Heat indices topping out in the low to mid 90s from early to mid afternoon led to a 2 year old toddler passing away from hyperthermia as she climbed into a vehicle for an extended period of time.
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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.
Heat indices topping out in the low to mid 90s from early to mid afternoon led to a 2 year old toddler passing away from hyperthermia as she climbed into a vehicle for an extended period of time.
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 Aug 1, 12:28 PM EST, 1 hour 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Jackson KY 128 PM EDT Thu Aug 1 2019 .UPDATE... Issued at 107 PM EDT THU AUG 1 2019 We have a few isolated showers and perhaps a thunderstorm developing in the myriad of cumulus that encompasses eastern Kentucky this afternoon. The trends would suggest much of the convection will hug the higher terrain or perhaps drift north off the Cumberland Plateau this afternoon. However as storm generated outflows develop the direction of movement will become more erratic through the afternoon and early evening. The primary threat will be gusty winds and heavy rainfall in stronger storms, given the DCAPE around 900 J/kg and slow storm motions. Did add some isolated mention of storms earlier than forecast across portions of the Cumberland Valley and right along the Virginia border. Otherwise not much has changed for this update. UPDATE Issued at 1112 AM EDT THU AUG 1 2019 We are seeing much of the fog and/or stratus dissipate this morning, with mid to high level clouds streaming across the area. No major changes made to the forecast, with isolated to scattered storms still possible this afternoon. UPDATE Issued at 750 AM EDT THU AUG 1 2019 Fog persists in some valley locations and has lifted to some ridgetop locations as well. The fog should continue to gradually lift and mix out out over the next 1 to 2 hours. Some minor adjustments were made for the areal extent of the fog and to account for recent observations. This led to no substantial changes at this time. && .SHORT TERM...(Today through Friday) Issued at 410 AM EDT THU AUG 1 2019 Early this morning, an upper level ridge was centered southwest of Bermuda with another ridge centered over the southern Rockies/southern Plains and extending north across much of the western Conus. In between a trough extends into the eastern Conus from an upper low in eastern Canada. A couple of weak shortwaves were moving around the ridge in the Plains and into the trough with one approaching the lower OH Valley at this time. At the surface, a slow moving nearly stationary boundary was located near the VA border with high pressure centered over the Great Lakes. Convection waned overnight, but a few patches of mid level clouds were moving across the region and some cirrus passing by from time to time as well. Fog was evident across the region on a few AWOS observations and GOES East nighttime cloud microphysics RGB. This fog appears widespread in the valleys and it is dense in some locations. The main concern initially is the valley fog, which will be dense in some locations past sunrise and affect the morning commute. The fog should gradually lift and dissipate through around 9 AM EDT to no later than 10 AM EDT. Cumulus should develop by midday to early in the afternoon. Shear will be weak, but MUCAPE should reach at least 1000 to 2000 J/kg across the area if not locally higher. The previously mentioned shortwave moving into the OH Valley and moving through the eastern Conus trough and a nearly stationary boundary near the VA border should be triggers for isolated to scattered convection during the afternoon to early evening. Breif heavy downpours are expected with any storms due to relatively slow movement on the order of 10kt. Convection should wane by around or shortly after sunset, though a stray shower or storm cannot be completely ruled out overnight with the trough upper trough in place and the boundary remaining nearly stationary if not meandering a bit northwest into East KY tonight. The boundary will remain across the region through the end of the period with the eastern Conus trough persisting. Convection peaking once again during the afternoon to early evening is anticipated on Friday as well with coverage likely again in the isolated to scattered range. The highest chances for storms should again be nearer to the VA border. Temperatures will remain near normal for early August, generally in the mid 80s with lows in the mid to upper 60s. .LONG TERM...(Friday night through Wednesday) Issued at 316 AM EDT THU AUG 1 2019 The weather pattern in the extended will likely be dominated by a large trough of low pressure aloft across the eastern third of the CONUS. Short waves and weak surface troughs moving around the base of the upper trough will spark showers and thunderstorms each day in the extended, particularly during the afternoon and early evening hours. Some model data is also suggesting that weak frontal boundary will be stalled out across the Tennessee valley during the extended. This feature may also have some influence on our weather, particularly in our southeastern counties once the upper level systems begin interacting with it. Temperatures each day will top out in the mid 80s with nightly lows in the 60s also on tap. Winds should be light and variable throughout. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Friday afternoon) ISSUED AT 128 PM EDT THU AUG 1 2019 We are seeing VFR skies in most locations under a myriad of cumulus this afternoon. We could see brief periods of MVFR at some sites given the lower cumulus bases, but most sites will remain VFR through the afternoon and evening outside any convection. That said, the isolated to scattered nature of showers and storms leads to the lack of a need to add in specific storm mention in the TAFs. However, lower CIGs and VIS can't be ruled out in any stronger showers and thunderstorms that develop this afternoon. Tonight fog will develop once again mainly in the valleys, but this could creep into the TAF sites and opted to keep a mention more inline with persistence. The winds will remains light and variable through the TAF period, but again stronger storms that develop could have gusty winds accompany them. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && UPDATE...DJ SHORT TERM...JP LONG TERM...AR AVIATION...DJ
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Jackson KY 506 AM EDT Thu Aug 1 2019 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-021215- Fleming-Montgomery-Bath-Rowan-Estill-Powell-Menifee-Rockcastle- Jackson-Pulaski-Laurel-Wayne-McCreary-Whitley-Knox-Bell-Harlan- Elliott-Morgan-Johnson-Wolfe-Magoffin-Floyd-Lee-Breathitt-Knott- Owsley-Perry-Clay-Leslie-Letcher-Martin-Pike- Including the cities of Flemingsburg, Camargo, Jeffersonville, Mount Sterling, Owingsville, Morehead, Irvine, Ravenna, Clay City, Stanton, Frenchburg, Brodhead, Mount Vernon, McKee, Annville, Burnside, Somerset, London, Monticello, Stearns, Whitley City, Corbin, Williamsburg, Barbourville, Middlesboro, Pineville, Cumberland, Harlan, Sandy Hook, West Liberty, Paintsville, Campton, Salyersville, Prestonsburg, Wheelwright, Beattyville, Jackson, Hindman, Pippa Passes, Booneville, Hazard, Manchester, Hyden, Jenkins, Whitesburg, Inez, Coal Run, Elkhorn City, Pikeville, and South Williamson 506 AM EDT Thu Aug 1 2019 This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of eastern Kentucky. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Locally dense fog is expected early this morning, but the fog should dissipate by around 9 AM EDT. Thunderstorms are possible, mainly during the afternoon and evening. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Thunderstorms will be possible across portions of eastern Kentucky Friday through Wednesday, mainly during the afternoon and early evening hours each day. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. JP/AR
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
149 PM EDT THU AUG 1 2019
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0311 PM TSTM WND DMG HARLAN 36.84N 83.32W
07/31/2019 HARLAN KY DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
TREES DOWN BLOCKING ONE LANE OF HWY 421.
&&
TABThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heat. Local standard time, as filed.
A two year old toddler passed away from hyperthermia in a vehicle as heat indices warmed into the low to mid 90s.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat, Whitley | 2019-08-01 | 2 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, August 2019
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: 833185.