Thunderstorms rapidly developed over southern Illinois and southeast Missouri along a remnant outflow boundary from earlier storms. Aided by a weak mid-level disturbance with enhanced wind flow aloft, lines and clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms intensified as they progressed southeastward within an increasingly unstable environment.
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.
Thunderstorms rapidly developed over southern Illinois and southeast Missouri along a remnant outflow boundary from earlier storms. Aided by a weak mid-level disturbance with enhanced wind flow aloft, lines and clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms intensified as they progressed southeastward within an increasingly unstable environment. Numerous storms produced damaging wind gusts. Surface dew points in the mid to upper 70's increased the rainfall rates in the storms, resulting in a few flooding reports.
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 Jun 15, 11:30 AM CST, 25 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 1230 PM CDT WED JUN 15 2016 .UPDATE... Issued at 1230 PM CDT Wed Jun 15 2016 Aviation update. UPDATE Issued at 1015 AM CDT Wed Jun 15 2016 HiRes models are not helpful for early day convection. The NAM may have had a slightly better handle overall. The longer convection holds, the more fuel there will be, ahead of a weak PVA region/disturbance that will move SE from IL/MO toward the area through the day (seen on Wvapor/RAP data). It is/will be very unstable. NAM Capes not unreasonable well in excess of 4000 J/kg 16-21z. Mid level lapse rates are "ok" around 6. NAM low level lapse rates will exceed 9 C/km. So hail and strong winds are quite likely with any storms that get organized. Question is where and at what time. We lowered PoPs slightly given the hires models were already overdone. But we used scattered terminology vs. chance. Will be at or just below Heat Advisory criteria, so will hold on that. Basically a lot of nowcasting/radar/ satellite at this point. && .SHORT TERM...(Today through Friday night) Issued at 229 AM CDT Wed Jun 15 2016 Some nocturnal convection moving northeast of EVV/OWB vicinity, firing on H5 vort lobe advecting across lower Ohio river valley this morning. It'll continue to shift off to the north and east thru mid morning, with a relative lull otherwise, as main spill of vort energy makes its way across upper Mississippi valley and begins to drive cold front southeastward. We'll see this energy activate showers/storms, along and in advance of boundary, late this morning and into/thru the pm hours. A slgt risk of svr wx will be possible with this energy's passage, which should be east of the FA by 00Z Thursday. Lingering pops may be possible south and east thru the evening, but the system is effectively winding down by then. Today's heat/humidity will again allow heat indices to approach/exceed the triple digits, but collab consensus was to hold on advisories today with eyes toward another hot pm tmrw. In the wake of the front's passage, we'll see strong ridging of high pressure aloft just to our west, and a robust cyclone barrelling down and across the mid/upper Ohio river valley just to our east. We'll be caught in the transitionary nw flow in between, which means drier air works in but not necessarily cooler just yet. Thursday may see actual ambient temps as high or higher than days past, but wet bulbs should start to nudge downward a degree or two or three. Calculated heat indices may reach or exceed headline cats, particularly western counties closer to the ridge...so we'll have to monitor closely for advisory potential and if so, exactly where to draw the line. That should become clearer with time, so collab consensus is to punt forward. The gradual downward adjustment in the air column continues with subtlety Friday, with 80s returning for Highs and dew points dropping into the 60s. .LONG TERM...(Saturday through Tuesday) Issued at 229 AM CDT Wed Jun 15 2016 A high amplitude, southwest to northeast oriented mid-upper level ridge will dominate the WFO PAH forecast area from Saturday through next late Monday night. The ridge is forecast to flatten, but maintain an expansive influence on the area until the expanding influece of a large Eastern Canada low (near Hudson Bay) generates a northwest flow and shear zone along the southern edge of the westerlies. This shear zone, along with weak southerly flow, will provide a focus for MCS activity along the baroclinic zone starting as early as Tuesday, but should expand southeastward with time. && .AVIATION... Issued at 1230 PM CDT Wed Jun 15 2016 Convection east of a line from KMVN to KPOF will continue through the afternoon. We have an inclusion at KPAH/KEVV and KOWB early this afternoon with strong wind gusts likely. Quiet weather expected tonight through midday Thursday with light winds. && .PAH Watches/Warnings/Advisories... IL...None. MO...None. IN...None. KY...None. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 307 AM CDT WED JUN 15 2016 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-161000- 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- 307 AM CDT WED JUN 15 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS FORECAST TODAY. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS WILL BE THE PRIMARY HAZARD SHOULD SEVERE STORMS OCCUR. ANY STORM MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND DEADLY LIGHTNING. HEAT INDICES TODAY WILL REACH TRIPLE DIGITS DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS FOR MOST LOCALES TODAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE HEAT INDEX THURSDAY AFTERNOON WILL AGAIN REACH TRIPLE DIGITS FOR MOST LOCALES, AND SOME MAY SEE HEAT INDICES APPROACH 105, PARTICULARLY FOR THE OZARKS IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE WITH A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY, ESPECIALLY FROM LATE MORNING AND THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 1132 AM CDT WED JUN 15 2016 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ014-018-019-MOZ076-086- 087-110-111-151745- 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-UNION KY-HENDERSON-DAVIESS-PERRY MO-BOLLINGER- CAPE GIRARDEAU-STODDARD-SCOTT- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MOUNT VERNON...FAIRFIELD...ALBION... MOUNT CARMEL...PINCKNEYVILLE...WEST FRANKFORT...MCLEANSBORO... CARMI...CARBONDALE...MURPHYSBORO...HERRIN...HARRISBURG... SHAWNEETOWN...JONESBORO...VIENNA...GOLCONDA...ELIZABETHTOWN... CAIRO...MOUND CITY...METROPOLIS...FORT BRANCH...PETERSBURG... POSEYVILLE...EVANSVILLE...BOONVILLE...ROCKPORT...MORGANFIELD... HENDERSON...MOSELEYVILLE...OWENSBORO...PERRYVILLE...SILVER LAKE... MARBLE HILL...CAPE GIRARDEAU...JACKSON...BLOOMFIELD...SIKESTON 1132 AM CDT WED JUN 15 2016 AT 1130 AM...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR CARMI ILLINOIS TO CARBONDALE AND CAPE GIRARDEAU IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AROUND 20 TO 25 MPH. ACTIVITY WILL SPREAD INTO SOUTHWEST INDIANA. THE STORMS MAY PRODUCE WIND GUSTS 35 TO 45 MPH AND VERY SMALL HAIL. AS WE HEAD INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS...THE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY AND BECOME SEVERE. THE MAIN HAZARDS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS AND HAIL.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
1230 PM CDT WED JUN 15 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1229 PM HEAVY RAIN MOUNT VERNON 37.94N 87.90W
06/15/2016 E0.75 INCH POSEY IN TRAINED SPOTTER
AROUND THREE QUARTER INCH ACCUMULATION WITHIN 20 MINUTES.
&&
SMITTYThe Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 49 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:56 UTC.
15 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees and power lines were blown down along Highway 136. The highway was blocked for several hours for cleanup and repair.
Trees were snapped and uprooted along U.S. Highway 62 in three locations between the Ballard County line and the Highway 286 intersection.
A 56-year-old man was killed when a tree fell onto the cab of his truck. The truck struck a fallen tree along Highway 534, and then continued along the road until another tree fell on the truck cab and crushed it. Dozens of trees were uprooted or snapped. This vehicle fatality occurred near the beginning of a microburst damage path. The damage path width was about one mile. Peak winds in this portion of the damage path were estimated near 80 mph. The microburst continued eastward into Marshall County.
A microburst containing winds up to 80 mph continued eastward from Graves County to about three miles west of Benton. At least four barns or sheds were damaged or destroyed, with one collapsing to the ground along Highway 1949. Dozens of trees were uprooted or snapped. The microburst width was about one mile.
Several trees were blown down on the west side of the county.
Numerous trees were down along roadways in Benton. Trees were blown down along U.S. Highway 641 just south of Benton.
A three-foot diameter tree was snapped near Fairdealing. Trees were blown down and snapped in a neighborhood off Highway 963 near Kentucky Lake.
A few larger branches were blown down on Kentucky 1371 and State Route 307.
A trained spotter estimated wind gusts up to 65 mph. At least one tree was blown down in the city. Pea-size hail was also reported with this storm.
Numerous trees were down. Corn stalks were laid over. One large tree fell across a home. A porch and garage of another residence was damaged. A large chicken barn collapsed, and another barn was damaged. The damage occurred near U.S. Highway 51 south of Clinton near the intersection of Highway 2209.
A tree was down along Highway 164. All of the construction barrels on the U.S. Highway 68 bridge over Lake Barkley were missing.
Power lines were blown down near Greenville. A tree was blown down in Drakesboro.
Several trees were blown down around the Fulton area along Highway 307 and also near the Purchase Parkway.
Wind gusts to near 65 mph were estimated by the public. At least one tree was blown down.
In Hopkinsville, a 22-year-old man sustained an arm injury when a tree landed on his moving car on Highway 380. The injury required hospital treatment, but it was not life-threatening. Another tree fell in Pembroke. Power outages were reported. A wind gust to 57 mph was measured along the west bypass in Hopkinsville at 2:57 P.M. CDT.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind, Graves | 2016-06-15 | 56 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, June 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: 634761, 634754, 634756, 634795, 634757, 634755, 634778, 634785, 634765, 634773, 634786, 634767, 634776, 634777, 634779, 634772.