Scattered thunderstorms developed as an upper level disturbance moved through the Ohio Valley.
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 ILN wrote it up.
Scattered thunderstorms developed as an upper level disturbance moved through the Ohio Valley.
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 Wilmington, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 26, 1:05 PM EST, 2 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 205 PM EDT TUE MAY 26 2015 .SYNOPSIS... WARM AND HUMID AIR WILL REMAIN IN PLACE OVER THE MIDDLE OHIO VALLEY THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK. AS UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES MOVE THROUGH THE AREA...THERE WILL BE OCCASIONAL CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND WEDNESDAY...AND THEN AGAIN OVER THE WEEKEND. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... CONVECTION HAS DEVELOPED SOUTH AND WEST OF THE FORECAST AREA AND HAS ALREADY SPREAD INTO SOUTHERN COUNTIES. WITH HRRR AND RAP RUNS BEING FAIRLY CONSISTENT AND RELIABLE IN THIS REGARD TODAY...THERE IS ABOVE AVERAGE CONFIDENCE IN FORECAST. SHOWERS AND STORMS SHOULD CONTINUE TO SPREAD EAST NORTHEAST THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA IN A COUPLE OF BANDS/CLUSTERS AND PASS OFF TO THE EAST BY EARLY EVENING. BULK SHEAR WILL BE 25 TO 30 KT. MID LEVEL LAPSE RATE MAY IMPROVE SLIGHTLY BUT DO NOT EXPECT SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE. MAXIMUM IN DCAPE SHOULD CONTINUE TO TRANSLATE EAST OUT AHEAD OF ACTIVITY. STILL MONITORING FOR STRONG STORMS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS WITH A FEW SEVERE CELLS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS REMAINS THE PRIMARY THREAT. AFTER THIS PASSES THROUGH THE REGION THERE IS STILL SOME POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT. BUT IF THIS DOES DEVELOP IT SHOULD BE WEAKER AND WITH LESS COVERAGE. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... ON WEDNESDAY...AN UPPER TROUGH WILL BE MOVING EAST INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION. INITIALLY FAIRLY WELL-DEFINED OVER THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY (AND HELPING TO DRIVE THE MORE ACTIVE WEATHER ON TUESDAY)...THIS TROUGH WILL BE WASHING OUT AS IT PROGRESSES AHEAD. STILL...IT WILL LEAVE THE MIDDLE OHIO VALLEY IN A FAVORABLE AREA OF LIFT...THOUGH SURFACE FEATURES WILL BE LACKING AND THUS FORCING MAY NOT BE PARTICULARLY WELL FOCUSED. WHILE SHEAR WILL CONTINUE TO BE MODEST...INSTABILITY SHOULD ACTUALLY INCREASE SLIGHTLY FROM TUESDAY...WITH MLCAPE VALUES PERHAPS APPROACHING 2000 J/KG IN THE SOUTHWESTERN SECTIONS OF THE CWA (AND UP TO 1500 J/KG ELSEWHERE). THUS...AMONG THE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP...A FEW STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE STORMS MAY OCCUR. AS THE AFOREMENTIONED TROUGH CONTINUES TO WEAKEN AND MOVE EAST...THE ILN FORECAST AREA WILL END UP IN A REGIME OF BUILDING RIDGING ALOFT...AND A WEAK/NEBULOUS AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE. BY THURSDAY...THIS WILL BEGIN TO LIMIT THE CHANCES FOR CONVECTION...WITH DIURNAL DEVELOPMENT ONLY APPEARING TO BE A POSSIBILITY IN THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. FRIDAY WILL LIKELY BEGIN DRY AS WELL...THOUGH THE FLOW WILL BE SWITCHING BACK TO THE SOUTH IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE DAY...LEAVING A POSSIBILITY FOR SOME DEVELOPMENT (ESPECIALLY FOR THE SOUTHWESTERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA) BY LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TO NOTE...THE GFS HAS BEEN A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN OTHER MODELS WITH THE SOUTHWARD PUSH OF THE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE INTO THE OHIO VALLEY...AND WOULD SUPPORT AN EVEN DRIER FORECAST FOR THURSDAY AND THE FIRST HALF OF FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES AND DEWPOINTS ARE EXPECTED TO CHANGE VERY LITTLE OVER THE COURSE OF THE WEEK. A VERY SLIGHTLY DRIER AIR MASS WILL BE SETTLING IN ON THURSDAY AND INTO FRIDAY...WHICH MAY ALLOW SOME SLIGHTLY COOLER MIN TEMPS ON FRIDAY MORNING. OTHERWISE...MIN TEMPS WILL LIKELY NOT DROP BELOW THE MID 60S. MAX TEMPS SHOULD REMAIN AROUND 80 DEGREES...BUT CONVECTION AND CLOUDS (OR A LACK THEREOF) COULD HAVE AN IMPACT IN EITHER DIRECTION...ESPECIALLY TODAY (TUESDAY) AND WEDNESDAY. FRIDAY MAY BE THE WARMEST DAY OF THE WEEK...WITH DRY AND SUNNY CONDITIONS TO BEGIN THE DAY...WITH WARM ADVECTION KICKING IN. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... MID/UPPER LEVEL FLOW WILL BECOME MORE AMPLIFIED THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS SHORT WAVE ENERGY MOVES OUT OF THE ROCKIES AND INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THIS WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A FRONTAL BOUNDARY PUSHING DOWN TOWARD AND POSSIBLY THROUGH OUR FA THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. HOWEVER...THERE REMAINS QUITE A BIT OF DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ECMWF/GFS/CMC WITH HOW FAST AND HOW FAR SOUTH TO PUSH THE FRONT AND WHETHER OR NOT TO STALL IT OUT ACROSS OUR AREA TOWARD THE END OF THE PERIOD. THIS WILL LEAD TO THE POTENTIAL FOR A FAIRLY WET/MORE ACTIVE PERIOD THROUGH THE END OF THE LONG TERM BUT DUE TO THE TIMING UNCERTAINTIES...WILL JUST KEEP POPS IN THE HIGH CHANCE CATEGORY. FRIDAY WILL BE SEASONABLY WARM WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 80S. MORE SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES WILL THEN BEGIN TO PUSH DOWN FROM THE NORTH OVER THE WEEKEND...BUT THEY WILL ULTIMATELY BE DICTATED BY THE PLACEMENT/TIMING OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. FOR THAT REASON...HAVE GENERALLY GONE WITH A MODEL BLEND FOR TEMPERATURES SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. && .AVIATION /18Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... CONVECTION DEVELOPING ACROSS THE REGION WILL POTENTIALLY AFFECT ALL TERMINALS DURING THE EARLY PART OF THE TAF PERIOD. HEAVIEST DOWNPOURS COULD BRIEFLY REDUCE VISIBILITY TO IFR. BUT FELT THAT MVFR CONDITIONS WITH THE STORMS WAS MORE LIKELY. SOME SHOWERS OR POSSIBLY THUNDERSTORMS COULD LINGER AFTER 00Z. BUT AT THIS POINT THE POTENTIAL WAS LOW ENOUGH TO NOT HAVE FURTHER MENTION WITHIN THE TAFS. GUIDANCE IS SUGGESTING THAT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL INCREASE LATE TONIGHT. SIGNALS ARE MIXED ON WHETHER THAT WILL MANIFEST ITSELF AS CLOUDS OR MIST OR BOTH. FORECAST CONTINUES WITH STRATUS AROUND MVFR/IFR THRESHOLD. EXCEPTION IS FOR CINCINNATI TERMINALS WHERE MIST/FOG MAY BE A BETTER POSSIBILITY. OUTLOOK...THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND AGAIN SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY. && .ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...NONE. KY...NONE. IN...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...HATZOS NEAR TERM... SHORT TERM...HATZOS LONG TERM...JGL AVIATION...
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 329 PM EDT TUE MAY 26 2015 INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ026-034-035-042>046- 051>056-060>065-070>074-077>082-088-271930- WAYNE-FAYETTE IN-UNION IN-FRANKLIN IN-RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO- SWITZERLAND-CARROLL-GALLATIN-BOONE-KENTON-CAMPBELL-OWEN-GRANT- PENDLETON-BRACKEN-ROBERTSON-MASON-LEWIS-HARDIN-MERCER-AUGLAIZE-DARKE- SHELBY-LOGAN-UNION OH-DELAWARE-MIAMI-CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-MADISON- FRANKLIN OH-LICKING-PREBLE-MONTGOMERY-GREENE-FAYETTE OH-PICKAWAY- FAIRFIELD-BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-ROSS-HOCKING-HAMILTON-CLERMONT-BROWN- HIGHLAND-ADAMS-PIKE-SCIOTO- 329 PM EDT TUE MAY 26 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL INDIANA...SOUTHEAST INDIANA...NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...NORTHERN KENTUCKY...CENTRAL OHIO...MIAMI VALLEY OF OHIO...SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO...SOUTHWEST OHIO AND WEST CENTRAL OHIO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THESE STORMS...WITH A PRIMARY THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS. THE MOST FAVORABLE TIMING FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE BEFORE 10PM. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...BUT A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS MAY OCCUR. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
414 PM EDT TUE MAY 26 2015
OHZ034-035-042-043-262045-
AUGLAIZE OH-DARKE OH-MERCER OH-SHELBY OH-
414 PM EDT TUE MAY 26 2015
...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT WESTERN SHELBY...
MERCER...NORTHWESTERN DARKE AND WESTERN AUGLAIZE COUNTIES THROUGH 445
PM EDT...
AT 411 PM EDT...RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF FORT RECOVERY TO NEW WESTON TO
GREENVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.
STORM HAZARDS INCLUDE...
WINDS TO 50 MPH...
SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...COLDWATER...
VERSAILLES...CELINA...ROCKFORD...MINSTER...NEW BREMEN AND ST. MARYS.
ALSO...BURKETTSVILLE...NEW WESTON...ST. HENRY...NORTH STAR...
WABASH...DARKE COUNTY AIRPORT...BROCK...CHATTANOOGA...CARTHAGENA AND
MONTEZUMA ARE NEAR THE PATH OF THIS LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.
LAT...LON 4069 8445 4069 8425 4048 8419 4002 8470
4030 8472 4037 8481 4070 8481 4073 8477
4073 8446SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
419 PM EDT TUE MAY 26 2015
OHZ070-077-262045-
BUTLER OH-HAMILTON OH-
419 PM EDT TUE MAY 26 2015
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT WESTERN HAMILTON AND BUTLER
COUNTIES THROUGH 445 PM EDT...
AT 418 PM EDT...RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
GRANDVIEW...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
STORM HAZARDS INCLUDE...
WINDS TO 50 MPH...
ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL...
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...
VERY HEAVY RAIN...
SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...COLERAIN TOWNSHIP...
FOREST PARK...FAIRFIELD...HAMILTON AND MONROE.
ALSO...DENT...MONFORT HEIGHTS...NEW HAVEN...WHITE OAK...ALERT...NEW
BALTIMORE...GROESBECK...NORTH COLLEGE HILL...OKEANA AND NORTHGATE ARE
NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM.
DO NOT STAY IN THE OPEN NOR SEEK SHELTER UNDER TREES WHEN LIGHTNING
THREATENS. MOVE INDOORS WHEN A THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES. WATER WILL
POND ON ROADS AND MAY QUICKLY FILL ROADSIDE DITCHES AND SMALL
STREAMS.
RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT. IF THIS STORM BECOMES
STRONGER...THEN A WARNING MAY BE NEEDED.
LAT...LON 3929 8482 3956 8459 3944 8433 3940 8434
3912 8464 3910 8468 3914 8472 3915 8475
3913 8478 3915 8482SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
426 PM EDT TUE MAY 26 2015
OHZ043-044-051>053-262100-
CHAMPAIGN OH-CLARK OH-LOGAN OH-MIAMI OH-SHELBY OH-
426 PM EDT TUE MAY 26 2015
...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN SHELBY...
MIAMI...SOUTHWESTERN LOGAN...NORTHWESTERN CLARK AND WESTERN CHAMPAIGN
COUNTIES THROUGH 500 PM EDT...
AT 425 PM EDT...RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE
EXTENDING FROM TROY TO CASSTOWN TO NORTH HAMPTON...MOVING NORTH AT 40
MPH.
STORM HAZARDS INCLUDE...
WINDS TO 50 MPH...
SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...PIQUA...ST. PARIS...
SIDNEY AND WEST LIBERTY.
ALSO...DIALTON...CHRISTIANSBURG...FARRINGTON...TERRE HAUTE...
THACKERY...FLETCHER...WESTVILLE...MILLERSTOWN...KISER LAKE STATE PARK
AND LOCKINGTON ARE NEAR THE PATH OF THIS LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS.
LAT...LON 4036 8424 4037 8395 4032 8369 3995 8391
3998 8413 4001 8434SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
434 PM EDT TUE MAY 26 2015
KYZ091>093-095-OHZ077-262100-
KENTON KY-BOONE KY-CAMPBELL KY-GRANT KY-HAMILTON OH-
434 PM EDT TUE MAY 26 2015
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL HAMILTON...NORTHERN
GRANT...CAMPBELL...BOONE AND KENTON COUNTIES THROUGH 500 PM EDT...
AT 433 PM EDT...RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
BEAVERLICK...MOVING NORTH AT 40 MPH.
STORM HAZARDS INCLUDE...
WINDS TO 50 MPH...
ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL...
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...
VERY HEAVY RAIN...
SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE...UNION...INDEPENDENCE...
FLORENCE...BURLINGTON...ERLANGER...TAYLOR MILL...FORT MITCHELL...
DELHI TOWNSHIP...UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI...NEWPORT...HIGHLAND
HEIGHTS...FORT THOMAS...COVINGTON...NORWOOD AND DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI.
ALSO...ATWOOD...HUEYS CORNERS...RICHWOOD...BANK LICK...RICEDALE...
WHITE TOWER...OAKBROOK...ELSMERE...LATONIA LAKES AND EDGEWOOD ARE
NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM.
DO NOT STAY IN THE OPEN NOR SEEK SHELTER UNDER TREES WHEN LIGHTNING
THREATENS. MOVE INDOORS WHEN A THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES. WATER WILL
POND ON ROADS AND MAY QUICKLY FILL ROADSIDE DITCHES AND SMALL
STREAMS.
RESIDENTS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT. IF THIS STORM BECOMES
STRONGER...THEN A WARNING MAY BE NEEDED.
LAT...LON 3876 8467 3878 8466 3882 8473 3885 8476
3885 8477 3886 8479 3888 8478 3889 8479
3924 8464 3916 8437 3876 8460PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
435 PM EDT TUE MAY 26 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0359 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 SW DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS 39.92N 83.04W
05/26/2015 FRANKLIN OH PUBLIC
ONE SMALL LIMB DOWN. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
&&
KURZPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
437 PM EDT TUE MAY 26 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0425 PM TSTM WND DMG WILLIAMSTOWN 38.64N 84.56W
05/26/2015 GRANT KY PUBLIC
A COUPLE LARGE LIMBS DOWN AT LEAST 5 INCHES IN DIAMETER.
TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
&&
KURZThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
High water was reported on southbound Interstate 71/75 near the Buttermilk Pike exit.
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, May 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: 568147.