Shortly after midday on May 22nd, strong to severe thunderstorms ahead of a cold front pressed into southeast Ohio. With ample assistance from abnormally warm temperatures, storms grew strong enough to enforce damaging wind gusts across Lawrence County, Ohio.
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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 RLX wrote it up.
Shortly after midday on May 22nd, strong to severe thunderstorms ahead of a cold front pressed into southeast Ohio. With ample assistance from abnormally warm temperatures, storms grew strong enough to enforce damaging wind gusts across Lawrence County, Ohio. Aside from downed trees, these particular storms also caused windows to be blown out of a building in downtown Ironton and the roof of a mobile home was also blown off within the Chesapeake township. Activity quickly dashed across the Ohio River and into West Virginia, with the severe threat diminishing later that afternoon in southeast Ohio.
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 Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 22, 6:39 AM EST, 6 hours 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Charleston WV 739 AM EDT Wed May 22 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Unseasonably warm once again today, as high pressure exits. Cold front brings showers and thunderstorms this afternoon into Thursday. Rain chances through the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... As of 738 AM Wednesday... PoPs have been updated to account for ongoing early morning shower activity over the northern WV mountains. Otherwise, the forecast remains on track this morning. As of 630 AM Wednesday... Updated PoPs and temperatures to reflect current obs. seeing showers and thunderstorms approach the western periphery of the forecast area, as well as some across the northern mountains. As of 310 AM Wednesday... High pressure overhead will slide east as the morning progresses. ASOS sites are indicating the sheltered valleys across the forecast area have decoupled and will see cooler overnight lows than blended guidance output. Patchy fog is possible across the river valleys as well. A cold front to our west will approach and stall over Ohio later today and tonight allowing for a chance for some showers and thunderstorms. There is a slight risk for severe weather today until Thursday morning; encompassing our NE KY counties, up through Huntington and Parkersburg. A marginal risk for severe weather exists elsewhere. Scattered thunderstorms or showers could pop up anytime this afternoon, especially during peak heating. A secondary round comes in the evening and into the overnight hours as the front gains some steam. A complex of storms, most likely linear in nature, looks to form to our west before sundown. It will then move across the forecast area from west to east. Any storms could have damaging winds or small hail, especially with the secondary round that will occur closer to sundown and there after. Instability parameters across the area are decent: 1,000-2,000 J/kg MLCAPE and MUCAPE, as well as 80-115 J/kg of 0-3kft AGL CAPE. SE Ohio looks to have the best chance for severe weather as they will have SBCAPE values of 2,000-2,500 J/kg and be closer to the front meaning better lift. Temperatures this afternoon will be above normal once again. 80s across the lowlands with 70s and 80s in the mountains. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... As of 300 AM Wednesday... A cold front will push into the area on Thursday. An upper level short wave will then cause a wave along the front, enhancing showers and thunderstorms for Thursday into Thursday night. The cold front will stall just south of the area late Thursday night/Friday morning. An upper level short wave will then interact with the front and cause a wave to move along the front Friday afternoon into Saturday. Models continue to struggle with the strength of the short wave, and hence how far north the moisture gets and how strong the dynamics are with this system. The Canadian actually keeps this system completely south of the area. A weak cold front will move into the area on Saturday. With the parent low in southern Canada, very little push and energy is available for the front in our area, thus not really providing much cool air. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... As of 300 AM Wednesday... Models show a system lifting from the midwest on Sunday into the Great Lakes region on Monday. This will push a warm front across the area on Sunday, followed by a cold front on Monday. With systems nearly every day from later today into Monday, am getting increasingly concerned with the threat for flash flooding to occur for Sunday and Monday. This will be followed by an upper level wave on Tuesday in the significantly cooler air. Models still have differences during the Sunday through Tuesday time period, but generally agree on the overall features for the first time in numerous nighttime runs. && .AVIATION /12Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... As of 650 AM Wednesday... Maintaining VFR conditions through the morning and most of the afternoon, as high pressure starts to slide east. Light SW winds will be picking up across the the area this morning, could be breezy at times later this morning into the afternoon. Clouds will increase and thicken this morning as a cold front approaches from the west. Some showers and storms are possible this morning, mostly across the western edges of the forecast area and along the mountains. CIGs will gradually lower as well, but VFR CIGs will last through much of the day, unless showers or thunderstorms are around. Afternoon showers and storms this afternoon as the cold front nears, but this is mostly of concern for the western lowlands of WV, NE KY and SE Ohio until the evening and overnight hours when scattered storms form. IFR conditions possible under any showers and thunderstorms. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND ALTERNATE SCENARIOS THROUGH 12Z THURSDAY... FORECAST CONFIDENCE: Medium. ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Timing, location and intensity of showers and thunderstorms today and tonight could vary from the forecast. EXPERIMENTAL TABLE OF FLIGHT CATEGORY OBJECTIVELY SHOWS CONSISTENCY OF WFO FORECAST TO AVAILABLE MODEL INFORMATION: H = HIGH: TAF CONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. M = MEDIUM: TAF HAS VARYING LEVEL OF CONSISTENCY WITH MODELS. L = LOW: TAF INCONSISTENT WITH ALL MODELS OR ALL BUT ONE MODEL. UTC 1HRLY 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 EDT 1HRLY 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 CRW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H HTS CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H BKW CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H EKN CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H PKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H CKB CONSISTENCY H H H H H H H H H H H H AFTER 12Z THURSDAY... IFR conditions possible with showers and thunderstorms Thursday morning with a cold front. IFR possible in showers and thunderstorms Friday afternoon into Friday night and again on Sunday. && .RLX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WV...None. OH...None. KY...None. VA...None. && SYNOPSIS...RPY/LTC NEAR TERM...LTC/JMC SHORT TERM...RPY LONG TERM...RPY AVIATION...LTC
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Charleston WV 431 AM EDT Wed May 22 2024 KYZ101>103-105-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-VAZ003-004-WVZ005>011- 013>020-024>034-039-040-515>526-230845- Greenup-Carter-Boyd-Lawrence KY-Perry-Morgan-Athens-Washington- Jackson OH-Vinton-Meigs-Gallia-Lawrence OH-Dickenson-Buchanan-Wayne- Cabell-Mason-Jackson WV-Wood-Pleasants-Tyler-Lincoln-Putnam-Kanawha- Roane-Wirt-Calhoun-Ritchie-Doddridge-Mingo-Logan-Boone-Clay-Braxton- Gilmer-Lewis-Harrison-Taylor-McDowell-Wyoming-Upshur-Barbour- Northwest Raleigh-Southeast Raleigh-Northwest Fayette- Southeast Fayette-Northwest Nicholas-Southeast Nicholas- Northwest Webster-Southeast Webster-Northwest Pocahontas- Southeast Pocahontas-Northwest Randolph-Southeast Randolph- 431 AM EDT Wed May 22 2024 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Kentucky, southeast Ohio, southwest Virginia and much of West Virginia. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Thunderstorms this afternoon and evening could produce damaging winds and large hail. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. Localized flash flooding is possible Friday afternoon and Friday night, and again Sunday and Monday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions by calling the toll-free spotter hotline, or by other methods detailed at www.weather.gov/rlx/reports.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston WV
1256 PM EDT Wed May 22 2024
KYZ101-OHZ087-221730-
Greenup KY-Lawrence OH-
1256 PM EDT Wed May 22 2024
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT GREENUP AND NORTHWESTERN
LAWRENCE COUNTIES THROUGH 130 PM EDT...
At 1255 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7
miles west of Letitia, or 14 miles southwest of Portsmouth, moving
east at 40 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and half inch hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Ironton, Greenup, Load, Greenbo Lake, Letitia, Franklin Furnace,
Flatwoods, Russell, Raceland, Worthington, South Shore, Wurtland,
Bellefonte, Hanging Rock, Brushart, Haverhill, Warnock, Grays Branch,
Pedro, and South Portsmouth.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
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 3859 8307 3863 8307 3868 8303 3873 8303
3872 8298 3875 8292 3875 8288 3861 8285
3857 8281 3860 8274 3865 8277 3868 8276
3868 8271 3875 8270 3875 8266 3878 8266
3878 8263 3849 8268 3845 8275 3851 8316
TIME...MOT...LOC 1655Z 273DEG 33KT 3861 8314
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
KREDENSORSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Charleston WV
126 PM EDT Wed May 22 2024
KYZ101-103-OHZ086-087-221800-
Boyd KY-Greenup KY-Gallia OH-Lawrence OH-
126 PM EDT Wed May 22 2024
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT NORTHEASTERN BOYD...CENTRAL
GREENUP...SOUTHWESTERN GALLIA AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES THROUGH 200 PM
EDT...
At 125 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Wheelersburg to near Franklin Furnace to
near Load. Movement was east at 35 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph and half inch hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Ashland, Ironton, Coal Grove, Lake Vesuvius, Greenup, Load, Greenbo
Lake, Naples, Franklin Furnace, Flatwoods, Russell, Vernon, Waterloo,
Raceland, Worthington, Wurtland, Bellefonte, Aid, Westwood, and
Hanging Rock.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3858 8295 3868 8287 3858 8284 3857 8281
3860 8274 3865 8277 3868 8276 3868 8270
3875 8269 3877 8223 3859 8236 3842 8265
3848 8311
TIME...MOT...LOC 1725Z 268DEG 31KT 3868 8280 3859 8287 3851 8301
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
KREDENSORThe Charleston,WV radar (KRLX), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:50 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Windows were blown out of a business in downtown Ironton.
East of Ironton, a tree fell down onto a transformer.
A tree blew down near Rock Camp.
The roof of a mobile home was blown off along Township Road 309 in Chesapeake.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, May 2024
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: 1179861, 1179862, 1179863, 1179864.