKEN. THE MODELS ARE INDICATING THE SYSTEM WILL BE DE-INTENSIFYING AS IN MOVES FURTHER INTO THE AREA. AS SUCH...THE WESTERN HALF OF EASTERN KENTUCKY IS FAR MORE LIKELY TO SEE THE SEVERE WEATHER THAN THE FAR SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE AREA. EVEN IF THE INSTABILITY DECREASES...THE DYNAMICS OF THE SYSTEM WILL STILL ALLOW WIND GUSTS OF NEAR 60 MPH...EVEN AFTER THE THUNDER STOPS. IN A SENSE...IT WILL BE A SEVERE RAIN SHOWER. IF THIS HAPPENS...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS WILL CONTINUE TO BE ISSUED. THE SYSTEM SHOULD MOVE OUT OF PIKE COUNTY ON FRIDAY MORNING. THE TEMPERATURES WILL BE COOLING OFF BEHIND THE FRONT. EXPECT TO SEE A LOT OF TREES KNOCKED DOWN WITH THIS SYSTEM...SO THE THE POWER WILL MOST LIKELY ALSO BE CUT OFF IN MANY LOCATIONS AS THE FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 301 AM EST THU FEB 20 2014 FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE MODELS IN THE EXTENDED. OVERALL DAYS 3 THROUGH 7 LOOK TO BE VERY QUIET WITH ONLY ONE SHORT PERIOD WITH A CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION. HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE MOST OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD...WITH COOLDOWN IN STORE FOR THE UPCOMING WORK WEEK. THE ONE EXCEPTIONALLY WARM DAY DURING THE EXTENDED LOOKS TO BE SATURDAY WHEN HIGHS COULD CLIMB TO AROUND 60 DEGREES. AFTER THAT...A PASSING WEAK WEATHER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO USHER MUCH COOLER AIR INTO THE AREA OUT OF CANADA. HIGHS ON SUNDAY WILL LIKELY ONLY MAKE INTO THE MID TO UPPER 40S NORTH OF THE HAL ROGERS PARKWAY...AND THE LOWER 50S FROM THERE NORTHEASTWARD TO NORTHERN JOHNSON COUNTY. FROM MONDAY ONWARD...A MUCH COOLER AIR MASS WILL BE IN PLACE. THIS AIR MASS WILL BE REINFORCED AS A SERIES OF WEAK DISTURBANCES IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE PASS BY THE AREA. HIGHS ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY ARE EXPECTED TO TOP OUT IN THE 40S...WITH MAXIMUM READINGS ON WEDNESDAY ONLY MAKING IT INTO THE 30S. THESE NUMBERS ARE QUITE A BIT COOLER THAN THE LATEST MEXMOS GUIDANCE IS SUGGESTING...WHICH IS WELL AND GOOD CONSIDERING THE REINFORCING SHOTS OF COLD AIR WE COULD BE RECEIVING DURING THE WEEK. BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF WERE IN GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...WHEN THE ECMWF BRINGS A CLIPPER TYPE SYSTEM ACROSS THE AREA AND CORRESPONDING LIGHT PRECIPITATION. THE GFS...ON THE OTHER HAND...WAS PRETTY MUCH DRY THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD. WITH ALL THIS IN MIND...DECIDED TO GO WITH A WATERED DOWN VERSION OF THE ECMWF MODEL FOR PRECIPITATION PROBABILITIES...QPF...AND SKY COVER FOR THE MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY TIME FRAME. WE COULD SEE ISOLATED RAIN AND SHOWERS ACROSS THE REGION AS THE WEATHER SYSTEM DIVES TO THE SOUTHEAST OUT OF THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES. THE ECMWF WAS USED DUE TO ITS BETTER RELIABILITY. IN SPITE OF THIS...THERE IS LOW CONFIDENCE AS TO WHAT TYPE OF WEATHER WE WILL ACTUALLY SEE ON TUESDAY. THE REST OF THE WEEK BEFORE AND AFTER TUESDAY WILL FEATURE DRY WEATHER AND COOLER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 659 AM EST THU FEB 20 2014 PREDOMINANTLY VFR IS EXPECTED THROUGH 4Z. SOUTH WINDS WILL PICK UP SUBSTANTIALLY DURING THE DAY TODAY...WITH GUSTS TOPPING 40 KTS AT TIMES... ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON. THE FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST AFTER 4Z. SOME CBS MAY BE MOVING INTO THE AREA AFTER 1Z. THESE STORMS ARE VERY DANGEROUS AND MAY PRODUCE WIND GUST GREATER THAN 50 KTS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS ALSO POSSIBLE. EXPECTING TEMPO VFR WITH THE HEAVIER STORMS. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM EST FRIDAY FOR KYZ044-050>052-058>060- 068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. && UPDATE...JJ SHORT TERM...JJ LONG TERM...AR AVIATION...JJ
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 426 AM EST THU FEB 20 2014 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-211230- 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 426 AM EST THU FEB 20 2014 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 AM EST FRIDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE DAY. A LINE OF POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT RISK OF DAMAGING WIND GUSTS. IN ADDITION...AN ISOLATED TORNADO OR TWO WILL BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED. JJ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 644 AM EST THU FEB 20 2014 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-202345- 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 644 AM EST THU FEB 20 2014 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM THREAT FOR THURSDAY NIGHT... A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST THROUGH KENTUCKY TONIGHT. THIS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WHICH WILL ACCOMPANY THE FRONT ACROSS THE STATE. THE THUNDER AND LIGHTNING MAY BE ON THE DECLINE AS THE WEATHER SYSTEM PASSES THROUGH EASTERN KENTUCKY. HOWEVER...WINDS ALOFT WILL REMAIN VERY STRONG. THUNDERSTORMS OR EVEN JUST HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS ALONG THE COLD FRONT MAY POSE A THREAT OF BRINGING DAMAGING WINDS DOWN TO THE GROUND. THE PRIMARY THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE FROM 9 PM THROUGH 5 AM IN EASTERN KENTUCKY. THERE IS ALSO A POTENTIAL FOR BRIEF HEAVY RAINS. THIS COULD LEAD TO HIGH WATER ISSUES...ESPECIALLY IN LOCATIONS THAT HAVE RECENTLY LOST THEIR SNOW COVER. OUTSIDE OF THE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM THREAT... WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE FOR THIS EARLY TASTE OF SPRING SEASON SEVERE WEATHER. GREIF/HAL/JJ
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 49 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:19 UTC.
58 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Miller Creek that parallels Hwy 52 towards Estill county was at bank full and moving swiftly. At the Lee/Estill county line, the creek was out of its banks and flooding the nearby low lying farmland.
Trees were reported down along Freedom Church Road along with tree limbs 4 to 5 inches in diameter.
Trees were blown down on Highways 2303, 227, and 769.
Trees were blown down and across Hwy 1249 running south of Mount Vernon.
A tree was blown down and across Hwy 3258 at mile marker 3.
Trees were blown down along Hwy 421.
Several trees were blown down and across Hwy 927.
Two trees were blown down on Frames Branch Road.
A tree was blown down on Fox Road in Camargo.
A technician reported that large limbs had snapped off along tops of trees at the NWR transmitter site.
A tree was blown down and across Hwy 1651.
A tree was blown down and across Hwy 1470.
Trees were blown down and across Hwy 3290.
Barn doors were blown off and sections of fence were removed on New Zion Ridge Road.
A tree was blown down on KY-478 at mile marker 4.
A tree was blown down and across Hwy 1673 at mile marker 1.2.
Trees were blown down on Hwy 399.
Trees were blown down at the intersection of Highways 459 and 6.
Trees were blown down on Hwy 3150.
Trees were blown down on Hwy 577.
Trees were blown down on Hwy 708.
Trees were blown down on Hwy 2025 at White Oak.
A tree was blown down on Cave Branch Road near Bethany.
Ramsey Park was damaged by thunderstorm winds. A dugout roof was torn to pieces, bleachers were smashed and poles were bent.
Trees were blown down in Bruin and other locations in the northern and western parts of the county.
Trees were blown down on Hwy 92E close to the Bell county line.
A tree was blown down and across Opossum Bend Road.
A tree was broken in half and a metal sign was bent over on Hyden Spur Road.
A tree was blown down and across Bills Branch Road.
A vehicle containing a deceased family of three was found submerged in Jellico Creek off Newman Campbell Rd. The family went missing late Thursday night and the vehicle was found early Saturday morning. It is likely based off evidence from the scene that the driver drove into swiftly flowing water at least 3 feet deep and was swept away. Time of the event is a general estimate.
A tree was blown and across the road at Yerkes.
Trees were blown down on roads on Raccoon Creek and Glomawr.
A tree was blown down and across Laurel Mountain Road.
A tree was blown down and across a road in Cutshin.
A tree was blown down in Decoy.
This report was made by the Big Sandy Recc. Trees and power lines were blown down county wide with 3 power outages reported.
A tree was blown down in Emalena.
A tree was blown down and across the road at the Lost Creek trailer park.
A 62 mph wind gust was measured at the Knott county KY mesonet site.
This report made by the Big Sandy Recc. Trees and power lines were blown down county wide with 3 power outages reported.
A tree was blown down on Hwy 550 in Hindman.
A tree was blown down and across Reubens Branch Road near the bottom of Pine Mountain.
This report was made by the Big Sandy Recc. Trees and power lines were blown down county wide. Ten power outages were reported.
Two trees were blown down on Hwy 1426 along Abbotts Creek.
Trees were blown down in Van Lear and West Van Lear.
A tree was blown down at Pine Top.
Trees were blown down in Offutt.
Trees were blown down in Meally.
A 59 mph wind gust was measured by the KSJS AWOS at the Big Sandy Regional Airport.
Trees were blown down on Hwy 1210 at Stevens Branch.
Seven trees were blown down on Lodge Road at Dewey Lake.
This report was made by the FAA at Prestonsburg Airport. Wind damage to roofs of 2 hangers was reported. One hanger lost half its roof while the other lost a section off the roof.
Trees were blown down across roads and phone lines in Putney.
A tree was blown down in Tomahawk.
A tree was blown down in Milo.
A tree was blown down in Black Log.
A roof was blown off a house in Inez.
Trees were blown down on Meathouse and Wolfe Creek Roads.
A tree was blown down in Hode.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the county. Trees were blown down near the US 119 exit on KY 194, the mouth of Red Creek on US 460, KY 319 near the foot of Hardy Mountain on the Blackberry side, US 460 at the Pollyann Trailer Park, and KY 197 at the mouth of Rockhouse of Marrowbone. Power lines were blown down at 1567 Ratliff's Creek Rd.
Water was flowing across Arkansas Creek Rd. The road was blocked as a result.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood, Whitley | 2014-02-21 | 39 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
| Flash Flood, Whitley | 2014-02-21 | 29 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
| Flash Flood, Whitley | 2014-02-21 | 2 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
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, February 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: 498759, 498674, 498675, 498676, 498677, 498678, 498679, 498680, 498681, 498682, 498683, 498684, 498685, 498686, 498687, 498688, 498689, 498690, 498691, 498715, 498716, 498717, 498718, 498719, 498720, 498721, 498722, 498723, 498724, 498758, 498725, 498726, 498727, 498728, 498729, 498730, 498731, 498732, 498753, 498733, and more.