A strong storm system and associated cold front approached eastern Kentucky on Easter Sunday, with rainfall beginning during the afternoon. As the low pressure system intensified and moved into the Ohio Valley during the evening of the 12th, wind speeds began to drastically increase across eastern Kentucky.
Every event with a place to put it; 18 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
A strong storm system and associated cold front approached eastern Kentucky on Easter Sunday, with rainfall beginning during the afternoon. As the low pressure system intensified and moved into the Ohio Valley during the evening of the 12th, wind speeds began to drastically increase across eastern Kentucky. The Kentucky Mesonet station in Dorton, (positioned at 2774 feet elevation) recorded a 79 mph wind gust.
Several other gusts of 40+ mph occurred, leading to numerous instances of damage across eastern Kentucky. This includes downed trees, power lines, and structural damage, causing several roadways to be blocked for a period of time into the morning of the 13th. As many as 70,000 to 75,000 power outages were reported across eastern Kentucky. As a result of these winds, Kentucky Power reported 318 poles had to be replaced while a total of 33 miles of electric wire were downed. A few notable areas of damage include:
- Pikeville where widespread tree and structural damage occurred, including to a marina on Fishtrap Lake and to the roof of a grocery store. An amateur radio and radio station tower were also blown over.|- Roof damage in Hi Hat in Floyd County.|- A tree blown onto a car in Cumberland in Harlan County.|- Trees blown onto homes in Barbourville.|- Uprooted/snapped trees, power poles shifted several inches, and roof damage near Smilax in Leslie County.|- A barn destroyed in Stinnett in Leslie County.|- Roofs blown off of homes/apartments from Hollyhill to Whitley City, multiple trees downed on homes and across roadways, and hardwood trees snapped in McCreary County.|- A tree falling into a house in Corbin and one on top of a car in Williamsburg.|- A garage having its roof blown off and door blown out in Hazard.|- A tree falling onto a home in Pippa Passes in Knott County.|- A tree falling onto and destroying a home in Blackey in Letcher County.
...HIGHEST WIND REPORTS FROM SUNDAY EVENING TO EARLY MONDAY MORNING...| |3 E Dorton: 79 MPH @ 1010 PM 04/12 |1 WNW Yellow Mountain: 55 MPH @ 1045 PM 04/12 |3 WNW Pleasant: 53 MPH @ 1209 AM 04/13 |London-Corbin Apt: 49 MPH @ 953 PM 04/12 |1 WNW Big Black Mountain: 46 MPH @ 805 PM 04/12 |Shelbiana: 46 MPH @ 930 PM 04/12 |Pike County Apt: 45 MPH @ 1115 PM 04/12 |Owingsville 4 S: 45 MPH @ 115 AM 04/13 |NWS Jackson: 44 MPH @ 215 AM 04/13 |Peabody: 43 MPH @ 1101 PM 04/12 |2 N Marshes Siding: 42 MPH @ 950 PM 04/12 |Crown: 41 MPH @ 915 PM 04/12 |Williamsburg: 40 MPH @ 937 PM 04/12 |Jackson Apt RAWS: 40 MPH @ 1115 PM 04/12|NWS Jackson: 40 MPH @ 1120 PM 04/12
Widespread rainfall of 1-2 inches fell, with 3-4 inches over portions of southeast Kentucky and the upper Cumberland Valley. A swift water rescue took place in Bell County as a motorist became stranded in flood waters.
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 Apr 12, 4:52 PM EST, 2 hours 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Jackson KY 552 PM EDT Sun Apr 12 2020 .SHORT TERM...(This evening through Monday night) Issued at 552 PM EDT SUN APR 12 2020 Strong, large, surface low pressure located in the vicinity of Tulsa and Fort Smith this afternoon will move through the lower Ohio Valleys and the Great Lakes tonight and Monday, sending a cold front through the JKL forecast area late tonight and early Monday. The system is supported by an anomalously strong upper trough which will cover the entire CONUS during the period. The system is causing a severe thunderstorm outbreak over the Deep South. There has been some elevated convection north into Kentucky already. While more convection may occur, the question is whether it can become near surface based. If it can, there is potential for high winds in storms late tonight. Outside of storms, there is still potential for strong environmental winds to mix down, mainly with passage of the cold front. The threat does not look as high as it did as of 24 hours ago. However, we still may see advisory level gusts, and a wind advisory remains in effect for late tonight into Monday. Some hefty rainfall totals may also occur. So far, the rain has been prolonged and fairly steady. Should rainfall become more intense in stronger convection, flooding concerns can't be ruled out. The overall threat at this time appears highest over the Cumberland Basin. Scattered showers will linger into Monday morning, but will mostly depart by afternoon. High pressure will build in and bring fair weather from late Monday through Monday night. The air mass will be cool, and a bit of frost will by possible by Tuesday morning. However, clouds and mixing due to steep low level lapse rates could hinder frost formation. .LONG TERM...(Monday night through Saturday) Issued at 520 AM EDT SUN APR 12 2020 Model displaying similar solutions through dy4-5 before diverging more significantly. Aloft, mean trough establishes itself over the eastern CONUS for most if not all of the extended. Forecast challenge will be timing and strength of short wave impulses rounding the base of the trough. Speaking in general terms, the pattern looks abnormally cool with an intermittent threat of rain. Sensible weather features generally below normal temperature, with daily highs some 5-10 degrees below normal. A day or two will see afternoon highs in the 60s, but still a few degrees below more normal upper 60s. Overnight lows will be in the 30s, with a potential of some patchy frost on 2-3 of those mornings. Temperatures moderate somewhat at the very end of the period. There is enough agreement to warrant a solid to likely chance of rain Tuesday night as one short wave disturbance rotates through the Ohio Valley. Thereafter confidence is lower in timing but there does appear top be at least a chance of rain sometime during the last 72 hours of the forecast. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Monday afternoon) ISSUED AT 252 PM EDT SUN APR 12 2020 Rain was falling over most locations from KJKL southward at the start of the period. Conditions were largely VFR, but there was a bit of MVFR and IFR in the rain, mainly due to vsby. Rain is expected to eventually affect most of the region this afternoon or early evening, but largely taper off late in the evening. Sub-VFR conditions could result result from the rain, but would probably be most prevalent in western portions of the area, with downslope low level flow over southeastern and extreme eastern KY making it more difficult for poorer conditions to persist. Although some rain may still occur at times late this evening, once it tapers off there will probably be a general lull until late in the night. Showers and possible thunderstorms will move through the region in association with a cold front overnight. Some of them may contain strong wind gusts. Even outside of thunderstorms, winds are expected to increase on Monday morning, with gusts of 30 to 40 kts being common. Just off the surface, wind shear will be a possibility during the night as very strong southerly flow develops ahead of the cold front. && .JKL WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory from midnight tonight to 2 PM EDT Monday for KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120. && SHORT TERM...HAL LONG TERM...JP AVIATION...HAL
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Jackson KY 516 PM EDT Sun Apr 12 2020 KYZ044-050>052-058>060-068-069-079-080-083>088-104-106>120-131100- 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 516 PM EDT Sun Apr 12 2020 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 2 PM EDT MONDAY... This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of eastern Kentucky. .DAY ONE...Tonight. There is a slight chance of thunderstorms. Should they occur, they may produce damaging winds, and a weak tornado cannot be ruled out. Even outside of thunderstorms, wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph are possible late tonight. There is also a possibility of heavy rainfall tonight. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph are expected on Monday, mainly in the morning. Frost will be possible in some locations during the late night and early morning hours Monday night through Thursday morning. The greatest potential for frost will be Wednesday night into Thursday morning. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter assistance may be needed tonight. HAL
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
17 strong wind, 1 high wind, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Rescue squad officials had to perform a water rescue on Old Pineville Pike north of Middlesboro as a motorist became stranded in flood waters.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, April 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: 876134, 876185, 876177, 876144, 876195, 876170, 876146, 876174, 876117, 876140, 876130, 876192, 876198, 876125, 876118, 876181, 876189, 876137, 876122.