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.
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.
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 the formation of an organized mesoscale convective system accompanied by locally damaging winds, isolated large hail, and isolated street flooding. There was also an isolated tornado associated with a short-lived supercell structure. A second line of storms arrived late in the evening and continued overnight. This second line produced isolated street flooding.
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, 3 hours 52 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 340 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2016 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-121000- 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- 340 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 AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA THIS AFTERNOON. VERY LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORRENTIAL RAINS...AND EVEN ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. OTHER STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS MAY MOVE EASTWARD INTO SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND THE REMAINDER OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE PRIMARY CONCERNS WITH THIS ACTIVITY. 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 ILLINOIS TO ROCKPORT INDIANA LINE THIS AFTERNOON. ACTIVATION CANNOT BE RULED OUT FARTHER SOUTH THROUGH SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. DRS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
418 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0412 PM HAIL 1 E GRAYVILLE 38.26N 87.98W
05/11/2016 E1.75 INCH WABASH IL EMERGENCY MNGR
&&
RSTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
429 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0415 PM HAIL 5 SE MOUNT ERIE 38.46N 88.17W
05/11/2016 E1.25 INCH WAYNE IL TRAINED SPOTTER
SMALL TREE LIMBS DOWN
&&
RSTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
448 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0440 PM TSTM WND GST CROSSVILLE 38.16N 88.06W
05/11/2016 E55 MPH WHITE IL TRAINED SPOTTER
ESTIMATED WINDS WITH THE GUST FRONT
&&
RSTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
454 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0525 PM TORNADO N APEX 37.10N 87.34W
05/10/2016 CHRISTIAN KY NWS STORM SURVEY
EF-1 105 MPH PEAK WIND. PATH LENGTH 5 MILES. DOZENS OF
TREES SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. 2 BARNS DESTROYED. ROOF BLOWN
OFF DECK WITH PARTIAL LOSS OF ROOF DECKING ON HOUSE. PATH
WIDTH 100 YARDS WIDE.
&&
KELLYHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
500 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0457 PM TSTM WND GST 5 W MOUNT CARMEL 38.42N 87.86W
05/11/2016 E70 MPH WABASH IL EMERGENCY MNGR
65 TO 70 MPH WINDS
&&
RSTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
501 PM CDT WED MAY 11 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0440 PM TSTM WND DMG CROSSVILLE 38.16N 88.06W
05/11/2016 WHITE IL TRAINED SPOTTER
ESTIMATED 65 MPH WINDS. TORE OFF SOME ROOF SHINGLES.
&&
RSTThe Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 3 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:01 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado, 2 hail, 2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were snapped and uprooted. The tornado track ended on Indiana Route 165 about two miles west of Owensville. Maximum winds were estimated near 95 mph.
Four large trees were blown down on a residential street. A trained spotter reported debris was flying through the air. A barn roof was blown off. Some large tree limbs were blown down.
A swath of moderate tree damage occurred in the northern and western parts of the Evansville metro area. About three miles north of Evansville in Igleheart Park, many large oak trees were snapped, including some that were two to three feet in diameter. Several other tree limbs were downed, including some up to 15 feet long and three inches in diameter. On the north side of Evansville, a large tree fell on a house, causing minor to moderate damage. Just southwest of Evansville near the University of Southern Indiana, a fallen tree blocked a street and winds gusted to 71 mph. A couple miles northwest of McCutchanville, two-inch diameter tree limbs were blown down. The damaging winds occurred along a gust front just ahead of the leading edge of precipitation.
Just southeast of Evansville, wind gusts from 50 to 60 mph were estimated in the Angel Mounds area.
A trained spotter reported a few streets were underwater in Owensville, following three inches of rain during a severe thunderstorm.
A trained spotter reported a very brief tornado just west of the Interlake State Recreation Area and east of Indiana Highway 61. No damage was located in this rural area.
A couple of power lines were down.
For the second time in a half-hour, wind gusts from 50 to 60 mph were estimated in the Angel Mounds area.
Wind gusts were estimated to at least 55 mph.
Street flooding was reported in Mount Vernon, including flooding of the main streets.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Indiana, 2016Warnings in Indiana, 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: 628827, 628823, 628824, 628819, 628826, 630245, 630145, 628822, 628846, 628821, 630263.