A slow-moving cluster of thunderstorms produced localized flash flooding between Benton and Murray. The storms occurred in a very warm and moist southwest wind flow ahead of a cold front over northwest Missouri.
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.
A slow-moving cluster of thunderstorms produced localized flash flooding between Benton and Murray. The storms occurred in a very warm and moist southwest wind flow ahead of a cold front over northwest Missouri. A weak 500 mb trough axis extended from the Ohio Valley to the central Gulf coast.
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 17, 3:13 PM CST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 413 PM CDT Sat Jun 17 2017 .UPDATE... Issued at 413 PM CDT Sat Jun 17 2017 Updated the gridded forecast and related products, for newly developed convection across far West Kentucky (Graves, Marshall counties). 1 minute GOES-16 data shows this activity should drift ENE through the late day, early evening hours. Mid level lapse rates are well below 6, and greatest instability is a bit west of this activity. So it should remain general convection. CN && .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Monday night) Issued at 239 PM CDT Sat Jun 17 2017 Main concern for the short term will be incoming fropa with strong to severe storm potential. Recent trends continue to depict the overnight into tomorrow morning activity to be the main show for our area. However, there is still some guidance, like the 12Z ECMWF that holds off most precip until after 12z Sunday. Clusters of thunderstorms are expected to develop from eastern Kansas into northern Missouri and central Illinois late this afternoon and evening. This activity will then merge into 1 or more MCS's and proceed southeastward. It appears the convective complex should enter our far northwest counties sometime in the 05-07z timeframe. Leaned toward the NAM 4km Nest and WRF-ARW for timing of the storms through the area overnight into tomorrow morning. The best wind fields/shear will remain off to our northwest, however the flow should increase enough to warrant some strong storm potential mainly in the form of damaging winds. SPC has continued to push the slight risk further south, now encompassing much of the area except closer to the TN border. The complex will more than likely be losing steam as it progresses further southeast into the area, thus the severe storm threat will be lower for southern and eastern counties. Heavy rain will be a concern as well as PWATs increase to over 2 inches. Expecting a lull in the activity by late morning into midday before possible new development forms over the Pennyrile region of west KY. This activity will be contingent on just how the overnight convection plays out. If the overnight MCS lingers through the morning hours, we likely won't destabilize enough to get much in the way of redevelopment. However, if storms can develop, the potential exists for a few strong storms, although the greater potential looks to be off to our south and east. Post frontal precipitation should largely be winding down by midnight across our area, but could still be some lingering rain across the southeast counties right into early Monday morning. Moisture levels will remain high until cool northwesterly flow works in from the north tomorrow evening/overnight. Lows will be held up in the 70s tonight. Highs tomorrow look to be cooler with the precipitation and clouds around, holding in the low to mid 80s. More comfortable temperatures will be seen by Monday morning with lows down into the low to mid 60s. .LONG TERM...(Monday through Saturday) Issued at 239 PM CDT Sat Jun 17 2017 In the extended forecast period, the broad upper air pattern will consist of a broad upper ridge centered over the Desert Southwest U.S. and a broad low pressure center over eastern Canada. This will keep the WFO PAH forecast area in northwesterly flow aloft through at least late Wednesday or early Thursday. The flow become more zonal Thursday and Friday with the WFO PAH forecast area fixed along the base of the faster westerlies in the northern half the the U.S. and broader ridging to the south and southwest. In early part of the extended period, the deep layer moisture for robust convection is severely limited, with most of the greater forcing focused closer the the Great Lakes region. Even with lower moisture content, temperatures will likely rebound into the upper 80s to near 90 around the middle of next week. By Friday, the regionally initialized blended model guidance chances for precipitation seem loosely tied with the ECMWF 00z/12z Saturday numerical model runs, as the baroclinic zone shift southward across the WFO PAH forecast area and phases in with a deformation zone east of the Southwest U.S. ridge. At this point, the forecast confidence with the late week precipitation chances are 40-60 percent, mainly due to location issues associated with the precipitation across the WFO PAH forecast area. Otherwise, the blended guidance has a fairly good handle on temperatures, dewpoints, and winds into next week. && .AVIATION... Issued at 1226 PM CDT Sat Jun 17 2017 Main concern will be associated with a thunderstorm complex diving southeast into the region overnight into tomorrow morning. Gusty winds and lower cigs/vsbys can be expected with this activity. Anticipated to reach far northwest counties around 06-07z and then progress through the area, exiting much of the region by 14-15z. Timing is subject to change as some guidance is a bit faster or slower with the convective complex. May have some new storm development just outside of this TAF cycle, most likely in the Pennryile region of west KY. Otherwise southerly winds will gust up around 15 to possibly 20 knots today, decreasing this evening. Mainly high clouds through the evening hours. A few MVFR cigs noted currently over KPAH/KCGI area will likely thin out and lift within next couple of hrs. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. MO...None. IN...None. KY...None. && SHORT TERM...SP LONG TERM...Smith AVIATION...SP
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Paducah KY 251 PM CDT Sat Jun 17 2017 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-182000- 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- 251 PM CDT Sat Jun 17 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight More widespread thunderstorms are expected to progress south and east through the region tonight, mainly after midnight. These storms will likely be organized into a linear complex, so some threat of damaging winds will exist, especially across the northern portions of southeast Missouri and southern Illinois. The greater concern throughout the region will be heavy rainfall and lightning. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday Scattered to numerous thunderstorms are expected Sunday through Sunday night with the greatest coverage over west Kentucky. A few strong to severe storms cannot be ruled out along and ahead of a cold front mainly over west Kentucky Sunday afternoon and evening. Damaging winds will be the primary severe concern, but heavy rainfall and lightning will be the greater concerns throughout the region. There is a chance of thunderstorms on Friday. A few storms may reach severe limits, along with heavy rainfall. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may become necessary mainly over northern and western portions of the region after midnight tonight, and over west Kentucky Sunday afternoon and evening.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY 545 PM CDT Sat Jun 17 2017 KYZ008-009-011>013-172345- MARSHALL-CALLOWAY-LYON-TRIGG-CALDWELL- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF BENTON, MURRAY, EDDYVILLE, CADIZ, AND PRINCETON 545 PM CDT Sat Jun 17 2017 At 5:45 p.m., strong thunderstorms extended from near Benton to Murray in west KY. The storms were moving east, and will enter into the Land Between the Lakes area through 630 p.m. Heavy down pours and gusty winds 25 to 35 mph, possibly 40 mph will likely accompany some of the storms.
The Paducah radar (KPAH), 44 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:36 UTC.
2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Several inches of water flowed over roads west of Benton. A number of roads were closed by local firefighters, sheriff deputies, and road crews. Three to four inches of rainfall was reported in some areas, most of which fell in a couple hours.
Several roads across the northwest part of the county were flooded and closed, including Kentucky Highway 299. Kentucky Highway 783 was closed due to a washout. Flash flooding of the north fork of Duncan Creek impacted a residence just east of Kentucky Highway 299. Floodwaters rose rapidly toward the residence, prompting a response from the emergency management agency. A barn was submerged in three feet of water from the creek. A high water rescue was conducted on a county road west of U.S. Highway 641 due to a vehicle that was driven into floodwaters. A couple miles northwest of Almo, multiple people were trapped in a vehicle caught in a flooded creek. A water rescue was conducted. A trained spotter a few miles southwest of Hardin measured 4.75 inches of rain.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, June 2017
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: 703397, 703398.