Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms produced areas of flash flooding on July 3, 2015. The hardest hit areas were Powell, Estill, and Laurel counties.
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.
Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms produced areas of flash flooding on July 3, 2015. The hardest hit areas were Powell, Estill, and Laurel counties.
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 Jul 2, 9:50 PM EST, 1 hour 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1050 PM EDT THU JUL 2 2015 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 1050 PM EDT THU JUL 2 2015 A NUMBER OF PRODUCT UPDATES TO DISCUSS AT THE END OF THE EVENING SHIFT. FIRST...THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH PRODUCT WAS UPDATED AND ISSUED AT 1040 PM. NO MAJOR CHANGES NEEDED TO BE MADE TO IT...JUST WANTED TO ISSUE AN UPDATED PRODUCT SO THE MID SHIFT WILL NOT HAVE TO MESS WITH IT UNTIL LATER IN THEIR SHIFT. ALSO UPDATED THE ZONE FORECAST TEXT PRODUCT AND THE FORECAST GRIDS FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT. THE LATEST RADAR IMAGERY CLEARLY SHOWING A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS BOTH ACROSS OUR FORECAST AREA AND ACROSS CENTRAL KENTUCKY AND OTHER UPSTREAM LOCATIONS. LEFT IN A 30 TO 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN ACROSS THE AREA IN CASE ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY FIRES OVERNIGHT...BUT THESE POPS ARE A LOT LOWER THAN THE 50 TO 70 PERCENT RAIN CHANCES THAT WERE IN THE FORECAST PREVIOUSLY. ALSO UPDATED THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK TO ACCOUNT FOR THE LESS ACTIVE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. ANY THUNDERSTORMS WILL STILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...OR EVEN LOCALIZED FLOODING...THERE JUST WILL NOT BE AS HIGH A LIKELIHOOD OF THIS HAPPENING OVERNIGHT DUE TO THE DIMINISHEDSHOWER AND STORM ACTIVITY. UPDATE ISSUED AT 726 PM EDT THU JUL 2 2015 FORECAST STILL LOOKING PRETTY GOOD SO FAR THIS EVENING. SCATTERED TO OCCASIONALLY NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE STILL MOVING ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY AT THIS TIME. THIS TREND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS...WITH A SLIGHT DECREASE IN COVERAGE AFTER THE SUN GOES DOWN...PARTICULARLY WITH THUNDERSTORMS. THERE WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING WITH ANY THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY WHERE MULTIPLE STORMS MOVE REPEATEDLY OVER THE SAME LOCATIONS. WILL LEAVE THE ZONE TEXT PRODUCT AS IS FOR NOW...BUT WILL NEED TO UPDATE LATER IN THE SHIFT TO CLEAN UP SOME WORDING AND TO UPDATE THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH PRODUCT. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 254 PM EDT THU JUL 2 2015 OVERALL THERE IS SOME REASONABLE AGREEMENT WITH THE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN IN THE SHORT TERN PERIOD. MORE ISSUES RESIDE IN THE SMALLER SHORTWAVE FEATURES RIDING THROUGH THE FLOW IN TERMS OF DEPTH AND SPEED. THESE DIFFERENCES WILL CERTAINLY HAVE IMPLICATIONS IN THE SURFACE FEATURES. OTHERWISE TROUGH SETUP WILL LEAD TO A STORMY SHORT TERM PERIOD OVERALL. THIS AFTERNOON WE DO SEE SOME BREAKS IN THE CLOUD COVER...WHICH IS LEADING ADDITIONAL CONVECTION ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND WESTERN KY. THE HRRR KEEPS HINTING THAT THIS CONVECTION WILL MOVE INTO THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA...HOWEVER THE TIMING SEEMS A BIT TOO FAST AT THIS TIME. GIVEN THE SUB 1 INCH 1 HOUR GUIDANCE OVER PORTIONS OF THAT AREA FLOODING WOULD BE A BIG CONCERN THIS EVENING ONCE AGAIN. QUASI/STATIONARY FRONT REMAINS ALONG AND NEAR THE OHIO RIVER THIS AFTERNOON WITH LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS RIDING ALONG THE FRONT. THIS BOUNDARY WILL WAVER ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH THROUGH THE SHORT TERM PERIOD AND WILL LEAD TO GENERALLY UNSETTLED CONDITIONS. GIVEN AT TIMES PWATS WILL BE NEAR 2.0 INCHES IN SPOTS...LOWERING FFG...AND AT TIMES CONVECTIVE NATURE OF STORMS COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. THIS WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCES OF OCCURRING IN AREAS THAT SEE REPEATED ROUNDS OR SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS. THEREFORE HAVE FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN PLACE FOR ALL OF THE CWA FROM NOW THROUGH 00Z SAT. MODEL GUIDANCE SUGGEST A LULL IN THE PRECIP AS WE MOVE INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 324 PM EDT THU JUL 2 2015 UPPER LEVEL TROUGH RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE UNSETTLED WEATHER LATELY WILL FINALLY FLATTEN OUT INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL LEAD TO LESSER CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS AS WE HEAD INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. IN THE MEANTIME...WE WILL STILL HAVE AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE TO CONTEND WITH THROUGH THE WEEKEND...KEEPING THE WEATHER UNSETTLED...ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON/EVENING HOURS. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE WEEKEND GIVEN THE CLOUD COVER AND PRECIPITATION. NOT CONFIDENT YET TO GO WITH A DRY PERIOD NEXT WEEK...BUT ITS LOOKING INCREASINGLY LIKELY WE WILL SEE AT LEAST A FEW DRY PERIOD EARLY NEXT WEEK. HOWEVER...A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL DIVE ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES/OHIO VALLEY BY TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY...WITH ANOTHER FRONT DROPPING INTO THE VICINITY OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. THIS WILL LEAD TO INCREASING RAIN/STORM CHANCES ONCE AGAIN BY MIDWEEK. HEAT AND HUMIDITY SHOULD ALSO BUILD AHEAD OF THE FRONT...SO WE MAY SEE TEMPERATURES AT LEAST APPROACH OR EVEN EXCEED NORMAL FOR AT LEAST ONE DAY EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY EVENING) ISSUED AT 726 PM EDT THU JUL 2 2015 SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA THROUGHOUT THE TAF PERIOD. IN GENERAL...MVFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT THE TAF SITES THROUGH AROUND 9Z. SOME FOG IS EXPECTED LATER TONIGHT...WHICH COULD CAUSE IFR CONDITIONS AT THE TAF SITES BETWEEN 9 AND 12Z. CONDITIONS COULD DETERIORATE EVEN FURTHER WHENEVER A THUNDERSTORM OR INTENSE RAIN SHOWER AFFECTS A TAF SITE...PERHAPS RESULTING IN LIFR OR WORSE CIGS AND VSBYS. THE PRIMARY THREAT WITH ANY STORMS OVERNIGHT AND TOMORROW WILL CONTINUE TO BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR KYZ044-050>052- 058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. && UPDATE...AR SHORT TERM...DJ LONG TERM...KAS AVIATION...AR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY 1040 PM EDT THU JUL 2 2015 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-040545- 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...CAMARGO... JEFFERSONVILLE...MOUNT STERLING...OWINGSVILLE...MOREHEAD... IRVINE...RAVENNA...CLAY CITY...STANTON...FRENCHBURG...BRODHEAD... MOUNT VERNON...MCKEE...ANNVILLE...BURNSIDE...SOMERSET...LONDON... MONTICELLO...STEARNS...WHITLEY CITY...CORBIN...WILLIAMSBURG... BARBOURVILLE...MIDDLESBORO...PINEVILLE...CUMBERLAND...HARLAN... SANDY HOOK...WEST LIBERTY...PAINTSVILLE...CAMPTON... SALYERSVILLE...PRESTONSBURG...WHEELWRIGHT...BEATTYVILLE... JACKSON...HINDMAN...PIPPA PASSES...BOONEVILLE...HAZARD... MANCHESTER...HYDEN...JENKINS...WHITESBURG...INEZ...COAL RUN... ELKHORN CITY...PIKEVILLE...SOUTH WILLIAMSON 1040 PM EDT THU JUL 2 2015 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL STILL BE POSSIBLE WITH ANY INDIVIDUAL THUNDERSTORM. ISOLATED INSTANCES OF FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WHERE MULTIPLE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE REPEATEDLY OVER THE SAME LOCATIONS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AT TIMES FROM FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO BE A CONCERN THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING...LEADING TO THE CONTINUED POSSIBILITY OF SIGNIFICANT FLOODING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN ANY REPORTS OF EXCESSIVE RAIN OR FLOODING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. DJ/AR
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
631 PM EDT THU JUL 02 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0615 PM FLASH FLOOD 1 W MOUNT STERLING 38.06N 83.96W
07/02/2015 MONTGOMERY KY BROADCAST MEDIA
WATER OVER GRASSY LICK ROAD. THE WATER FLOODED DRIVEWAYS
AND SURROUNDED CARS. ALSO WATER WAS REPORTED FLOWING OVER
WHITAKER ROAD BY MONTGOMERY COUNTY DISPATCH.
&&
GREIFThe Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 84 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:24 UTC.
7 flash flood, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Fifth Street at Tobacco Road was closed due to flooding.
Severe flash flooding occurred in Clay City and in the surrounding areas. The Mountain Parkway at exit 16 had to be closed due to flash flooding. A car was washed off the road at this location. A ten foot section of Poplar Bluff Road was washed out and an old church on Beech Fork Road was moved about 40 feet from its foundation by flood waters. A single wide house trailer was washed down Brushy Creek and wedged under a private bridge.
Six inches of water was observed flowing across Hwy 80 East. Four to five inches of water was seen flowing across Tobacco Road.
Six inches of water was seen flowing across Sunshine Hill Road in London.
Water entered homes on Black Creek Rd. A family was trapped on Brush Creek due to a tree blocking the road. A number of water rescues had to be performed including a swift water rescue on Brush Creek Road due to rapidly rising flood waters. One person was trapped on Pilot Knob due to flooding.
Flood waters surrounded a home in Jeffersonville.
A lightning strike killed a bull and four cows.
Hopper Creek and Matt Baker Roads had to be closed due to flooding. A vehicle was surrounded by flood water on Hopper Creek Road. Several other back country roads in the area were closed due to flooding. Some farm ponds in the area were over topping their dams.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, July 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: 583569, 583547, 583553, 583556, 583559, 583560, 583555, 583564.