Rounds of severe storms hammered southern Indiana and central Kentucky on Friday, July 20, 2018, bringing very large hail, wind damage, heavy rain, and 4 confirmed tornadoes. The largest hail report the National Weather Service received was 4 inches in diameter (softball size) in Tompkinsville, just north of the Tennessee border.
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 LMK wrote it up.
Rounds of severe storms hammered southern Indiana and central Kentucky on Friday, July 20, 2018, bringing very large hail, wind damage, heavy rain, and 4 confirmed tornadoes. The largest hail report the National Weather Service received was 4 inches in diameter (softball size) in Tompkinsville, just north of the Tennessee border. The strongest measured wind gust was 70 mph at the Lexington Bluegrass Airport.
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 Louisville, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 20, 6:01 AM EST, 1 hour 9 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Louisville KY 701 AM EDT Fri Jul 20 2018 ...Updated Aviation Discussion... .Short Term...(Today and tonight) Issued at 315 AM EDT Fri Jul 20 2018 ...Severe Weather Expected Today, Potentially Significant... Morning... Before we get to the severe threat later today, wanted to address the current and expected convection later this morning. Seeing isolated to scattered showers and a few storms develop in association with a warm advection wing rotating through the area. This convection should continue to push east this morning and should grow in coverage/intensity across SE Indiana and in the Bluegrass region of east central Kentucky. They are already east of the analyzed warm front over western KY and should be elevated in nature. These should mainly pose a lightning, brief heavy rain, and hail threat. Suppose a few marginally severe hail stones or some 40 mph winds could be possible, but think the storms will largely stay sub-severe this morning. Instability & Forcing... Most of the global and hi-res models seem to generally agree that this convection moves off to the east later this morning and strong heating/destabilization then occurs through midday into the afternoon. During this time, expect a relative lull in precipitation/convective activity. Do think convection could get going again pretty early in the afternoon to our north where better forcing will interact with the available instability. However down across southern IN and KY the better forcing doesn't arrive until late afternoon and evening with the exit region of the mid/upper impulse and convergence along the expected cold front. This is expected to allow for strong/very strong instability to develop given temps in the upper 80s and dew points in the lower (to possibly mid 70s across our far west). The low level heat/moisture will be overrun by steepening mid level lapse rates, creating some very impressive thermal profiles and "fat" CAPE soundings. Some models estimate SB CAPE values pushing up into the 5000-6000 J/KG range across our far west later today. Prefer to rely more on ML CAPE values which should still be around 3000-4000 J/KG and considered strongly unstable. Given the potential for initial supercell storm modes and the expected instability, the Moderate risk is actually for the very large hail (>2") potential. Shear, Storm Mode/Evolution, & Timing... From a shear standpoint, data continues to suggest some impressive values for this time of year as the strong mid level impulse contributes to 0-6 km shear values between 40-60 knots across the Moderate risk area over our western half of the CWA. It is interesting to note that the best LLJ response will be displaced to the NE over central IN and northern OH this evening, however enough of a response should still occur over our area (20-30 knots) to yield a nice veering/increasing wind profile for supercell development with initial storm mode. Best shear profiles should line up over or NW CWA where any early supercell should carry the greatest tornado threat. This is also where the best low level moisture, lowest LCL's, and strongest instability axis will reside for a short window before mode likely tries to transition to bowing segments and perhaps a more large scale wind producer. Do expect that the tornado probs across our west and especially NW CWA may need to be increased if above scenario plays out as expected. Window for supercellular tornadoes could be short, but also could last into the late evening if storms stay more discrete. IN SUMMARY: storm mode and evolution still have some questions, but think initial supercells with a hail and isolated tornado threat should transition to more of a wind threat as we move later into the evening. Best timing for severe is expected between 4 PM - Midnight EDT. Flooding Threat Low... Overall, think the flooding threat is relatively low given the expected progressive nature of the storms. However, repeated rounds of storms could occur with morning and afternoon/evening convection so can't rule out a few localized problems. Rest of Friday Night... Severe threat should be ending around midnight with a relatively quiet rest of the overnight. Look for lows on either side of 70. .Long Term...(Saturday through Thursday) Issued at 250 AM EDT Fri Jul 20 2018 Saturday through Monday Night... At the beginning of the period, a closed upper level low over the southern Great Lakes will slowly drop southward into the Ohio Valley. This upper level low will transit through our region Saturday through Monday before dropping into the southern Gulf coast states by early Tuesday. With the upper level low transversing across our region, unsettled weather is expected this weekend and into early next week. Plenty of clouds with an uptick in diurnally driven convection looks very likely. Thus, this issuance of the forecast will continue to feature high chance PoPs through the period. Temperatures will be below normal this weekend. Highs Saturday will likely only top out in the low-mid 80s. Some sections of the northern Bluegrass may only top out in the upper 70s. Expect cool conditions to continue on Sunday with highs in the mid-upper 70s across much of the region, though the far southwest sections of our CWA could squeak out an 80 degree reading. Upper 70s and lower 80s will be common on Monday as well. Lows through the period will generally average in the middle 60s. Tuesday through Thursday... Overall western hemispheric set up for the long term period next week will feature a large positive height anomaly over the central Atlantic with another positive height anomaly over the southwestern US. Through the period, the global models want to attempt to amplify both of these features. With the current projected wave spacing, we'll see a persistent trough axis centered over the eastern United States. The trough axis may be far enough to our east that we should see a return of typical late July conditions beginning Tuesday and continuing through the remainder of the week. Depending on the upper trough axis positioning, we expect that a gradient of temperatures will be seen across the Ohio Valley. A slightly cooler and unsettled weather pattern may win out over the eastern Ohio Valley, while a bit warmer/drier pattern may be found out west of the Pennyrile region and into the Mid-Missouri Valley. For now, will allow the forecast temperatures to rise back to near climo values across the region, with a slight cut in temps across the east. Will continue to keep low chance PoPs in the forecast through the period though likely capping things at 30 percent or less as a start. Main belt of westerlies looks to remain to our north. However, there are increasing signals that some deeper amplification of the flow could commence by late week. Experimental signal analysis suggests a signal crossing by next weekend which could bring yet another round of unsettled weather to the Ohio Valley. && .Aviation...(12Z TAF Issuance) Issued at 700 AM EDT Fri Jul 20 2018 An unseasonably strong storm system will move into the lower Great Lakes through this evening, with a surface cold front trailing from this system also approaching our region by later this evening. Ahead of these features, the local environment at the TAF sites will be supportive of scattered to numerous storms (some strong to severe) at times through the late afternoon into the the evening. This morning, scattered to numerous showers and storms will push to the east of LEX, with VFR conditions prevailing outside of any thunderstorm. Expect surface winds to increase out of the SSW this morning with dry conditions expect late morning through midday. As we get deeper into the afternoon and evening, expect a broken line of strong and severe storms to develop on the nose of a strong upper impulse and the approaching cold front. Have tried to depict the best 4 hour window for thunderstorms at each site. Look for an upgrade to prevailing once confidence grows in timing. A sizable wind and hail threat should accompany afternoon/evening t-storms. Outside of T-storms, expect VFR with a sct-bkn deck of clouds around 4-6 K feet at times. Light SE winds this morning will veer to the S and then SW today and strengthen. A few gusts in the 20-25 mph range are possible this afternoon outside of T-storms. && .LMK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IN...None. KY...None. && Short Term...BJS Long Term...MJ Aviation...BJS
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Louisville KY 335 AM EDT Fri Jul 20 2018 INZ076>079-083-084-089>092-KYZ023>043-045>049-053>057-061>067- 070>078-081-082-210745- Orange-Washington-Scott-Jefferson-Dubois-Crawford-Perry-Harrison- Floyd-Clark-Hancock-Breckinridge-Meade-Ohio-Grayson-Hardin-Bullitt- Oldham-Trimble-Henry-Shelby-Franklin-Spencer-Anderson-Woodford- Fayette-Bourbon-Nicholas-Nelson-Mercer-Jessamine-Larue-Marion-Boyle- Garrard-Madison-Butler-Edmonson-Hart-Green-Taylor-Casey-Lincoln- Logan-Warren-Simpson-Allen-Barren-Monroe-Metcalfe-Adair-Russell- Cumberland-Clinton- Including the cities of Paoli, Salem, Scottsburg, Madison, Jasper, English, Tell City, Corydon, New Albany, Jeffersonville, Lewisport, Hawesville, Hardinsburg, Brandenburg, Hartford, Leitchfield, Elizabethtown, Shepherdsville, Louisville, La Grange, Bedford, Milton, New Castle, Shelbyville, Frankfort, Georgetown, Cynthiana, Taylorsville, Lawrenceburg, Versailles, Lexington, Paris, Carlisle, Bardstown, Springfield, Harrodsburg, Nicholasville, Winchester, Hodgenville, Lebanon, Danville, Lancaster, Richmond, Morgantown, Brownsville, Horse Cave, Greensburg, Campbellsville, Liberty, Stanford, Russellville, Bowling Green, Franklin, Providence, Scottsville, Glasgow, Tompkinsville, Edmonton, Columbia, Jamestown, Burkesville, and Albany 335 AM EDT Fri Jul 20 2018 /235 AM CDT Fri Jul 20 2018/ This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of south central Indiana and Central Kentucky. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Scattered morning storms mainly across southern Indiana and north central Kentucky could be capable of cloud to ground lightning, brief heavy rainfall, small hail, and gusty winds to 40 mph. Severe storms are likely later this afternoon and evening as a strong weather system pushes through. The most likely time frame is from mid afternoon through late evening. Damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes are all threats along with very heavy rainfall and intense frequent lightning. Have a way to receive weather warnings. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Scattered afternoon and evening storms are expected each day through the late weekend and into mid week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will be needed later this afternoon and well into the evening. BJS
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Louisville KY
431 AM EDT FRI JUL 20 2018
INZ076-077-083-084-089-090-KYZ023>025-200900-
Crawford-Orange-Washington-Perry-Dubois-Harrison-Hancock-Meade-
Breckinridge-
431 AM EDT FRI JUL 20 2018
...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN
HARRISON...SOUTHEASTERN DUBOIS...CRAWFORD...PERRY...ORANGE...
SOUTHWESTERN WASHINGTON...NORTHWESTERN MEADE...NORTHEASTERN HANCOCK
AND NORTHWESTERN BRECKINRIDGE COUNTIES...
At 430 AM EDT/330 AM CDT/, radar indicated strong thunderstorms were
located along a line extending from Paoli to near Grandview. Movement
was southeast at 40 mph.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph are possible with these storms and were
recently measured at Huntingburg Indiana Airport.
Locations impacted include...
Tell City, Paoli, English, Carefree Town, Mount Pleasant, Ferdinand,
French Lick, Cannelton, Stampers Creek and Palmyra.
LAT...LON 3799 8686 3800 8681 3802 8680 3800 8677
3803 8678 3803 8677 3804 8679 3806 8677
3808 8678 3810 8677 3812 8681 3812 8680
3815 8681 3821 8679 3820 8687 3866 8656
3857 8601 3781 8648 3796 8689
TIME...MOT...LOC 0830Z 298DEG 36KT 3857 8644 3793 8688
SCHOETTMERSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Louisville KY
525 AM EDT FRI JUL 20 2018
INZ090-KYZ025-030-201000-
Harrison-Jefferson-Meade-
525 AM EDT FRI JUL 20 2018
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN HARRISON...NORTH
CENTRAL MEADE AND SOUTHWESTERN JEFFERSON COUNTIES...
At 525 AM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located 9 miles south of
Carefree Town, moving east at 35 mph.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph are possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Shively, Pleasure Ridge Par, Pleasure Ridge Park, St. Dennis, Valley
Station, Elizabeth, New Middletown, Mauckport, Laconia and New
Amsterdam.
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 3817 8629 3819 8595 3818 8590 3820 8589
3820 8581 3801 8592 3800 8593 3801 8595
3800 8600 3801 8608 3802 8632
TIME...MOT...LOC 0925Z 273DEG 32KT 3811 8641
SCHOETTMERSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Louisville KY 530 AM EDT FRI JUL 20 2018 KYZ030-031-033-034-201000- Jefferson-Oldham-Shelby-Henry- 530 AM EDT FRI JUL 20 2018 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN OLDHAM... NORTHWESTERN SHELBY...SOUTHWESTERN HENRY AND EAST CENTRAL JEFFERSON COUNTIES... At 530 AM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located over Middletown, moving northeast at 30 mph. Wind gusts up to 45 mph are possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Jeffersontown, La Grange, Middletown, Douglass Hills, Hurstbourne, Anchorage, Blue Ridge Manor, Woodland Hills, Sycamore and Crestwood. 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 3816 8550 3824 8558 3846 8532 3831 8519 TIME...MOT...LOC 0930Z 229DEG 27KT 3825 8548 SCHOETTMER
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Louisville KY
638 AM EDT FRI JUL 20 2018
KYZ033>040-201130-
Shelby-Henry-Scott-Woodford-Franklin-Spencer-Harrison-Anderson-
638 AM EDT FRI JUL 20 2018
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EAST CENTRAL SPENCER...SHELBY...
NORTHWESTERN WOODFORD...SCOTT...NORTH CENTRAL ANDERSON...SOUTHEASTERN
HENRY...SOUTHWESTERN HARRISON AND FRANKLIN COUNTIES...
At 638 AM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located 9 miles west of
Frankfort, moving northeast at 40 mph.
Winds in excess of 40 mph are possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Georgetown, Frankfort, Shelbyville, Stamping Ground, Sadieville,
Longlick, Slickway, Stonewall, Moon Lake Estates and Harvieland.
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may cause
localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
LAT...LON 3830 8441 3801 8520 3826 8532 3842 8488
3838 8490 3837 8487 3836 8487 3836 8484
3834 8479 3835 8475 3837 8471 3843 8462
3848 8457 3849 8455
TIME...MOT...LOC 1038Z 239DEG 49KT 3821 8504
JDGThe Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 97 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:11 UTC.
57 thunderstorm wind, 46 hail, 2 tornado, 2 lightning, 2 flash flood, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were reported down on US 25 and Interstate 75 near mile marker 99.
There was a tree reported down on State Road 144.
There was a tree down on Highway 79.
A tree blew down knocking out power to several in the area.
The ASOS augmenter at Louisville International Airport (KSDF) reported one inch hail on a METAR.
Golf ball sized hail was reported in Iroquois Park.
Golf ball sized hail was reported at Churchill Downs.
The public reported one inch hail at Thurston Avenue in Louisville.
A large maple tree was down near South Park Road and Blue Lick Road.
There was a large tree down on a building near Audubon Park Golf Course.
There was a report of hail on the 4200 block of Poplar Level Road.
There was a report of power lines down in Shelbyville.
The county reported multiple trees were down around the city, as well as some power lines.
A tree blew down on a car with people inside of it. Many other trees were down in the area.
The mesonet in Franklin County recorded a wind gust of 53 knots.
Trees were down near McCracken Pike and Steele Road.
Bluegrass Airport measured a 52 knot wind gust.
Large trees were reported down.
Large trees were reported down along Midway Road.
A tree blew onto a home in Venice Park.
A tree blew onto a house at Rose and Maxwell.
There was a tree down on Malabu Drive.
Bluegrass Airport measured a 61 knot wind gust.
There was a tree down on Leslie Drive.
Eight structures had trees on their roofs. There were many widespread power outages across the county.
Law enforcement reported trees down near Old Tunnel Mill Road.
There was a roof that blew off of a barn and multiple trees down on Brentsville Road.
Tree branches were sheared six feet above the ground.
There were multiple trees down from strong winds.
Trees were reported down on Calcutta Road.
There were trees reported down on Somerset Road in Nicholas County.
There were trees down on Young Street.
There was widespread tree damage along Burgin Road.
Trees were reported down.
Trees were reported down.
Hail was reported near the junction of Highway 49 and 78.
A report of golf ball size hail near Sulphur Well was received.
There was golf ball size hail along Highway 152.
There were trees down at Bardstown Road and Highway 152.
The fire chief reported that trees and power lines were down, and a shop was destroyed near Edmonton along Highway 496. Highway 496 was closed due to debris.
There was hail reported in the Mac Community.
There was a report of hail at Bedrock Lane.
Trees were blocking North Kentucky 501.
This short-lived spin-up occurred as a northeast-moving storm interacted with outflow winds from a southeastward-moving storm in eastern Metcalfe County. The first damage occurred along Subtle Road, where a carport was overturned and a large part of a metal outbuilding's roof was torn off, in addition to snapping numerous trees. The tornado then moved east-northeast at tree-top level over wooded areas and farm fields, doing its next major damage a mile away where it pushed a double-wide mobile home to the northwest off its blocks, breaking windows, and ripping off shingles from the roof. The tornado continued on for another mile, causing occasional tree damage, and dropping debris before lifting near the east end of Groce Road, where it peeled roofing material from a metal out building. Maximum wind speeds with this tornado were estimated at 80 to 85 mph.
A report of hail a little larger than a golf ball came from a person near Columbia.
Trees and power lines were reported down at 7511 Highway 329 in Crestwood.
A verified photo on social media showed these large hail stones.
There was a tree on a house at Alton Road and Sherrin Avenue in St. Matthews.
There was tree damage along Old Lagrange Road near Westport Road.
There was a structure fire caused by a lightning strike on Waco Loop.
A couple of reports came into dispatch that likely were associated with the evening storms. Part of the roof at Ledvance was blown off and water was entering their computer room.
The hail was measured at Stonestreet Road.
A water rescue took place to get the driver of a car that drove into high water on Lexington Road at Oxford Place.
A large tree was reported down.
A tree fell and knocked down power lines at Highway 44 and Knob Creek.
There was a tree that blew down on Mount Elmira Road.
Two trees and power lines were reported down on the 800 block of Walls Hollow Road North.
There was a tree reported down on Kingswood Avenue at Kings Church Road.
There was a tree reported down on the 1500 block of Raymond Road.
A power line was reported down on Sandy Drive.
There was a tree down on Lotus Drive near Deatsville Road.
Six to eight inches of water were reported in a cul-de-sac on the street.
A tree was reported down on Woodsdale Road.
Employee reported tree branches and leaves were down.
Old Henry Road was flooded to Factory Lane from the Gene Snyder. There was a report of water flowing on the Gene Snyder at mile marker 28.
There was a picture of a large tree snapped along Morrison Road.
This tornado touched down in a wooded area midway between J Riggs Rd and Copelin Rd north of state highway 728, snapping trees as it moved southeast along a hay field where it destroyed two 1200 lb hay bales and rolled numerous others up to a tenth of a mile into a soybean field and uphill onto a knoll. Snapping trees on the land adjacent to the hay and soybean fields, the tornado took a slight right turn, crossing highway 728, and destroyed a large barn. Large parts of the barn debris were lofted into trees southwest of the structure, snapping their trunks. A 20 x 20 section of the barn was blown 500 feet to the south-southeast. The tornado continued southward for another two-tenths of a mile, downing trees along Campground Rd before lifting. Maximum winds with this tornado were estimated to be 90 to 95 mph.
The Hart County Fire Department reported trees down around the intersection of Highway 728 and Campground Road.
There were trees down near Woodlawn Road.
Trees were reported down on Highway 569.
Highway 61 was blocked by downed tree limbs.
There was a tree down and blocking Highway 1464 near Grab Road.
There were downed trees blocking Highway 61 and Old Spring Road.
There were tree limbs partially blocking Matney Road.
There was a report of a tree down on a car on East Front Street.
It was reported that 25 to 30 heads of livestock were killed in the Northtown area of Hart County when lightning struck during a storm.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Kentucky, 2018Warnings in Kentucky, July 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: 764057, 764058, 764059, 764061, 764062, 764063, 764064, 764065, 764067, 764068, 764069, 764070, 764071, 764075, 764076, 764077, 764078, 764081, 764082, 764083, 764195, 764198, 764085, 764200, 764087, 764201, 764202, 764203, 764204, 764205, 764210, 764211, 764213, 764214, 764216, 764218, 764219, 764221, 764222, 764225, and more.