Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms produced tree damage, hail, and flooding across portions of eastern Kentucky during the afternoon and evening hours of May 27th.
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 to severe thunderstorms produced tree damage, hail, and flooding across portions of eastern Kentucky during the afternoon and evening hours of May 27th.
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 May 27, 12:44 PM EST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 144 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 137 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 FORECAST GIVEN BY THE MIDNIGHT SHIFT WAS IN VERY GOOD SHAPE THROUGH MUCH OF THE MORNING...WITH ONLY A FEW MINOR UPDATES TO MAKE SURE THE LATEST OBSERVATIONAL DATA WAS REFLECTED. IN THE LAST 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE STARTED TO QUICKLY POP UP ACROSS THE AREA. WHILE THIS UPTICK IN ACTIVITY IS WELL REPRESENTED IN THE PREVIOUS GRIDS...AS WELL AS THE HRRR MODEL...SOME ISOLATED GRIDS WILL NEED TO BE UPDATED TO SCATTERED. STILL EXPECTING ACTIVITY TO BE DIURNALLY DRIVEN...DYING DOWN WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING LATE THIS EVENING. UPDATE ISSUED AT 755 AM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 HOURLY GRIDS HAVE BEEN FRESHENED UP BASED ON THE LATEST OBS AND TO ACCOUNT FOR TRENDS IN THE CONVECTION OVER THE EASTERN PART OF THE CWA. THE POPS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY HAVE BEEN TRENDED TOWARD RECENT HRRR AND NAM RUNS. THIS LED TO SLIGHTLY LOWER POPS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 345 AM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 SPLIT FLOW REMAINS ACROSS THE CONUS WITH AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WORKING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WHILE THE WESTERLIES ARE DISPLACE FROM THE PACIFIC COAST GENERALLY EAST NEAR THE US CANADIAN BORDER...BEFORE DIPPING INTO THE NORTHEASTERN US. UPPER LEVEL RIDGING EXTENDS NORTH FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO AND SOUTHEASTERN CONUS INTO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS AND LOWER OH VALLEY REGION. LYING GENERALLY JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THESE WESTERLIES WAS A BOUNDARY FROM LOW PRESSURE SOUTHEAST OF THE MARITIMES TO ANOTHER SFC LOW OVER SOUTHEAST QUEBEC AND THEN WEST SOUTHEAST FROM THAT LOW INTO THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES AND UPPER MS VALLEY AND NORTHERN PLAINS. THROUGH WED...THE RIDGING OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO AND SOUTHEASTERN CONUS WILL SHIFT FURTHER SOUTH AND DAMPEN WHILE DISTURBANCES IN THE WESTERLIES LEAD TO A GRADUAL LOWERING OF HEIGHTS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES REGION...PARTS OF THE OH VALLEY AND MID ATLANTIC STATES. AT THE SAME TIME...THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL MEANDER TO THE ARKLATEX REGION BY THE END OF THE PERIOD WHILE A WEAKER MID LEVEL TROUGH APPROACHES THE OH RIVER VALLEY. AT THE SFC...THE SFC LOW INITIALLY OVER QUEBEC WILL DROP SOUTHEAST TO THE MID ATLANTIC STATES THROUGH DAWN ON WED. THE TRAILING COLD FRONT WILL GRADUALLY DROP TOWARD NORTHERN AND NORTHEASTERN KY BY THE END OF THE PERIOD. MOST OF THE MODELS HAVE CONVECTION DEVELOPING PRIOR TO DAWN...THOUGH THE RAP IS HANDLING THE CURRENT CONVECTION A BIT BETTER THAN THE HRRR. BOTH THE RAP AND HRRR POINT TOWARD THE ACTIVITY GRADUALLY SHIFTING INTO THE SOUTHEAST PART OF THE CWA OR DEVELOPING IN THAT AREA PRIOR TO DAWN AND LINGERING A BIT INTO THE DAY ON TUESDAY. THE HRRR AND SOME OF THE OTHER GUIDANCE INCLUDING THE 0Z NAM HAD SOME CONVECTION FROM THE LOZ AND SME AREA SOUTHEAST TOWARD THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF HARLAN AND LETCHER COUNTY. ALTHOUGH THE CONVECTION SO FAR HAS BEEN OVER THE EASTERN BLUEGRASS REGION...ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE IS POSSIBLE THROUGH AROUND DAWN. THE OVERALL MODEL CONSENSUS IS FOR THIS TO AFFECT PARTS OF THE BIG SANDY REGION AND PARTS OF THE VA BORDER OVER THE NEXT 4 TO 6 HOURS AND WENT WITH THE HIGHEST POPS IN THOSE AREAS. OTHERWISE...CONVECTION SHOULD HAVE A MAINLY DIURNAL TREND TODAY AND INTO TONIGHT AS A WEAK SHORTWAVE IS PROGGED TO WORK AROUND THE RIDGING OVER THE SOUTHEAST CONUS AND AFFECT THE OH VALLEY REGION AROUND PEAK HEATING. ONCE GAIN TONIGHT...CONVECTION CANNOT BE RULED OUT AS MID LEVEL HEIGHTS ARE PROGGED TO LOWER. A COLD FRONT SAGGING INTO THE OH VALLEY REGION AND A WEAK MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE MAY PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR CONVECTION...ESPECIALLY LATER IN THE DAY ON WED IN THE CENTRAL AND NORTH. MODELS HAVE SOME HEIGHT RISES BACK INTO EAST TN AND INTO SOUTH CENTRAL KY DURING THE DAY ON WED AS THE RIDGE AXIS FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN RIDGE SHOULD EXTEND BACK IN THAT DIRECTION BY THE END OF THE PERIOD. CONFIDENCE IN CONVECTION IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF THE CWA IS THE LOWEST FOR WED. SOME OF THAT AREA COULD EXPERIENCE MORE SCATTERED CONVECTION RATHER THAN LIKELY COVERAGE. TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE PERIOD WILL REMAIN MILD FOR LATE MAY...ABOUT 5 TO 10 DEGREE ABOVE NORMAL. HIGHS TODAY WILL BE IN THE MID 80S ON AVERAGE. CLOUD COVER SHOULD BE HIGHER ON AVERAGE ON WED...AND HOLD TEMPS INTO THE LOW TO MID 80S. IF SKIES WERE TO CLEAR TONIGHT OR IF WERE TO REMAIN GENERALLY FREE OF CONVECTION...TUE NIGHT...VALLEY FOG COULD BECOME A CONCERN AND TEMPS MIGHT DISPLAY MORE OF A MODERATE RIDGE/VALLEY SPLIT RANGE. .LONG TERM...(WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 328 AM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 THE MODELS WERE IN DECENT AGREEMENT THROUGHOUT THE EXTENDED...WITH SIMILAR DETAILS REGARDING THE OVERALL LARGE SCALE WEATHER PATTERN...SMALLER SCALE DETAILS...AND TIMING OF SYSTEM MOVEMENT AND PRECIPITATION EVOLUTION. THE PERIOD IS PROGGED TO START OUT WITH TROUGHS OF LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPING OVER THE CENTRAL GULF COAST AND PACIFIC NORTHWEST...A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES...AND ANOTHER RIDGE SITUATED OVER NORTHERN NEW ENGLAND. THE LATEST MODEL DATA SUGGEST THAT A FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL BECOME ESTABLISHED FROM THE MID ATLANTIC REGION WESTWARD TO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. THIS BOUNDARY WILL BRING PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND STORMS TO EASTERN KENTUCKY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. A NORTHERN PLAINS RIDGE WILL BEGIN TO PUSH THE FRONT SOUTH AND OUT OF THE AREA BY FRIDAY EVENING. THE RIDGE SHOULD KEEP THINGS DRY ACROSS THE AREA FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. ANOTHER COLD FRONT IS PROGGED TO EVENTUALLY DISPLACE THE RIDGE TO BEGIN THE NEW WORK WEEK...AND WOULD BRING MORE SHOWERS AND STORMS TO THE AREA SHOULD THE MODELS TURN OUT TO BE CORRECT. FOR NOW...WILL GO WITH CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND STORMS FOR MOST OF THE PERIOD...WITH THE PEAK ACTIVITY OCCURRING DURING THE AFTERNOON PEAK HEATING HOURS AND LULLS DURING THE OVERNIGHT PERIODS. THE EXCEPTION TO THIS WILL BE OVER THE WEEKEND WHEN A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL SETTLE OVER THE AREA...BRINGING WARM AND DRY WEATHER TO EASTERN KENTUCKY. TEMPERATURES THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD SHOULD BE ABOVE NORMAL SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL AS REPEATED INVASIONS OF HIGH PRESSURE DRY THINGS OUT. HIGHS WILL BE GENERALLY BE IN THE LOW TO MID 80S AND OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE 60S. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 141 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 A TYPICAL SUMMERTIME PATTERN IS ANTICIPATED THROUGH THU. CONVECTION HAS BEGAN TO SPRING UP ACROSS EASTERN KY AS OF 17Z AND SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LITTLE WINDS ALOFT SHOULD KEEP STORMS FAIRLY BRIEF AND FOR THE MOST PART NON- SEVERE. HOWEVER...SOME BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...WIND GUSTS...AND SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE INTO THE EVENING. BASED ON THE SCATTERED NATURE AND SMALL DURATION OF THESE DEVELOPING CELLS...STILL KEPT VCTS WORDING AT VCTS FOR NOW. FROM ABOUT 22Z ON...COVERAGE SHOULD DIMINISH TO ISOLATED ONCE AGAIN...THOUGH SOME LATE NIGHT CONVECTION AFTER ABOUT 6Z IS AGAIN POSSIBLE. CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN VFR OTHER THAN IFR OR MVFR IN HEAVIER SHRA AND TSRA. BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON...AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT WILL HELP TO INITIATE MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...PEAKING JUST AFTER THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && UPDATE...JMW SHORT TERM...JP LONG TERM...AR AVIATION...JMW
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 133 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-280345- 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 133 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SOME THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...AND SMALL HAIL THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING...AND FROM SATURDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. JP/JMW
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 223 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 KYZ084-085-271900- MCCREARY-WHITLEY- 223 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH 300 PM EDT TUESDAY AFTERNOON... NORTHEASTERN MCCREARY AND NORTHWESTERN WHITLEY. AT 223 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 13 MILES NORTHWEST OF WILLIAMSBURG...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...BARK CAMP AROUND 235 PM EDT...YOUNGS CREEK AROUND 240 PM EDT...GROVE AROUND 245 PM EDT...DEERING AROUND 250 PM EDT...RYE AROUND 255 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...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. THE HEAVY RAIN WILL LIKELY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON AREA ROADWAYS. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO DRIVE CAREFULLY. RAY
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 305 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 KYZ110-119-120-271930- MARTIN-PIKE-FLOYD- 305 PM EDT TUE MAY 27 2014 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM TO AFFECT THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES THROUGH 330 PM EDT TUESDAY AFTERNOON... SOUTH CENTRAL MARTIN... NORTHWESTERN PIKE AND CENTRAL FLOYD. AT 304 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR LANCER...OR NEAR PRESTONSBURG...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE...BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO...ENDICOTT AROUND 315 PM EDT...MCCOMBS AROUND 320 PM EDT...GULNARE AROUND 325 PM EDT... HEENAN AROUND 330 PM EDT. RESIDENTS SHOULD EXPECT HEAVY RAIN...WITH RAINFALL RATES OF UP TO ONE INCH PER HOUR...GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. THE HEAVY RAIN WILL LIKELY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON AREA ROADWAYS. MOTORISTS ARE URGED TO DRIVE CAREFULLY. RAY
The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 134 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:04 UTC.
6 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were blown down and condos were damaged at the Woodson Bend resort.
Several trees were blown down and a 40 by 60 foot metal building was demolished on Barnett Rd. Another tree was blown down at Renfro Valley.
A tree was blown down in Thornton.
A large limb was blown out of a tree.
A large limb that was blown out a tree was blocking Tapp Lane near the Bath and Montgomery county line.
Trees were blown down by thunderstorm wind gusts.
A foot of water was flowing across Hwy 589 in Jeptha.
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, May 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: 514300, 514301, 514302, 514303, 514304, 514305, 514299.