Slow moving showers and thunderstorms produced localized flooding.
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 ILN wrote it up.
Slow moving showers and thunderstorms produced localized flooding.
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 Wilmington, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 16, 2:45 PM EST, 25 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wilmington OH 345 PM EDT Wed May 16 2018 .SYNOPSIS... A stationary front will remain more or less entrenched across the lower Ohio Valley region through Friday before a weak surface low pushes the front north by Saturday. With this, periodic showers and thunderstorms will remain in the forecast through the upcoming weekend, allowing the active period to continue in the local area. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THURSDAY MORNING/... As hinted by AM CAMs, isolated to scattered slow-moving showers and thunderstorms have re-initiated across southwestern portions of the ILN FA. In a regime characterized by very weak steering- layer flow, this activity is meandering eastward and allowing for heavy downpours in sporadic locations throughout the southwestern third of the area. Although some brief ponding of water is possible in low-lying areas with these slow-moving soakers, widespread flooding is not expected to become a concern in the near term period. Although the activity will likely wane somewhat near/after sunset as it crawls eastward through the southeastern third or so of the FA this evening, it may continue to percolate in the several hours after sunset before pushing off to the east altogether towards midnight. This will leave mainly dry conditions from midnight through the remainder of the near term period, especially for western/northwestern portions of the ILN CWA. Temperature trends this afternoon have been largely dictated by shower/thunderstorm/cloud coverage, and as such, have seen most of the robust warming in south-central Ohio and northeastern Kentucky, where temperatures have climbed to around 80 degrees. Further to the west, where clouds/precipitation coverage has been a bit more widespread, temps have been held in the mid 70s, with some lower 70s in portions of east-central Indiana where multiple rounds of showers have moved through. A slow-moving clearing line will enter extreme northwestern portions of the local area late this evening into tonight, allowing for west-central Ohio to cool overnight moreso than other areas where cloud cover will linger. In fact, near and south of the I-71 corridor, an influx of low level moisture overnight may lead to patchy fog development overnight, especially in areas where the ground will be wet from the day/s rainfall. Additionally, low stratus will be on the increase towards sunrise near and south of the I-71 corridor, with the southeastern three quarters of the area expected to wake up to mostly cloudy skies. Overnight temperatures will range from the mid 50s in the northwest to the mid 60s in the southeast. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... By Thursday, a complex upper level system will begin to move northward towards the Ohio Valley region from the southeastern portion of the country. As this system slowly pivots closer to the ILN FA, precipitation chances again will be on the increase during the afternoon, particularly near and south of the Ohio River. With diurnal heating expected to contribute to low level destabilization, some isolated to scattered thunder may again develop during peak heating hours. Any activity that develops will slowly pivot southeast to northwest through the afternoon and evening hours, with greatest PoPs south of the Ohio River. Once again, any slow-moving storm will have the potential to produce brief heavy downpours. With a bit more defined northeast surface flow during the day on Thursday, temps may be held a degree or two below recent trends. With this being said, most of the area will see highs in the mid 70s to near 80 degrees. By Thursday night, as a weak surface low begins to nudge northward from the Tennessee Valley, more stratiform-type precipitation (with embedded convective elements) will begin to develop north of the slow- moving frontal boundary. This rain, while not heavy, will be a bit more widespread in coverage than activity of either this afternoon or Thursday afternoon. Expect that a more- or-less continuous shield of light rain (with isolated heavier pockets) will be pivoting northward through the heart of the ILN FA by the end of the short term period. With the cloud cover and rain Thursday night, temperatures again will be held well above seasonal norms, with lows in the upper 50s to mid 60s from north to south, respectfully. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... Short wave will be weakening as it lifts northeast up the Ohio Valley early in the period. This will bring a weak surface low across the region all of which will result in periodic showers Friday into Saturday. There may even be enough instability for some thunder in southern counties on Friday. Confluent upper level flow will ensue early next week with a wavy quasi-stationary boundary extending across or just north of the region. The front will eventually get pushed south as a short wave drops out of the upper Mississippi Valley and across the Great Lakes Monday night into Tuesday. There will be showers and thunderstorms about the area until this frontal passage. The front will likely stall just south of the forecast area with high pressure building across the Great Lakes. So cannot completely rule out some showers in southern areas while northern counties will get a respite from the chance of rain. Temperatures will warm into the weekend. Warmest readings will be early next week with temperatures dropping just slightly after the front goes through Monday night or Tuesday. && .AVIATION /19Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... Scattered SHRA and isolated TS has once again re-initiated across southwestern portions of the area, impacting initially the KCVG and KLUK terminals through the first several hours of the valid TAF period. The SHRA/TS, while not overly widespread, will lead to brief reductions in both CIGs and VSBYs should one pass directly over a terminal. The best confidence on direct impacts, of course, are early in the period where tempo MVFR VSBYs and CIGs have been added at KCVG and KLUK per 18z radar trends. However, it does appear that the most widespread and heaviest activity should remain south of the northern terminals of KDAY, KCMH, and KLCK through 03z. Even if SHRA does linger past 03z, expect that instability should have waned enough as to not contribute to any substantial thunder threat with lingering or festering activity during the overnight period. While CIGs will be mainly VFR from 00z to 09z, a gradual increase in low level moisture from the east should yield MVFR CIGs for most terminals (except KDAY) for at least a several hour time period between 09z and 18z. Moreover, lingering low level moisture from the day/s rainfall may allow for MVFR VSBYs to develop as well -- but uncertainties in exact location and timing of such development precluded inclusion at this time. Although the most robust/concentrated moisture may set up just east of the local terminals (in portions of south-central and eastern Ohio), some IFR CIGs or VSBYs cannot be completely ruled out for KCVG, KLUK, KILN, KCMH, or KLUK. Winds will remain light and northeasterly through the period for all sites. Scattered convective activity may once again develop towards the very end of the period, particularly for southern terminals of KCVG and KLUK, but decided to hold off any mention at KLUK and included a VC for the 30-hr KCVG period. OUTLOOK...Chances for thunderstorms will exist at times through Sunday. && .ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...None. KY...None. IN...None. && SYNOPSIS...KC NEAR TERM...KC SHORT TERM...KC LONG TERM... AVIATION...KC
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wilmington OH 352 PM EDT Wed May 16 2018 INZ050-058-059-066-OHZ026-034-035-042>046-051>056-060>065-070>074- 172000- Wayne-Fayette IN-Union IN-Franklin IN-Hardin-Mercer-Auglaize-Darke- Shelby-Logan-Union OH-Delaware-Miami-Champaign-Clark-Madison- Franklin OH-Licking-Preble-Montgomery-Greene-Fayette OH-Pickaway- Fairfield-Butler-Warren-Clinton-Ross-Hocking- 352 PM EDT Wed May 16 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for East Central Indiana, Southeast Indiana, Central Ohio, South Central Ohio, Southwest Ohio and West Central Ohio. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. INZ073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ077>082-088-172000- Ripley-Dearborn-Ohio-Switzerland-Carroll-Gallatin-Boone-Kenton- Campbell-Owen-Grant-Pendleton-Bracken-Robertson-Mason-Lewis-Hamilton- Clermont-Brown-Highland-Adams-Pike-Scioto- 352 PM EDT Wed May 16 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Southeast Indiana, Northeast Kentucky, Northern Kentucky, South Central Ohio and Southwest Ohio. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight. Scattered thunderstorms across southern portions of the region this afternoon and this evening will be capable of producing brief heavy downpours. The heavy downpours may result in localized ponding of water in low lying and/or flood prone areas. Activity will subside late this evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. The probability for widespread hazardous weather is low. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
1019 AM EDT WED MAY 16 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0330 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 SSW PLAIN CITY 40.07N 83.29W
05/15/2018 MADISON OH 911 CALL CENTER
TWO TREES DOWNED.
&&
MBPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
102 PM EDT WED MAY 16 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0100 AM FLASH FLOOD N HEAD OF GRASSY 38.40N 83.26W
05/16/2018 LEWIS KY EMERGENCY MNGR
DUMMIT BRANCH ROAD AND UPPER TWIN BRANCH ROADS WASHED
OUT. TIME ESTIMATED, DAMAGE DISCOVERED AFTER SUNRISE.
&&
JDRPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
109 PM EDT WED MAY 16 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0230 PM FLOOD LOGAN 39.54N 82.40W
05/14/2018 HOCKING OH DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
STANDING WATER CAUSING SOME ROADS IN LOGAN TO BE
IMPASSIBLE.WATER QUICKLY RECEDED AFTER STORMS EXITED
AREA.
&&
JDRThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
High water was reported on the roadway near the intersection of Rybolt Road and Harrison Avenue.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, May 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: 745279.