Several rounds of heavy rain sent the Ohio River well above flood stage. February monthly precipitation was 4 to 7 inches above normal, with monthly totals of 8 to 10 inches common.
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.
Several rounds of heavy rain sent the Ohio River well above flood stage. February monthly precipitation was 4 to 7 inches above normal, with monthly totals of 8 to 10 inches common. This was greater than 200 percent of normal. This was the 4th wettest February on record at Paducah, Kentucky, with a total of 8.55 inches.
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 Feb 16, 3:38 PM CST, 22 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 338 PM CST Fri Feb 16 2018 .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Saturday) Issued at 336 PM CST Fri Feb 16 2018 Rain has pushed east of the region this afternoon, with low clouds hanging around. As high pressure slides by to our north, clearing will spread in from the northwest, although it may not make it into all of our southern counties. Northerly winds have been gusty today with some observations up to 25 mph. Winds will subside this evening and become light overnight. Main concern this period is with a disturbance that is currently over New Mexico, which will spread quickly east/northeastward towards are region late tonight into tomorrow morning. Precipitation looks to enter our southern counties of southeast Missouri late tonight after 3am, and progress northeastward through the morning hours. Thermal profiles appear cold enough for some snow to mix in, especially at the onset of the precipitation. However, most areas are expected to change over to rain fairly quickly in the morning. The short duration of the snow, combined with warm ground temps, should lead to little if any accumulation in most locations. However, there is some potential at a little accumulation in a narrow zone in southeast Missouri, generally from Van Buren to Greenville and Marble Hill. Amounts here are expected to range from a light dusting up to several tenths of an inch. The majority of the rain should quickly exit from west to east from late morning into mid afternoon, with only some lingering shower activity left behind. QPF amounts look to range from around a tenth of an inch in far northern counties to over a half inch in southern counties of western Kentucky into the bootheel of Missouri. .LONG TERM...(Saturday Night through Friday) Issued at 336 PM CST Fri Feb 16 2018 Variability continues to be an issue with the weekend regional model blended guidance for the extended forecast period. Although low amplitude ridging still remains in force across the WFO PAH forecast area Monday through early Wednesday, there has been some variation in the western extension of the low level ridge across the Gulf of Mexico. This variability is allowing for moisture advection northward the Lower Mississippi Valley as early as Tuesday into the WFO PAH forecast area. At this point, there is low confidence that enough lift and instability will be in place late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, but for collaborative purposes, have kept a small chance of precipitation in place Tuesday night. However, some of the model guidance suggests there may even be enough elevated instability to warrant at least an slight chance of thunderstorms as a weak warm frontal zone develops to the south and west with time. There does not be significant forcing as the warm frontal zone lifts north of the WFO PAH forecast area Wednesday into Thursday, but suspect the guidance is keying in on warm air advection showers being isentropically lifted across the area. The channeled vorticity and enhanced lift from an approaching northern stream, positively tilted, shortwave on Thursday will tighten the baroclinic zone and lift across the WFO PAH forecast area from north to south Thursday into Friday, with the best QPF expected Thursday night along and just ahead of the cold frontal passage Thursday evening. The ECMWF, GFS, and Canadian are slowly getting closer on the timing of the frontal passage. A light wintry mix still seems to be possible early Friday morning and again Friday evening, but the transition zone of temperatures versus available moisture for precipitation continues to shrink with successive model runs. There was more consensus with surrounding office to move precipitation out of the WFO PAH forecast area Saturday and Saturday night as high pressure builds in. This may be short-lived by Sunday and Sunday night, as the remnants of the Southwest U.S. closed low moves across the southern Plains to the Mississippi Valley, including the WFO PAH forecast area. The trend the last several model runs has been to increase temperatures at a rate of 3 degrees a day...with ten degree spikes each day from Monday through Wednesday. Not sure, if it will be totally realized due to precipitation chances on Thursday, but the GFS and other guidance is even suggesting 70+ temperatures in southeast sections of the WFO PAH forecast area Thursday afternoon. Not too optimistic in seeing temperatures that high this week. && .AVIATION... Issued at 1143 AM CST Fri Feb 16 2018 Aside from some scattered light rain primarily over west KY, the majority of the rain has push east of our area at midday. MVFR cigs remain across the entire region, with the current forecast reflecting a slower clearing then previously expected, and may not be until late afternoon/early evening for many locations. Other issue is gusty northerly winds around 20 kts or slightly higher for the next several hours. Winds subside this evening/overnight as the influence of high pressure to our north overspreads the area. Another system looks to spread IFR/MVFR cigs from southwest to northeast tomorrow morning, with the southern two thirds of the region seeing the lowest restrictions. Rain will accompany the lower cigs, along with MVFR vsbys and the potential at lower vsbys in the heavier precipitation. Some potential at snow mixing in, especially across the northern portions of southeast Missouri, mainly northwest of KCGI. && .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 348 PM CST Fri Feb 16 2018 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-172200- 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- 348 PM CST Fri Feb 16 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. .DAY ONE...Tonight A light wintry mix is possible late tonight in southern portions of southeast Missouri and far southwest Kentucky. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday A light wintry mix will spread north across the region Saturday morning. A dusting up to around a half of an inch of snow is possible mainly in northern portions of southeast Missouri from Van Buren to Greenville and Marble Hill. The wintry mix will switch over to all rain by mid to late morning. A prolonged period of wet weather is forecast to set up over the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys next week. The potential for flooding will need to be monitored in the coming days as we gain a better idea of where and exactly how much rainfall may occur. There is a chance of thunderstorms from late Tuesday night into Wednesday. Heavy rainfall will be the main hazard. Severe weather is not anticipated. A wintry mix is possible on Friday. Flooding is forecast to continue along the Green and Ohio rivers. Refer to those warnings and statements for details. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Ohio River rose above flood stage around mid-month and continued rising through the remainder of the month. As the river rose above flood stage, county roads in the river bottomlands were flooded and closed. Agricultural land was inundated.
The Ohio River rose above flood stage around mid-month and continued rising through the end of the month. Low-lying county roads were closed. Sections of Fort Massac State Park were flooded and closed in Metropolis.
The Ohio River rose above flood stage around mid-month and continued rising the rest of the month. Low-lying county roads were closed. Bottomland woods and fields were inundated.
The Ohio River rose above flood stage around mid-month and continued rising through the end of the month. Low-lying county roads were submerged. Agricultural bottomland and portions of a riverside park were flooded.
The Ohio River rose above flood stage around the 20th and continued rising through the end of the month. Low-lying county roads were flooded and closed.
The Ohio River rose above flood stage around mid-month and continued rising through the end of the month. Low-lying county roads were flooded. Agricultural bottomland was inundated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Illinois in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, February 2018
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: 739191, 739194, 739192, 739196, 739193, 739195.