A couple of microbursts occurred in association with intense thunderstorm cells that formed in the heat of the afternoon. The storms developed during the heat of the afternoon ahead of a strong cold front that trailed south-southwest from southern Minnesota to extreme eastern Kansas.
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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 PAH wrote it up.
A couple of microbursts occurred in association with intense thunderstorm cells that formed in the heat of the afternoon. The storms developed during the heat of the afternoon ahead of a strong cold front that trailed south-southwest from southern Minnesota to extreme eastern Kansas. An increasing southwest low-level flow of moist and unstable air provided fuel for the storms. The storms evolved into a small but slow-moving complex over the Pennyrile region of west Kentucky. This complex produced very heavy rainfall that resulted in isolated flash 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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 5, 1:43 PM CST, 1 hour 26 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 243 PM CDT Tue Sep 5 2023 .SHORT TERM...(Tonight through Thursday night) Issued at 239 PM CDT Tue Sep 5 2023 Primary focus in the short term resides with thunderstorm chances through Wednesday afternoon. Beyond that, cooler and much less humid air gives us an early taste of Fall! A mid level disturbance is slowly spinning across the area, leading to isolated to widely scattered showers and thunderstorms. Coverage should increase this afternoon before dwindling early to mid evening. Precipitable water values of 1.8 to 2" may lead to some localized heavy rainfall amounts exceeding 1 inch. The lack of appreciable wind shear through the column is negating much of a severe threat with this activity. Tonight into Wednesday, a secondary shortwave will slide east across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes with a trailing cold front extending down into Missouri. Ahead of it, thunderstorms are expected to develop late today into this evening across Missouri and then congeal into an MCS and track east/southeastward towards our region overnight. So after a bit of a lull, we anticipate a decaying MCS of sorts to move into at least parts of the region after 05z. Latest HRRR runs hold it together enough to give nearly the entire region a decent soaking, with some localized heavy amounts possibly exceeding 1 to 2". Can't rule out a few flooding concerns overnight. A marginal severe threat exists, primarily early in the night, across southeast MO and southern IL. Main concern would likely be some strong wind with any organized linear complex. The remnants of the MCS may linger into mid morning on Wednesday. Thereafter, much of the area may be dry the rest of the day. There is some potential at isolated thunderstorm development across west KY in the afternoon though before the frontal passage occurs. The severe storm threat seems to have shifted south and east of our area, with only our far southern Pennyrile still included in a Day 2 marginal. Cooler and much less humid air filters into the region Wednesday night into Thursday. Dewpoints currently in the low to mid 70s will be replaced by upper 50s to lower 60s .LONG TERM...(Friday through Tuesday) Issued at 239 PM CDT Tue Sep 5 2023 The large scale pattern late this week into the weekend will feature troughing across the TN Valley/Southeast U.S. and ridging across NM/west TX. This places our region in northwest flow. Disturbances migrating through the flow may touch off a few clouds, but that's about it given the lack of appreciable moisture. The main story of the long term will be the cooler and much less humid airmass that will be in place. High temperatures will top out in the upper 70s to lower 80s with overnight lows in the upper 50s to lower 60s through the period. Towards the end of the period, a mid level wave is expected to dive southward out of Canada into the Upper Midwest. Ensemble guidance has been in good agreement with carving out a deepening trough later Tuesday into Wednesday. A cold front may make passage across our area late Tuesday into Tuesday night, accompanied by a few showers or thunderstorms. This would then lead to a reinforcing shot of the cooler, refreshing airmass, by Wednesday into Thursday of next week. && .AVIATION... Issued at 1153 AM CDT Tue Sep 5 2023 Scattered convection will rotate through the area this afternoon and early evening. MVFR cigs across southeast Missouri are expected to move east and may impact KCGI/KMVN early this afternoon before lifting to low VFR levels mid-late afternoon. A lull in activity is expected mid-late evening. given the lack of moisture present. Thereafter, a decaying thunderstorm complex may move southeast across portions of the region after 05-06z and continue into the morning. Most of this convection should move east of our area by 14-15z. Additional development may occur tomorrow afternoon, but is expected to remain southeast of all terminals. Winds will primarily be out of the south or southwest, with some gusts of 15-20 kts possible this afternoon. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. MO...None. IN...None. KY...None. && SHORT TERM...SP LONG TERM...SP AVIATION...SP
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Paducah KY 309 PM CDT Tue Sep 5 2023 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-062015- 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- 309 PM CDT Tue Sep 5 2023 /409 PM EDT Tue Sep 5 2023/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Scattered thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and early evening. Additional thunderstorms are possible overnight. A few storms overnight may become severe with damaging winds across southeast Missouri and southern Illinois. Otherwise the main hazards will be lightning and locally heavy rainfall, which may cause localized flooding concerns. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Isolated thunderstorms are possible on Wednesday, mainly across west Kentucky and southwest Indiana. The main hazards will be lightning and locally heavy rainfall. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation can't be ruled out overnight.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Paducah KY
354 PM CDT Tue Sep 5 2023
KYZ004-052130-
Ballard KY-
354 PM CDT Tue Sep 5 2023
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southern Ballard
County through 430 PM CDT...
At 354 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Barlow, or near Wickliffe, moving northeast at 20 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
This strong thunderstorm will be near...
Barlow around 400 PM CDT.
La Center around 410 PM CDT.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3694 8909 3695 8910 3697 8910 3698 8912
3698 8913 3703 8918 3715 8906 3705 8887
3692 8904 3694 8905 3694 8907 3692 8906
3692 8908
TIME...MOT...LOC 2054Z 225DEG 19KT 3702 8906
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
DWSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Paducah KY
359 PM CDT Tue Sep 5 2023
ILZ094-KYZ003>006-052145-
Massac IL-Carlisle KY-McCracken KY-Ballard KY-Graves KY-
359 PM CDT Tue Sep 5 2023
...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern Massac,
northeastern Carlisle, southeastern Ballard, McCracken and
northwestern Graves Counties through 445 PM CDT...
At 359 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Lovelaceville, or 7 miles southwest of Lone Oak, moving northeast at
30 mph.
HAZARD...Winds in excess of 40 mph and pea size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is
possible.
This strong thunderstorm will be near...
Paducah and Barkley Regional Airport around 410 PM CDT.
Lone Oak and West Paducah around 415 PM CDT.
Other locations in the path of this storm include Metropolis and
Brookport.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 24 in Kentucky between Mile Markers 1 and 10.
Interstate 24 in Illinois between Mile Markers 33 and 38.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
&&
LAT...LON 3695 8889 3723 8873 3715 8852 3708 8856
3708 8857 3706 8856 3686 8872
TIME...MOT...LOC 2059Z 212DEG 27KT 3696 8876
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
DWThe Paducah radar (KPAH), 7 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:09 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Just southeast of the intersection of U.S. Highway 62 and Kentucky 286, a large oak tree was uprooted and another large tree was snapped. Several other large limbs were down. The damage area was confined to a very small area around one house.
Several trees and tree limbs were blown down.
About six miles southeast of Crofton, flash flooding caused a basement wall of a house to collapse, causing the entire house to collapse. Rescue personnel could not reach the site due to high water. One mile east of Crofton, a creek was out of its banks and over Highway 800.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, September 2023
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: 1130758, 1130759, 1133994.