Locally heavy rainfall occurred within a broken line of showers and storms. This activity occurred within a rather strong southwest wind flow in the warm sector of a low pressure center over far northwest Illinois.
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 PAH wrote it up.
Locally heavy rainfall occurred within a broken line of showers and storms. This activity occurred within a rather strong southwest wind flow in the warm sector of a low pressure center over far northwest Illinois. The cold front arced from the low into central Illinois and then southwest across south central Missouri. Storm coverage and intensity was tempered by limited instability.
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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 17, 5:44 PM CST, 1 hour 11 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 644 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020 .UPDATE... Issued at 644 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020 The Lake Wind Advisory has expired. Will be shaving off a few southern Illinois counties from the Severe Thunderstorm Watch shortly. The severe threat has definitely shifted to southwest Indiana for the next few hours. The AVIATION section has been updated for the 00Z TAF issuance. && .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Tuesday night) Issued at 255 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020 Thunderstorms should become fairly widespread in a zone from New Madrid Missouri to Mt Vernon Illinois over the next hour or two. As the cold front moves eastward across the area mainly this evening, it will become the focus for continued widespread convective activity. As we have already seen today, we will be dealing a mostly linear mode, however, the 0-3km shear vectors will be oriented parallel to the expected linear development, which is not good for the overall severe potential along the line. However, elements within the line that can become oriented more northwest to southeast will be oriented perpendicular to the shear vector and could pose an isolated wind and tornado threat. The threat will be greatest over northern portions of southern Illinois this afternoon and into southwest Indiana through the evening. What will likely become the greatest concern will be heavy rainfall, mainly over the Evansville Tri State, where some locations have already received heavy rain in the last 24 to 48 hours. The front will not have a strong push to it tonight and it may linger over that area, allowing for continued convective development which could lead to training in some locations. Not confident enough in the areal coverage of the flash flood threat to issue a Watch at this time, but will emphasize the potential in the HWO. Showers may linger over southwest Indiana and the Pennyrile into Monday morning. Later Monday and into Monday night, isolated to scattered shower activity will spread south over the region ahead of the compact upper low approaching the area. The coverage will increase over the region Tuesday as the upper low moves south of the area. The consensus of guidance has likely PoPs in the east with chance PoPs in the west Tuesday afternoon. Left it as all showers, but with the compact, deep low nearly overhead, will have to watch out for some small hail or even cold air funnels. A few showers may linger over west Kentucky and southwest Indiana into Tuesday night. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday through Sunday) Issued at 255 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020 Lower than average confidence in the extended due to the presence of the upper level low initially, followed by timing differences in weak energy progressing through the mid/upper level flow next weekend. As the upper level low remains fairly stationary over KY/TN on Wednesday and Thursday, scattered shower chances will persist across our area. The highest chances appear to be during the afternoon hours in our eastern counties. With weak instability present, can't rule out a few thunderstorms, especially across southern and eastern portions of the region Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. Guidance indicates the upper low finally departing eastward on Friday, as mid level ridging attempts to pivot across our cwa. Thus should see a break in any shower activity on Friday. Confidence in timing/placement of convective chances next weekend is low, but there is some hint at weak disturbances progressing across the region. Thus kept in slight/low chance PoPs. At this time range, any rain chances look scattered at best though. Increasing instability would support a thunder risk as well. Temperatures will start off below normal with highs only in the low to mid 70s Wednesday and Thursday. Friday will rebound to near average around 80. A continued warming trend to above normal in the mid 80s for highs is anticipated for Memorial Day Weekend. Low temperatures will also nudge upwards from the 50s this week into the 60s next weekend. Humidity levels will increase again with dew points back into the mid to upper 60s next weekend. && .AVIATION... Issued at 644 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020 KEVV and KOWB will be dealing with TSRA for most of the evening, and possibly into the overnight hours, but the strongest storms should be over by 03Z. There may be a brief period of MVFR ceilings just behind the cold front as it makes passage this evening, otherwise, VFR conditions should prevail behind the convection. Wraparound low clouds will overspread the area Monday morning, as an upper low moves south into the region. Ceilings are likely to hover near 3kft through the day, so occasional MVFR ceilings can be expected. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. MO...None. IN...None. KY...None. && UPDATE...DRS SHORT TERM...DRS LONG TERM...SP AVIATION...DRS
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Paducah KY 702 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-181000- Jefferson-Wayne IL-Edwards-Wabash-Perry IL-Franklin-Hamilton- White-Jackson-Williamson-Saline-Gallatin-Union-Johnson-Pope- Hardin-Alexander-Pulaski-Massac-Gibson-Pike-Posey-Vanderburgh- Warrick-Spencer-Fulton-Hickman-Carlisle-Ballard-McCracken-Graves- Livingston-Marshall-Calloway-Crittenden-Lyon-Trigg-Caldwell- Union KY-Webster-Hopkins-Christian-Henderson-Daviess-McLean- Muhlenberg-Todd-Perry MO-Bollinger-Cape Girardeau-Wayne MO-Carter- Ripley-Butler-Stoddard-Scott-Mississippi-New Madrid- 702 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. .DAY ONE...Tonight A line of strong to severe storms along the Wabash River will continue to push slowly eastward across southwest Indiana and northwest Kentucky this evening. A few damaging wind gusts will continue to be possible early this evening. The broader threat will be lightning and heavy rainfall. As the line overspread areas that have received heavy rainfall earlier this weekend, flash flooding will be a possibility. Other storms will lift northeast across the southern Pennyrile through 9 PM. An isolated damaging wind gust cannot be ruled out near the Tennessee border, but locally heavy rainfall and lightning will be the primary concerns. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday There is a slight chance of thunderstorms across portions of the region Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, and again Saturday. At this time, brief heavy rainfall and lightning appear to be the main hazards. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Severe Thunderstorm Watch 192 continues for most of southwest Indiana as well as Union and Henderson counties in Kentucky until 10 PM. DRS/SP
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
441 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0438 PM WALL CLOUD 4 SW ALBION 38.34N 88.11W
05/17/2020 EDWARDS IL TRAINED SPOTTER
ROTATING WALL CLOUD.
&&Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Paducah KY
600 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020
ILZ078-INZ081-172345-
Wabash IL-Gibson IN-
600 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WABASH AND CENTRAL GIBSON
COUNTIES UNTIL 645 PM CDT...
At 559 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7
miles southwest of Mount Carmel, moving northeast at 30 mph.
Pea size hail and wind gusts up to 40 to 50 mph will be possible
with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Princeton, Mount Carmel, Grayville, Patoka, Allendale, Bellmont,
Hazleton and Keensburg.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
&&
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM CDT for
southeastern Illinois...and southwestern Indiana.
LAT...LON 3854 8767 3851 8765 3848 8774 3846 8776
3842 8774 3843 8766 3846 8766 3844 8763
3845 8760 3850 8758 3849 8755 3850 8752
3840 8746 3823 8798 3826 8799 3829 8795
3831 8795 3841 8797 3857 8782 3857 8765
TIME...MOT...LOC 2259Z 238DEG 25KT 3835 8788
RSTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
602 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0550 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 ESE MURRAY 36.58N 88.25W
05/17/2020 CALLOWAY KY TRAINED SPOTTER
POWER LINES DOWN AND A COUPLE LARGE TREES
DOWN ACROSS HWY 121 APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES SE
OF MURRAY.
&&
SPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
652 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0550 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 ESE MURRAY 36.58N 88.25W
05/17/2020 CALLOWAY KY TRAINED SPOTTER
STEEPLE WAS BLOWN OFF OF CHERRY CORNER
BAPTIST CHURCH. ALSO A REPORT OF A TREE ON A
HOME CAUSING ROOF DAMAGE ALONG HWY 121
BETWEEN NEW PROVIDENCE ROAD AND CHERRY
CORNER ROAD.
&&
SPSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Paducah KY
745 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020
INZ081-082-086>088-KYZ018-019-180200-
Warrick IN-Vanderburgh IN-Gibson IN-Spencer IN-Pike IN-Henderson KY-
Daviess KY-
745 PM CDT Sun May 17 2020
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WARRICK...SPENCER...SOUTHEASTERN
GIBSON...EASTERN VANDERBURGH...PIKE...HENDERSON AND NORTHERN DAVIESS
COUNTIES UNTIL 900 PM CDT...
At 743 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Washington to near Haubstadt to near
Robards. Movement was northeast at 30 mph.
Winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with these storms.
Locations impacted include...
Evansville, Owensboro, Henderson, Boonville, Newburgh, Chandler,
Oakland City, Petersburg, Rockport, Melody Hill, Dale, Darmstadt,
Lynnville, Winslow, Grandview, Robards, Santa Claus, Stanley,
Folsomville and Eureka.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM CDT for
southwestern Indiana...and northwestern Kentucky.
LAT...LON 3800 8677 3799 8686 3794 8692 3793 8698
3790 8699 3790 8691 3784 8691 3784 8686
3779 8682 3764 8765 3764 8766 3813 8756
3854 8725 3855 8720 3852 8715 3854 8710
3851 8707 3821 8707 3820 8679
TIME...MOT...LOC 0043Z 235DEG 28KT 3864 8714 3817 8749 3768 8760
RSTThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Trained spotters reported heavy rain caused roads to rapidly inundate with water in northern Vanderburgh County.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, May 2020
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: 886803.