Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms brought periods of heavy rainfall to portions of southeast Kentucky from this morning into this evening, leading to instances of flooding and flash flooding. The worst flash flooding occurred in Harlan County, particularly near the Ages to Jones Creek area where a few locales received greater than 3 inches of rain in just over a 24 hour period.
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 JKL wrote it up.
Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms brought periods of heavy rainfall to portions of southeast Kentucky from this morning into this evening, leading to instances of flooding and flash flooding. The worst flash flooding occurred in Harlan County, particularly near the Ages to Jones Creek area where a few locales received greater than 3 inches of rain in just over a 24 hour period. Late morning and afternoon heating allowed for a few storms to become severe, producing damaging wind gusts from early to mid afternoon.
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 Jackson, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 26, 6:54 AM EST, 2 hours 49 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Jackson KY 754 AM EDT Tue Jun 26 2018 .UPDATE... Issued at 754 AM EDT TUE JUN 26 2018 Showers and storms taking off from the Bluegrass through Lake Cumberland regions, with more sporadic development farther east into portions of southeast Kentucky. Expect this round to continue moving east this morning, prior to an additional round of stronger storms this afternoon. This latter round will increase the threat for flash flooding, particularly south of Mountain Parkway. && .SHORT TERM...(Today through Wednesday) Issued at 457 AM EDT TUE JUN 26 2018 Isolated showers have fired across portions of southeast Kentucky early this morning, with additional development across portions of western to central Kentucky. Low stratus and fog have also been prominent in spots through the night, especially in areas that received bonafide rainfall Monday and that were able to clear out for a period through the night. Should see this lift with visibilities improving this morning where showers move overhead and provide for some mixing. Numerous showers and thunderstorms will again develop after sunrise through this afternoon as an upper low moving from the Corn Belt into the western Great Lakes breaks down weak shortwave ridging spanning portions of the eastern Ohio Valley into the Appalachians. Given ample enough instability can build with peak heating this afternoon, deep layer shear increasing to roughly 30 knots later this afternoon may be enough to generate a few organized updrafts capable of strong to severe downburst winds and small hail. In addition, precipitable water values surging to 1.75"+ south of a frontal boundary lifting through the Ohio Valley, will promote the threat for heavy rainfall and flash flooding. Given widespread rainfall amounts of 1-3" yesterday, primarily south of Mountain Parkway, have opted to hoist a Flash Flood Watch from late this morning through this evening. A lull in the precipitation should materialize this evening, thus negating further extension of the watch through the night at this time. Continued height falls tonight coupled with precipitable water values further increasing to ~ 2 inches will promote a chance of storms later tonight into Wednesday morning. A window may open Wednesday afternoon for scattered severe storms to develop underneath the core of the upper trough. The degree of diabatic heating and steepening low level lapse rates will be dependent on how much clearing can occur. Mid level lapse rates will be fairly stout with cooler mid level temperatures in place, while deep layer shear increases to 30-40 knots as the right entrance region of an upper jet swings across the lower Ohio Valley. Will therefore have to monitor the threat for damaging wind gusts and even some marginally severe hail. Storm motions should be swift enough given increasing wind fields, such that flooding should be more localized as opposed to widespread. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday night through Monday) Issued at 457 AM EDT TUE JUN 26 2018 Showers and storms will be winding down Wednesday night and early Thursday as low pressure slides across the eastern Great Lakes downstream of an upper high pressure system building north out of the southern Plains. Temperatures will begin a true summertime warming trend for the end of the week, reaching the low-mid 90s Friday underneath the core of the high. Similar readings will be in store through the weekend as dewpoints in the upper 60s to lower 70s lead to heat indices reaching and exceeding 100 degrees. Will have to monitor a mesoscale convective complex rounding the northern periphery of the upper high Thursday night into Friday, but this feature currently looks to remain west of the Lake Cumberland region. Shower/storm chances may begin to impact portions of southeast Kentucky Saturday afternoon as the high gradually meanders east, allowing return flow to set up. Better chances will ensue later in the weekend into next week as a northern stream trough attempts to break down ridging across the eastern United States. && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Wednesday morning) ISSUED AT 754 AM EDT TUE JUN 26 2018 VLIFR conditions still plaguing portions of the higher terrain, including KJKL, where a combination of stratus build down and fog reside. This will mix out and lift as showers and storms move through this morning, improving conditions to MVFR and eventually low-end VFR criteria. Another round of showers and thunderstorms will threaten each terminal from early this afternoon into this evening, before a lull looks to develop this evening. Have opted to maintain VCTS for all sites through this afternoon as it will be difficult to pin down a definitive window for prevailing TSRA. Will likely see some additional showers/storms later tonight into Wednesday morning, raising questions regarding fog development. Will have to monitor where heavier precipitation falls today as well as any clearing this evening into tonight, along with trends for additional storms tonight. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flash Flood Watch from 11 AM EDT this morning through this evening for KYZ058-059-068-069-079-080-083>088-108>118-120. && GUSEMAN
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Jackson KY 509 AM EDT Tue Jun 26 2018 KYZ044-050>052-060-104-106-107-119-271215- Fleming-Montgomery-Bath-Rowan-Menifee-Elliott-Morgan-Johnson- Martin- Including the cities of Flemingsburg, Camargo, Jeffersonville, Mount Sterling, Owingsville, Morehead, Frenchburg, Sandy Hook, West Liberty, Paintsville, and Inez 509 AM EDT Tue Jun 26 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of eastern Kentucky. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Scattered to numerous thunderstorms are expected later this morning through this afternoon. A few of these may be capable of producing wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph, small hail, and locally heavy rainfall. Additional thunderstorms will be possible this evening through tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Thunderstorms will be possible Wednesday through early Thursday afternoon. Thunderstorms during the day on Wednesday could produce locally excessive rainfall, damaging wind gusts, and large hail. Some locales may experience heat indices in excess of 100 degrees Friday through Sunday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are requested to report instances of wind damage and flash flooding today. KYZ058-059-068-069-079-080-083>088-108>118-120-271215- Estill-Powell-Rockcastle-Jackson-Pulaski-Laurel-Wayne-McCreary- Whitley-Knox-Bell-Harlan-Wolfe-Magoffin-Floyd-Lee-Breathitt-Knott- Owsley-Perry-Clay-Leslie-Letcher-Pike- Including the cities of Irvine, Ravenna, Clay City, Stanton, Brodhead, Mount Vernon, McKee, Annville, Burnside, Somerset, London, Monticello, Stearns, Whitley City, Corbin, Williamsburg, Barbourville, Middlesboro, Pineville, Cumberland, Harlan, Campton, Salyersville, Prestonsburg, Wheelwright, Beattyville, Jackson, Hindman, Pippa Passes, Booneville, Hazard, Manchester, Hyden, Jenkins, Whitesburg, Coal Run, Elkhorn City, Pikeville, and South Williamson 509 AM EDT Tue Jun 26 2018 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM EDT THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS EVENING... This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of eastern Kentucky. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Numerous thunderstorms are expected later this morning through this afternoon. Heavy rainfall and instances of flash flooding will be the greatest threat from these, especially in areas that received heavy rainfall Monday. Additionally, a few of these storms may be capable of producing wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph and small hail. Additional thunderstorms will be possible this evening through tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. Thunderstorms will be possible Wednesday through early Thursday afternoon. Thunderstorms during the day on Wednesday could produce excessive rainfall, damaging wind gusts, and large hail. Some locales may experience heat indices in excess of 100 degrees Friday through Sunday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are requested to report instances of wind damage and flash flooding today. GUSEMAN
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service JACKSON KY
1010 AM EDT TUE JUN 26 2018
KYZ113-115-261445-
Perry-Knott-
1010 AM EDT TUE JUN 26 2018
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN PERRY AND
SOUTHWESTERN KNOTT COUNTIES...
At 1010 AM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located near Hazard, moving
east at 30 mph.
Winds in excess of 40 mph are possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Hazard, Vicco, Avawam, Elic, Smithsboro, Cody, Sassafras, Anco,
Lamont, Viper, Carr Creek, Diablock, Cordia, Littcarr, Redfox,
Wiscoal, Jeff, Daisy, Cornettsville and Bulan.
LAT...LON 3716 8321 3717 8321 3720 8326 3720 8328
3723 8331 3723 8332 3729 8335 3736 8331
3723 8289 3717 8298 3719 8299 3719 8301
3713 8305 3711 8310
TIME...MOT...LOC 1410Z 290DEG 26KT 3728 8326
KASSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service JACKSON KY
1031 AM EDT TUE JUN 26 2018
KYZ113-115-118-261515-
Perry-Knott-Letcher-
1031 AM EDT TUE JUN 26 2018
...AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT LETCHER...SOUTHEASTERN
PERRY AND SOUTHERN KNOTT COUNTIES...
At 1031 AM EDT, strong thunderstorms were clustered over Arminta, or
9 miles southeast of Hazard, moving east at 35 mph.
Winds in excess of 40 mph are possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Whitesburg, Hindman, Letcher, Bath, Jenkins, Fleming-Neon, Vicco,
Blackey, Elic, Cody, Van, Carr Creek, Colly, Premium, Nealy, Sergent,
Redfox, Ivis, Ivan and Whitco.
LAT...LON 3702 8294 3700 8298 3706 8317 3710 8317
3714 8323 3717 8321 3719 8323 3735 8299
3720 8257 3715 8263 3712 8272 3705 8272
3701 8278 3701 8283 3698 8286
TIME...MOT...LOC 1431Z 291DEG 30KT 3717 8305
KASThe Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 59 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:45 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 3 flood, 3 flash flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
The Kentucky Department of Highways relayed a report of a tree blown down across Kentucky Highway 699 between Slemp and Daisy.
Local media reported flooding on Montgomery Creek Road in Vicco, as well as on Kentucky Highway 15 southeast of Hazard.
A media outlet reported flooding on Kentucky Highway 80 north of Hindman.
A local media outlet reported water over a low lying roadway in the Camp Creek community near Wendover.
A local media outlet reported flash flooding from near Coxton to Ages, as well as in Jones Creek where flowing water approached homes and carried away vehicles and culverts.
Dispatch relayed a report of a tree blown down southwest of London.
A trained spotter observed quarter sized hail west of Permon.
Dispatch reported a tree blown down on Kentucky Highway 92 east of Williamsburg.
A Cooperative Observer reported flowing water of greater than one foot in depth over Cave Springs Road and U.S. Highway 421 west of Clover Bottom.
Dispatch reported a tree blown down at the intersection of Kentucky Highway 26 and New Zion Road northeast of Williamsburg.
A local media outlet reported flowing water over Kentucky Highway 516 between Page and Colmar. A driver had to be rescued from these flood waters as their vehicle became submerged while attempting to drive through them.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, June 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: 752895, 752875, 752876, 752877, 752882, 752884, 753370, 752886, 752889, 752894, 752893.