During the afternoon, multi-cell thunderstorm clusters developed along a warm front that was oriented from west to east along the Interstate 64 corridor. Surface dew points near and south of the front were in the lower 70's, which contributed to strong instability.
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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.
During the afternoon, multi-cell thunderstorm clusters developed along a warm front that was oriented from west to east along the Interstate 64 corridor. Surface dew points near and south of the front were in the lower 70's, which contributed to strong instability. Thunderstorm clusters moved eastward along the warm front, but they also developed southward into the strongest instability. Moderately strong deep-layer wind shear resulted in organized clusters of multi-cells with large hail and isolated wind damage. Flash flooding of streets was also reported in a few cities. A secondary line of storms arrived late in the evening and then crossed much of southern Illinois overnight. This line included a bowing line segment that produced isolated wind damage. The secondary line produced flash flooding due to saturated ground from the first round of storms.
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 May 11, 12:10 PM CST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 110 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2016 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Friday night) Issued at 108 PM CDT Wed May 11 2016 The old boundary left over from last night's convection runs from near KMVN to just south of KOWB and is likely to be a focus for thunderstorm development. Meanwhile, a line of thunderstorms moving into the KSTL metro area will push eastward into northern portions of southern Illinois and eventually intersect the old boundary. A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued until 00Z for our northern 8 counties of southern Illinois. The flow aloft is rather weak, so individual storms should be pulsy, but the amount of instability available may allow them to briefly reach severe levels with damaging winds and large hail possible. However, the line moving out of KSTL may develop a cold pool, which could lead to a larger-scale damaging wind threat in the Watch area. After sunset, loss of diurnal fuel and warm sector lifting north, should see more widely scattered/less amplified cells...at least until late tonight-early tmrw, when cold front makes approach. Pinwheel jet energy will interact during daytime hours tmrw, and reinitiate storm/svr chances, slgt risk shifting eastward across remainder of fa. Cold fropa occurs tmrw evening, and convection chances end with it. Thu night thru Fri then looking cooler/drier per post frontal airmass. Warm/soupy before. Troffing Ohio valley long wave will bring a smallish chance of pcpn in again Friday night, as another piece of energy rounds base of trof. While instability parameters and moisture are lacking, nw flow/upper pva inducement may lead to a clap of thunder or at least its mention in forecast per collab pic. .LONG TERM...(Saturday through Wednesday) Issued at 1256 PM CDT Wed May 11 2016 Long term pattern transition will bring some changes to the extended. Surface High pressure under nwlys aloft yield a still cooler/drier Saturday. But long range modeling of height falls out west, combined with transitioning Great Lakes Low (pattern change), mean upper flow will be backing and becoming increasingly active with time for Mid Ms Valley. We'll see pops enter forecast southwest to northeast by Sunday, though we'll lay off thunder mention til better/deeper destabilization occurs Sunday night into Monday. Monday-Wednesday then looks like an active/wet pattern, as mean southwest U.S. trof shoots pieces of energy across southern Plains and lower to mid Ms valley with time. Pops ramp up to high chance or likely cats thru this period with several periods of showers/storms and potentially decent QPF setting up in addition to strong/possibly svr storm chances. && .AVIATION... Issued at 1256 PM CDT Wed May 11 2016 Conditional forecast of Thunderstorms is best at KEVV and KOWB, but not so much so farther west. A cold front will approach the area near the end of the forecast, and there is a fairly strong signal for IFR/LIFR ceilings to develop ahead of it, possibly with some fog as well. && .PAH Watches/Warnings/Advisories... IL...None. MO...None. IN...None. KY...None. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 240 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2016 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-121945- JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON- WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION-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- 240 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL PUSH EASTWARD ALONG THE I-64 CORRIDOR OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON. VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORRENTIAL RAINS...AND EVEN AN ISOLATED TORNADO WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. OTHER MORE SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG A BOUNDARY FROM SOUTHEAST ILLINOIS INTO THE PENNYRILE REGION OF WEST KENTUCKY AND MOVE SLOWLY NORTHEAST INTO SOUTHWEST INDIANA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS WILL BE MORE PULSY IN NATURE...BUT COULD BRIEFLY REACH SEVERE LEVELS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS POSSIBLE. MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE EASTWARD INTO THE REGION LATER TONIGHT. AT THIS TIME...SEVERE WEATHER CANNOT BE RULED OUT...BUT LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY CREATE SOME FLOODING ISSUES...ESPECIALLY IN AREAS THAT RECEIVED HEAVY RAINS LAST NIGHT AND THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION THURSDAY. A FEW SEVERE STORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE PRIMARILY OVER WEST KENTUCKY IN THE AFTERNOON. LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING ISSUES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. A SMALL CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS FORECAST MAINLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE REGION FRIDAY NIGHT. AT THIS TIME...SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS RETURNS TO THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. AT THIS TIME...SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED TO THE NORTH OF A PINCKNEYVILLE TO CARMI ILLINOIS LINE THIS AFTERNOON. ACTIVATION CANNOT BE RULED OUT LATER TONIGHT OR THURSDAY. DRS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
926 AM CDT WED MAY 11 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0839 AM FLOOD N ALLENSVILLE 36.72N 87.07W
05/11/2016 TODD KY FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
MAN IN TRUCK STUCK IN WATER ON JOE GILL RD, WITH WATER
ENTERING TRUCK. FIRE AND RESCUE REPORTED ON THE WAY.
&&
DPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
940 AM CDT WED MAY 11 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0903 AM FLOOD 3 SE ELKTON 36.78N 87.12W
05/11/2016 TODD KY COUNTY OFFICIAL
COUNTY ROAD DEPT WILL BE SHUTTING DOWN OLD RAILROAD LANE
FROM HERMAN COMMUNITY TO HWY 848, JOE GILL RD,
ALLENSVILLE COMMUNITY AND DR BOYLES RD ALLENSVILLE.
&&
DPSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
217 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2016
INZ086-087-112000-
WARRICK IN-VANDERBURGH IN-
217 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2016
...SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...
AT 216 PM CDT...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM
NEAR MELODY HILL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THIS STORM PRODUCED
PEA SIZED HAIL IN AND AROUND HENDERSON KENTUCKY MOST RECENTLY.
PEA TO MARBLE SIZED HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
EVANSVILLE...BOONVILLE...NEWBURGH...CHANDLER...MELODY HILL...LYNNVILLE...
FOLSOMVILLE...ELBERFELD AND TENNYSON.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY LEAD
TO LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM.
LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE 10 MILES AWAY FROM A THUNDERSTORM. SEEK A SAFE
SHELTER INSIDE A BUILDING OR VEHICLE.
&&
LAT...LON 3812 8707 3805 8709 3806 8715 3802 8715
3793 8727 3788 8727 3795 8741 3794 8745
3791 8750 3792 8755 3817 8755 3817 8747
3820 8746 3820 8732 3825 8732 3823 8730
3823 8708 3820 8707 3820 8702 3812 8702
TIME...MOT...LOC 1916Z 244DEG 29KT 3799 8746The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 79 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:16 UTC.
16 hail, 5 thunderstorm wind, 4 flash flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A slow-moving severe thunderstorm moved into western Wayne County, dumping quarter to ping-pong ball size hail between Wayne City and Orchardville.
A slow-moving severe thunderstorm crossed the city of Fairfield, producing a swath of quarter to golf-ball size hail across the city.
Objects were blown off porches.
Golf-ball size hail was reported along the White County line, about a mile east of Grayville.
Small tree limbs were also down.
Two trees were blown down on roads in the Dahlgren area.
Some roof shingles were torn off. A trained spotter estimated winds gusted to 65 mph.
Emergency management personnel estimated winds gusted from 65 to 70 mph on Route 15.
These ping-pong ball size hailstones were photographed.
A trained spotter reported a very brief tornado. The rural area where this occurred was just east of Illinois 148 and a few miles west-northwest of Orient. No damage was found.
Significant street flooding occurred. Water reached the height of a car bumper on a residential side street in West Frankfort. Flash flooding was reported one-half mile east of Benton on Highway 34. A trained spotter in Mulkeytown measured 1.5 to 1.75 inches of rain in 30 minutes.
Numerous streets were flooded in the eastern part of Marion. A trained spotter measured one to two inches of rain in an hour.
Water was over Highway 127 south of Pinckneyville. One car was stalled. West of Pinckneyville, two cars were stalled due to flooding on Highway 154. Water was over a few other roads in the city.
Several large tree limbs were blown down in the southwest part of the city.
Widespread street flooding was reported across Norris City. In Carmi, several roads were flooded. Water was over other roads in the county, including the intersection of Illinois Route 1 and U.S. 45 near Norris City. Water was over Illinois Route 14 about three miles west of Carmi and over U.S. 45 near Highway 18. A motorist in a stalled car near the Hamilton County line required assistance.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Illinois, 2016Warnings in Illinois, May 2016
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: 628792, 628793, 628812, 628798, 628838, 628817, 628844, 628814, 628813, 628799, 628800, 628801, 630137, 628837, 628802, 628803, 628805, 630246, 628807, 628808, 630265, 628809, 628810, 630329, 628816, 630254.