Flooding of the White, Wabash, and Ohio Rivers began late in December and continued into January. A very wet pattern developed during the second half of the month.
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 PAH wrote it up.
Flooding of the White, Wabash, and Ohio Rivers began late in December and continued into January. A very wet pattern developed during the second half of the month. A large upper-level ridge became established over the eastern half of the country, while a large trough formed over the West. This set up a warm southwest flow that brought in copious amounts of moisture. Around five inches of rain fell in the Evansville area from the 23rd to the 28th.
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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 27, 5:30 PM CST, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
National Weather Service Paducah KY
530 PM CST SUN DEC 27 2015
.UPDATE...
Issued at 530 PM CST SUN DEC 27 2015
Updated aviation forecast discussion.
&&
.SHORT TERM...(This evening through Tuesday night)
Issued at 218 PM CST SUN DEC 27 2015
Quad 2 pcpn pattern just north of warm front will continue into
early overnight hours...with most of that pcpn light. As Low
starts to lift into AR late tonight...anticipate ramp up in pcpn
into far southwest. Wind fields will likewise start to ramp up as
tighter gradient moves in.
Best burst of rain/qpf and wind, looks to come tmrw morning in the
south and west, and from mid morning to mid afternoon in the north
and east...as the Low tracks into NE MO/WCNTRl IL by 00z (Tue).
It is this swath of qpf...maybe another 1-2" total...that will
fall on saturated grounds and fill in already near bankfull creeks
and streams...accelerating the Flood threat. LMK collab early
resulted in expansion of FFA all counties and this is well and
good given very wet conditions, additional incoming heavy rains,
and expectation for near certainty flood warnings/advisories with
this next bout late tonight-tmrw.
Adjusted grids winds/gusts to push toward but fall just shy of
Advisory thresholds...something else to keep an eye upon tmrw.
.LONG TERM...(Wednesday through Sunday)
Issued at 218 PM CST SUN DEC 27 2015
High confidence continues for the extended.
We start the extended in southwesterly flow aloft as a low lifts out
of the southern plains into the great lakes region. This will trail
a relatively weak cold front over the extreme southeast portion of
the area near Hopkinsville. This will result in a slight chance of
rain early Wednesday but confidence is not that great for measurable
precipitation. Otherwise the slow will slowly become more zonal
through the end of the week finally becoming northwesterly next
weekend. In contrast to the recent climate...temperatures will
actually plunge to below normal as we approach 2016. Very dry air
will be in place over the region through the extended with dew
points droppin into the teens. With such a dry air mass in place we
have high confidence in a dry extended barring possibly Wednesday
morning.
&&
.AVIATION...
Issued at 530 PM CST SUN DEC 27 2015
While there may be a relative lull in widespread pcpn, esp with IFR
vsby restrictions, this evening/early tonight...another round of
heavier pcpn moves in with an ejecting area of low pressure late
tonight into tmrw. Thus...will maintain an overall pessimistic
forecast and keep MVFR restrictions categorical, transitioning to
IFR at times, for both cigs/vsbys. This will include a low prob
threat of heavy rain/thunder with the lift of the low/warm front
tmrw morning-early pm. Winds will continue to be gusty and shift
from northeasterly to easterly and eventually
southerly/southwesterly late in the fcst period.
&&
.PAH Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
IL...Flash Flood Watch through Monday afternoon for ILZ075>078-
080>094.
MO...Flash Flood Watch through Monday afternoon for MOZ076-086-087-
100-107>112-114.
IN...Flash Flood Watch through Monday afternoon for INZ081-082-
085>088.
KY...Flash Flood Watch through Monday afternoon for KYZ001>022.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 908 PM CST SUN DEC 27 2015 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-281100- JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON- WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-JOHNSON-POPE- HARDIN-ALEXANDER-PULASKI-MASSAC-GIBSON-PIKE-POSEY-VANDERBURGH- WARRICK-SPENCER-FULTON-HICKMAN-CARLISLE-BALLARD-MCCRACKEN-GRAVES- LIVINGSTON-MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-CRITTENDEN-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL- UNION KY-WEBSTER-HOPKINS-CHRISTIAN-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-MCLEAN- MUHLENBERG-TODD-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER-CAPE GIRARDEAU-WAYNE MO-CARTER- RIPLEY-BUTLER-STODDARD-SCOTT-MISSISSIPPI-NEW MADRID- 908 PM CST SUN DEC 27 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT OVERNIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS COULD RESULT IN FLOODING OR FLASH FLOODING. REFER TO THE WATCH PRODUCTS FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT MONDAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN COULD RESULT IN FLOODING OR FLASH FLOODING...ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON. REFER TO THE WATCH PRODUCT FOR DETAILS. THERE IS A CHANCE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM MID MORNING THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM OWENSBORO KENTUCKY TO POPLAR BLUFF MISSOURI...INCLUDING ALL OF WEST KENTUCKY. DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARD. OUTSIDE OF SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...GUSTY GRADIENT WINDS 30 TO 45 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE STORMS WILL MOVE RAPIDLY NORTHEAST. RIVER FLOODING IS FORECAST TO BECOME SIGNIFICANT ON SEVERAL RIVERS. IF THE EXPECTED FORECAST RAINFALL COMES TO FRUITION...RIVER FLOODING COULD APPROACH NEAR RECORD LEVELS AT SOME POINTS ALONG THE LOWER OHIO AND MID MISSISSIPPI RIVERS. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS FOR MORE DETAILS. .SPOTTER ACTIVATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED MONDAY FOR SEVERE STORMS. WE REQUEST SPOTTERS REPORT IN IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 flood, 2 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Minor flooding occurred along the Ohio River. Low-lying woods and fields were inundated. The flooding continued into January.
The White River began its rise above flood stage late in the month. The river crested in early January. Minor flooding of low-lying fields and woodlands occurred. About a dozen county roads were underwater.
The Ohio River began its rise above flood stage late in the month. The river crested in early January. Minor flooding of low-lying fields and woodlands occurred. Some river access roads were underwater.
Street flooding was reported in Rockport.
The White River began its rise above flood stage late in the month. The river crested in early January. Minor flooding of low-lying fields and woodlands occurred. Several streets and county roads were underwater. A softball field was flooded. River cabins were inaccessible.
The storm-total rainfall was 5.40 inches since the 23rd. Approximately 3.10 inches fell in the last 36 hours.
The Wabash River rose above flood stage late in the month, but the crest did not occur until early January. In December, there was minor flooding of low-lying fields and woodlands. Some river access roads were underwater.
The Wabash River rose above flood stage late in the month, but the crest did not occur until early January. In December, there was minor flooding of low-lying fields and woodlands. Some river access roads were underwater.
Minor flooding occurred along the Ohio River. Bottomland fields were inundated. The flooding continued into January.
The Ohio River rose above flood stage on New Year's Eve. The river crested in early January. There was minor flooding of low-lying fields and woodlands. Some river access roads were underwater.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, December 2015
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: 609251, 609261, 609254, 609548, 609260, 609537, 609258, 609255, 609252, 609253.