High pressure was parked over the southeastern United States keeping upper level flow north through the Great Lakes. This set up didn't allow for a sheared environment for well organized severe weather, but with the heating of the day, moist air mass, and outflow boundaries, pulse storms developed.
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.
High pressure was parked over the southeastern United States keeping upper level flow north through the Great Lakes. This set up didn't allow for a sheared environment for well organized severe weather, but with the heating of the day, moist air mass, and outflow boundaries, pulse storms developed. One of the developed storms cause severe wind damage to property and trees in Henry County, Kentucky.
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 May 23, 12:20 PM EST, 2 hours 16 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Louisville KY 120 PM EDT Thu May 23 2019 ...Updated Aviation Discussion... .Forecast Update... Issued at 746 AM EDT Thu May 23 2019 Small update done to increase PoPs in northern sections of southern Indiana as elevated storms approach and new cells pop on the gust front that now stretches from north of French Lick to north of Madison. && .Short Term...(Today and tonight) Issued at 300 AM EDT Thu May 23 2019 Persistent high pressure remains over the Gulf Coast states while a deep, vertically stacked low that currently resides over Lake Superior will march eastward to Maine over the next 24 hours. This low will put a dent in the high pressure influence over the Ohio Valley allowing for scattered showers and storm chances throughout the short term. A line of showers and storms extending from MI to OK will weaken as it approaches southern Indiana and central Kentucky. Expect some showers to move through the area this morning, mainly in our southern Indiana counties and those northern KY counties along the Ohio River. The cold front to our west will begin to pivot from a SW-NE line to a NW-SE orientation as it rides over top the ridge. Models are good agreement with placing this boundary across southern IL/IN/OH and northern KY. Interesting dynamics take place during this period as an elongated jet max over the Great Lakes induces ageostrophic forcing, evident from the isentropic upglide on the 305K potential temperature surface. This forcing is coincident with ample moisture with precipitable water reaching the 90 percent daily max for BNA. Moisture and lift combined with remnant outflow boundaries and diurnal instability should realize scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms this afternoon into early evening, mainly north of I64. SPC's latest convective outlook places much of our forecast area within a marginal risk today as SBCAPE values are well over 3000 J/kg, though kinematics aren't all that impressive (0-6km Bulk Shear values range from 25 to 30kts). Expect main threats with any potential storms to be locally gusty winds, though small hail is also possible. Southwest winds gusting into the 20mph range will help keep temperatures well above climo with max temps from the mid to upper 80s and even 90 in southern KY. Convection will wane with the loss of diurnal heating, but CAMs agree that scattered light showers will continue across northern KY and southern Indiana through early Friday morning. Min temperatures Friday morning will be mild in the mid to upper 60s. .Long Term...(Friday through Wednesday) Issued at 325 AM EDT Thu May 23 2019 Any lingering early Friday morning shower activity should go away as an upper ridge builds across the region. Afternoon redevelopment should be limited to north and northeast of our region, central Indiana into southwest Ohio, along the periphery of that upper ridge. After the morning clouds give way, we should see a hot start to the Memorial Day weekend. The situation should be similar Saturday, but disturbances riding up the ridge should push it south and allow our area to be in that periphery for storm development Sunday and Memorial Day. A stronger trough moving into the Central Plains Tuesday should briefly reinvigorate the ridge over us, perhaps providing a drier warmer day. This pattern could hold into Wednesday, but given depiction by CMC/GEFS/GFS of a weaker ridge will allow higher pops for that day. && .Aviation...(18Z TAF Issuance) Updated at 120 PM EDT Thu May 23 2019 A cold front reaching from Lake Huron to the Ozarks this afternoon will drop southeast into the Ohio Valley this evening through tomorrow morning, and then drift back north Friday afternoon. As long as this front is in the area, along with convectively induced local boundaries, scattered storms will be possible. Due to the limited coverage of the storms will keep most TSRA activity out of the TAFs for now, but will monitor convective trends. && .LMK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IN...None. KY...None. && Update...13 Short Term...CG Long Term...RJS Aviation...13
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Louisville KY 1217 PM EDT Thu May 23 2019 INZ076>079-083-084-089>092-KYZ023>043-045>049-053>057-061>067- 070>078-081-082-241630- 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 1217 PM EDT Thu May 23 2019 /1117 AM CDT Thu May 23 2019/ This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of south central Indiana and Central Kentucky. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight. An approaching cold front will bring widely scattered storms this afternoon mainly north of I64 with locally gusty winds being the main threat. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Isolated to widely scattered storms are forecast Friday afternoon through Tuesday. The best coverage appears to be on Friday morning and then again on Sunday as a couple of frontal boundaries approach the region and provide focus for storm development. The main threats with these storms will be brief heavy rainfall and gusty winds. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. 13
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Louisville KY
314 PM EDT Thu May 23 2019
KYZ031-033-231945-
Oldham-Henry-
314 PM EDT Thu May 23 2019
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL OLDHAM AND WEST CENTRAL
HENRY COUNTIES...
At 314 PM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located near La Grange,
moving east at 25 mph.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph and nickel size hail are possible with this
storm.
Locations impacted include...
La Grange, Pendleton, Westport, Greenhaven, Demplytown, Buckner,
Russell Corner, Skylight, Ballardsville, and Halls Landing.
This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
LAT...LON 3846 8524 3832 8532 3842 8557 3845 8555
3846 8551 3849 8548
TIME...MOT...LOC 1914Z 279DEG 22KT 3843 8549
13Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Louisville KY
326 PM EDT Thu May 23 2019
KYZ033-034-232000-
Shelby-Henry-
326 PM EDT Thu May 23 2019
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN SHELBY AND SOUTHERN
HENRY COUNTIES...
At 325 PM EDT, a strong thunderstorm was located near New Castle,
moving east at 30 mph.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph and half inch hail are possible with this
storm.
Locations impacted include...
New Castle, Eminence, Pleasureville, Smithfield, North Pleasureville,
Defoe, Cropper, Bethlehem, Bagdad, and Elmburg.
This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio
stations and available television stations for additional information
and possible warnings from the National Weather Service.
LAT...LON 3839 8492 3836 8493 3834 8499 3833 8496
3827 8500 3824 8500 3832 8532 3836 8528
3837 8529 3846 8524
TIME...MOT...LOC 1925Z 278DEG 25KT 3834 8520
13The Louisville radar (KLVX), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:37 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The emergency manager reported that a house had roof damage, a barn's doors blew off, and trees were blown down.
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, May 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: 818101.