With a west-east oriented boundary positioned through the Ozarks region of Missouri with low pressure positioned in Southwestern Missouri, a small but potent surging storm line pushed through Carter, Ripley, and Butler Counties mid-afternoon on the 28th. Large hail and winds in excess of 70mph were associated with this bowing segment as it dove east-southeastward from South Central Missouri into…
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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.
With a west-east oriented boundary positioned through the Ozarks region of Missouri with low pressure positioned in Southwestern Missouri, a small but potent surging storm line pushed through Carter, Ripley, and Butler Counties mid-afternoon on the 28th. Large hail and winds in excess of 70mph were associated with this bowing segment as it dove east-southeastward from South Central Missouri into the Bootheel. A more intense pocket of wind known as a macroburst produced winds up to 100mph across portions of Ripley County from southeast of Doniphan to south/southwest of Naylor, uprooting dozens of trees and damaging several structures and multiple vehicles.
For the Carter-Ripley-Butler corridor, environmental parameters included: MLCAPE of 1000-2000J/kg, DCAPE of 500J/kg, very strong effective bulk shear of 60-70kts, and mid-level lapse rates of 6-7C/km.
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 Apr 28, 10:24 AM CST, 4 hours 57 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Paducah KY 1124 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - A few severe thunderstorms are possible today between 2 to 7 PM, mainly over southeast Missouri and western Kentucky under a slight risk of severe weather. Very large hail and damaging winds is the main concern, but a brief spin up tornado also cannot be ruled out. - Additional scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms are possible tonight before dry weather returns Wednesday morning. Additional rainfall between 0.50 to 1.00 inches is possible, with a 30-40% chance of exceeding 1.50 inches locally. - Below normal temperatures trend more seasonable late weekend into early next week. A 10-20% chance of light rain returns across the far south on Friday, but most of the period will be dry. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 1124 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026 A stalled frontal boundary associated with a 994 mb sfc low pressure over Ontario will set the stage for a low-end severe weather risk this afternoon. The southern most counties in SPC's slight risk in southeast Missouri and western Kentucky is the greatest area of concern between 2 to 7 PM. The latest HRRR and RAP show a cluster of storms quickly pushing east. The instability gradient will be tight with 1500 to 2500 J/kg of SBCAPE. Combined with steep lapse rates between 7.5 to 8.5 C/km and 50 to 60 kts of effective bulk shear, the main concern will be the potential for very large hail and damaging winds. The low-level shear is meager compared to yesterday, but a brief spin up tornado also cannot be ruled out. Convection over Arkansas will likely inhibit the moisture return needed for severe weather further north, but an isolated stronger storm cannot be ruled out. Additional scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms remain possible across the entire FA overnight before diminishing Wednesday morning as the cold front sweeps through. Additional rainfall is progged between 0.50 to 1.00 inches, but there is 30-40% chance of exceeding 1.50 inches locally with stronger convection. Flash flooding issues should remain isolated and confined to runoff on roadways due to the short duration of heavy rainfall. Much cooler air arrives behind the front on Wednesday with northwesterly flow. BUFKIT soundings show deep mixing to 850 mb, supporting wind gusts between 15 to 25 mph, with a 60-80% chance of reaching 25 mph on the EPS. Broad troughing aloft with cyclonic flow keeps rain chances suppressed, but there remains a 10-20% chance of light rain over southern portions of southeast Missouri and western Kentucky on Friday. The GEFS has trended more south, but still squeezes out a tenth of an inch along the southern border while the EPS keeps things dry. Sfc high pressure builds in over the weekend, with more seasonable temperatures into early next week. && .AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/... Issued at 1124 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026 An area of BKN 2-3 kft AGL cigs is well defined on satellite imagery over the region. While low cigs have scattered out over SEMO, intermittent MVFR conditions remain possible as a cluster of convection pushes east across KCGI/KPAH through this evening. Otherwise, there is a strong signal for IFR cigs to spread across all terminals overnight with additional showers and thunderstorms as a cold front moves through. Low cigs gradually begin to scatter out towards the end of the TAF period, but winds will be breezy out of the north with gusts around 20 kts. && .PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. MO...None. IN...None. KY...None. && DISCUSSION...DW AVIATION...DW
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Paducah KY 1143 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026 ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087- 100-107>112-114-291645- 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- 1143 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026 /1243 PM EDT Tue Apr 28 2026/ 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 will spread northeast across the region this afternoon and evening. A few severe storms with large hail, damaging winds, and a isolated tornado will be possible, mainly over the southern half of the Quad State. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this afternoon and evening. DW
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
1025 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1135 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg Henderson 37.84N 87.58W
04/27/2026 Henderson KY 911 Call Center
Trees down on Alves St. Time estimated from
radar.
&&
DWSPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
1042 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1003 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 NW Whitewater 37.27N 89.84W
04/27/2026 Cape Girardeau MO 911 Call Center
Large tree limbs down. Time estimated from
radar.
&&
DWSPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
1230 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1243 AM Tstm Wnd Dmg Mortons Gap 37.24N 87.48W
04/28/2026 Hopkins KY Public
Large tree limbs down in Mortons Gap.
&&
DWSPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Paducah KY
412 PM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1156 PM Tornado 3 W Jewel City 37.53N 87.41W
04/27/2026 Hopkins KY NWS Storm Survey
EF-0 tornado with peak winds of 85 mph.
Trees were snapped and rooted and numerous
large limbs were downed. Two electrical
transmission line cross members were broken.
&&
DWSThe Memphis radar (KNQA), 197 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:22 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind, 7 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail estimated to tennis ball size fell near Handy as a surging portion of a storm line entered northwestern Ripley County. No damages were reported.
Dozens of trees were downed and a power line was snapped along/near MO-21 south of US-60 as a thunderstorm line moved eastward through Carter County. Report submitted via social media.
Hail measured to quarter size was reported on MO-21 near the Carter/Ripley County line.
Hailstones photographed in Grandin were around an inch to an inch and a half, with one particularly elongated and irregularly shaped hailstone measuring to two and a half inches. No damages were reported.
Hail estimated to half-dollar size fell west of Doniphan, accompanied by wind gusts up to 50mph.
A public report was posted on social media of a tree downed by thunderstorm winds in Doniphan. A spotter estimated 60mph winds were occurring with the surging portion of the storm line moving through Doniphan.
Destructive straight line winds impacted much of southeastern Ripley County, Missouri on the afternoon of Tuesday April 28, 2026 as a surging portion of a storm line created a macroburst, tracking approximately 10mi and expanding to its widest width near Naylor-Hemenway at 3.5mi.
The damage swath began just southeast of Doniphan where a home suffered roof, siding, and fascia damage. Moving east-southeast, damaging wind impacted the Oxly community and locations near and south of the Naylor community. In Oxly, dozens of trees were snapped or uprooted, causing damage to outbuildings and downing power lines. To the south and west from Naylor to Hemenway, a grain bin rolled hundreds of yards and a large farm outbuilding was shifted off its foundation. A child sustained minor injuries when they were struck by debris. Along the damage path, hundreds of trees were snapped, uprooted or lost large limbs. A few power poles were broken as well.
Before the survey, many reports of damage along this line were relayed by fire officials, with additional reports from broadcast media and emergency management. Numerous photos were posted on social media of damage along this route. Beyond the storm survey information, fire officials noted carports in Oxly blown a block away or leaning sideways on vehicles, 4 or 5 outbuildings damaged in Oxly, and a grain augur snapped in two south of Naylor. A public report of damage on Hwy W included a tree hitting a pump house and a truck while a flag pole was broken.
A large tree was snapped by straight-line winds as thunderstorms moved eastward through Ellsinore.
Hail measured to quarter size fell north of Doniphan.
Hail measured to golf ball size fell a couple miles north of Doniphan.
Multiple hail reports, with measurements up to 2 in diameter, fell in Doniphan as a surging portion of a storm line moved through town. No hail related damage was reported from Doniphan.
Multiple trees and several tree limbs were downed by a thunderstorm line moving into northern Butler County. Report submitted via social media.
A tractor trailer was blown over on US-67 one mile north of the Arkansas state line. Damage to trees and power lines were also observed near the state line.
A trained spotter estimated 70mph gusts through Neelyville. A few windows were smashed, possibly by hail. Portions of multiple trees were damaged in and around Neelyville. Multiple surges of wind occurred in a brief period through town, north of the core of the storm.
Measured peak thunderstorm wind gust at the Poplar Bluff Municipal Airport ASOS station KPOF.
A large section of a tree was downed in Qulin as a thunderstorm line moved through the town. Report submitted via social media.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Missouri in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Missouri, April 2026
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: 1349999, 1350051, 1349969, 1349965, 1349979, 1350107, 1350119, 1349966, 1350004, 1350011, 1350013, 1350054, 1350083, 1350066, 1349973, 1350058.