A squall line moved eastward through Western Kentucky from mid to late afternoon ahead of an evening cold frontal passage. Several damaging wind reports were received, along with additional sub-severe wind gust observations.
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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 squall line moved eastward through Western Kentucky from mid to late afternoon ahead of an evening cold frontal passage. Several damaging wind reports were received, along with additional sub-severe wind gust observations. A funnel cloud was observed north of Crofton. Flooding issues developed in portions of the Kentucky Pennyrile. MLCAPE values were around 1000-1250J/kg, DCAPE was 700-1000J/kg, and effective bulk shear was 50kts, while dewpoints were near 70.
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 20, 2:17 PM CST, 37 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 317 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Strong to severe storms are rapidly spreading northeast across the Quad State this afternoon. Very large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes are all possible, with the greatest threat over west Kentucky. The severe threat will be over early this evening. - A few thunderstorms will be possible Wednesday night over southern portions southeast Missouri and west Kentucky. Some hail cannot be ruled out. - Cooler temperatures for mid to late week with drier conditions. - Showers and thunderstorms return to the forecast for the weekend. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 317 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025 Convection is finally underway and moving quickly northeast. It appears that the storms will pass over the southeast half of the forecast area in the next 3 hours. Some northwestward adjustment of the Tornado Watch areas into southern Illinois is possible. Very large hail is the main threat, but tornadoes cannot be ruled out, especially over west Kentucky. The low-level shear is not that impressive, so the threat of strong tornadoes is mainly south of the area. Given the coverage of convection, some upscale growth is possible before it exits the area which would lead to more of a damaging wind threat. Given the speed of motion, heavy rainfall and flooding issues are not expected. Wednesday will be dry, but a few showers and storms will be possible near the Arkansas and Tennessee borders Wednesday night. These would be elevated, but could have some hail. Surface high pressure and northwest flow aloft will keep things dry and relatively cool Thursday and Friday. Warm advection forcing will lead to more showers and thunderstorms over the region Friday night through Monday. At this time, heavy rainfall looks like the primary concern beyond lightning. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 1243 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025 The latest guidance is trending south for the convection this afternoon, so only have TEMPO TSRA for KPAH and KOWB, with Prob30 at KCGI and KEVV. Severe level winds and hail are possible with any thunderstorm this afternoon and evening. KMVN should remain dry. MVFR and lower conditions are possible in convection, and a brief MVFR ceiling will also be possible in the morning over the northern sites. South southwest winds will gust 20-25kts at times this afternoon, and west winds will have similar gusts in the morning. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. MO...None. IN...None. KY...None. && DISCUSSION...DRS AVIATION...DRS
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Paducah KY 354 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-211000- 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- 354 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025 /454 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Thunderstorms will continue to move east northeast across west Kentucky and possibly southwest Indiana through 7 PM. Large hail, damaging winds, a few tornadoes, and torrential rainfall will be possible. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday A few thunderstorms are possible across southern portions of southeast Missouri and west Kentucky Wednesday night. Locally heavy rainfall and lightning will be the primary concerns, but some hail cannot be ruled out. Showers and thunderstorms return late Friday night through Monday and may pose a heavy rainfall threat. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters should be activated across west Kentucky and southwest Indiana. DRS
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
956 AM CDT Tue May 20 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1230 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg 4 NE Poplar Bluff 36.80N 90.35W
05/20/2025 Butler MO Emergency Mngr
Corrects previous tstm wnd dmg report from 4
NE Poplar Bluff.
&&
BMPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
1009 AM CDT Tue May 20 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1008 AM Rain 3 W Newburgh 37.95N 87.45W
05/20/2025 M1.00 Inch Vanderburgh IN Public
&&
BMPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
220 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0214 PM Hail 6 SE Ellsinore 36.87N 90.66W
05/20/2025 M0.50 Inch Carter MO Emergency Mngr
&&
BMPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
243 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0231 PM Hail Wappapello 36.94N 90.28W
05/20/2025 E0.75 Inch Wayne MO Public
Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.).
&&
BMSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service PADUCAH KY 318 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025 ILZ087-090-091-094-KYZ002>018-022-202230- Gallatin-Pope-Hardin-Massac-Hickman-Carlisle-Ballard-McCracken- Graves-Livingston-Marshall-Calloway-Crittenden-Lyon-Trigg- Caldwell-Union KY-Webster-Hopkins-Christian-Henderson-Todd- Including the cities of Shawneetown, Golconda, Elizabethtown, Metropolis, Clinton, Bardwell, Wickliffe, Paducah, Mayfield, Smithland, Benton, Murray, Marion, Eddyville, Cadiz, Princeton, Morganfield, Dixon, Madisonville, Hopkinsville, Henderson, and Elkton 318 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025 ...Severe thunderstorm risk over the next few hours... At 318 pm, a cluster of strong to severe storms was located from near La Center south to Union City, Tennessee, moving east at 45 mph. Large Hail and isolated damaging downburst winds will be the main threat with this activity through the next few hours. There is a small risk for a tornado but the highest threat for stronger tornadoes is expected to remain south over Tennessee this afternoon. The storms will be near Benton, Murray, and Marion, Kentucky by around 415 pm. JGG
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
325 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0315 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 6 S Wolf Island 36.66N 89.20W
05/20/2025 M45 MPH Mississippi MO Mesonet
Mesonet station EW4994 Dorena MO.
&&
BMThe Paducah radar (KPAH), 64 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:56 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 2 flood, 1 funnel cloud, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
State police reported two trees blocking Bell City Road and a blown over outbuilding.
Thunderstorm wind gusts caused power outages and blew down trees in and around Murray.
A tree was downed over Old Madisonville Rd. Power outages were reported in Hopkinsville.
Flooding was observed on 9th St. and Virginia St. in Hopkinsville.
Report submitted via mPING. Radar estimated rainfall was approximately one inch, most of which fell within an hour.
A funnel cloud was reported on KY-41 on the north side of Crofton.
Several trees were downed in Graham by merging thunderstorms.
Report submitted via mPING. Radar estimated rainfall was 1.5 to 2 inches within an hour.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, May 2025
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: 1272050, 1272059, 1272067, 1272567, 1272568, 1272070, 1272581, 1272575.