Tornadoes · United States · Kentucky · 2009

EF0 tornado, Thurston, Kentucky, June 11, 2009

Name: EF0 tornado, Thurston, Kentucky, June 11, 2009
Start: 2009-06-11T22:36:00.000Z
End: 2009-06-11T22:37:00.000Z
Location: Thurston, Kentucky

This EF0 tornado ran 0.2 miles across Daviess County on June 11, 2009, touching down at 5:36 PM CDT and reaching 30 yards wide. It killed nobody.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating: EF0
Date: June 11, 2009
Touchdown: 5:36 PM CDT (22:36 UTC)
Lifted: 5:37 PM CDT (22:37 UTC)
On the ground: 1 minutes
Path length: 0.2 miles (0.4 km)
Path width: 30 yards (27 m)
Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
County: Daviess County
Touchdown point: 37.820, -87.010
Lift-off point: 37.822, -87.007
Record number: 0906111636-01

What the Weather Service recorded

Thunderstorms quickly formed across the Lower Wabash Valley and northwest Kentucky in the vicinity of an eastward moving upper level disturbance. The boundary layer air mass in this region was characterized by temperatures in the lower 80's and dew points in the lower 70's. The combination of a moist low level environment, slightly backed wind flow along a northwest to southeast oriented warm front, and at least 40 knots of deep westerly shear promoted semi-discrete supercells with large hail, damaging winds, and isolated tornadoes.

There were multiple reports of a brief tornado touchdown near the intersection of Highways 405 and 1831. Some tree limbs were down.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, 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 tornado touched down at Jun 11, 3:54 PM CDT, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 11, 3:54 PM CDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
354 PM CDT THU JUN 11 2009

.SHORT TERM...
A MID LEVEL SHRTWV TROF...INDICATED ON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY...WAS IN THE
PROCESS OF MOVING EWD THROUGH THE PAH FCST AREA. THIS PROVIDED
ENOUGH LIFT FOR COPIOUS SHWR/TSTM ACTIVITY IN THE NRN PART OF THE
REGION THIS AFTN...DESPITE MID LEVEL DRY AIR THAT PUNCHED INTO THE
REGION A FEW HOURS AGO. THE BEST COVERAGE OF PCPN THE AFTN/EVE SHOULD
CONTINUE TO BE IN THE NRN HALF OF THE REGION CLOSER TO THE VORT
ENERGY AND AN APPROACHING WEAK COLD FRONT. MODEST MID LEVEL LAPSE
RATES IN THIS AREA WILL COMBINE WITH 2000+ J/KG CAPES TO PROVIDE
SVR POTENTIAL IN THE NEAR TERM...WITH WIND/HAIL/HEAVY RAIN BEING THE
MAIN HAZARDS. COVERAGE OF PCPN SHOULD DIMINISH OVERNIGHT AS THE
TROF AND COLD FRONT MOVE EWD MOSTLY THROUGH THE REGION.

NEAR ZONAL FLOW AND WEAK HIGH PRESSURE ARE EXPECTED TO PROVIDE A
SHORT REDUCTION IN THE RAINFALL CHANCES THROUGH MOST OF FRIDAY.

&&

.LONG TERM...
PRECIP CHANCES WILL INCREASE SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT AS THE
AFOREMENTIONED FRONT SLOWLY LIFTS NORTHWARD. ECMWF HANGS THE
FRONT UP JUST TO OUR SOUTH INTO MONDAY...WHILE THE GFS PLANTS THE
FRONT RIGHT ACROSS THE FA. IN EITHER CASE...THE UNSETTLED WEATHER
PATTERN THE REGION HAS BEEN IN ALL WEEK WILL PERSIST INTO EARLY
NEXT WEEK. BOTH MODELS HAVE THE HIGHEST QPF AMOUNTS ACROSS THE
AREA SUNDAY INTO MONDAY...SO WENT WITH THE HIGHEST CHANCES DURING
THESE TIME PERIODS. BY MONDAY NIGHT...THE GFS BECOMES MORE
AGGRESSIVE PUSHING PRECIP NORTHEAST AS THE LOW LIFTS NORTHEAST
FROM THE CENTRAL PLAINS. THE ECMWF IS SLOWER AND KEEPS FAIRLY
SIGNIFICANT QPF AMOUNTS ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA MONDAY NIGHT INTO
TUESDAY...AND ACROSS EASTERN PORTIONS TUESDAY NIGHT. WENT WITH A
COMPROMISE...GRADUALLY TAPERING POPS OFF FROM WEST TO EAST MONDAY
NIGHT INTO TUESDAY...AND WENT DRY BY TUESDAY NIGHT.

EXTENDED TEMPS ARE A BIT IFFY BASED ON UNCERTAINTY OF THE FRONTAL
LOCATION...BUT OVERALL SCENARIO KEEPS HIGHS IN THE 80S AND LOWS IN
THE 60S THROUGH TUESDAY...THEN HIGHS AROUND 90 DEGREES BY WEDNESDAY
WITH LOWS AROUND 70.  BASICALLY STAYED WITHIN A FEW DEGREES OF
LATEST MEX GUIDANCE.

&&

.AVIATION...
TSTM ACTIVITY WILL BE COMMON IN THE NRN HALF OF THE REGION IN THE
SHORT TERM...MEANING BRIEF REDUCTIONS OF VSBY POSSIBLY INTO IFR
RANGE...PLENTIFUL LIGHTNING...AND GUSTY WINDS. TSTMS WILL BE
POSSIBLE IN THE SOUTH ALSO...OTHERWISE VFR CONDITIONS CAN BE
EXPECTED THROUGH THE EVE. OVNGT AND INTO THE MRNG...SOME GUIDANCE
INDICATES THE POSSIBILITY OF FOG/LOW CLOUDS BEHIND THE FRONT. THIS
HAS NOT YET BEEN INCLUDED IN THE TAFS BUT WILL BE FURTHER
EVALUATED FOR THE 00Z TAFS.

&&

.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KY...NONE.
MO...NONE.
IL...NONE.
IN...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM/AVIATION...DB
LONG TERM...RST

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 11, 3:42 AM CDT, 13 hours 54 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
342 AM CDT THU JUN 11 2009

ILZ075>078-080>094-INZ081-082-085>088-KYZ001>022-MOZ076-086-087-
100-107>112-114-121000-
JEFFERSON-WAYNE IL-EDWARDS-WABASH-PERRY IL-FRANKLIN-HAMILTON-
WHITE-JACKSON-WILLIAMSON-SALINE-GALLATIN-UNION IL-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-
342 AM CDT THU JUN 11 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN
ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WESTERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED
STRONG OR SEVERE STORMS CANNOT BE RULED OUT. THE PRIMARY HAZARDS
WILL BE STRONG WIND AND HAIL. HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO A POSSIBILITY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE FRIDAY...THROUGH THE
WEEKEND AND INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. BETTER CHANCES WILL
BE ACROSS SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA IN CLOSER PROXIMITY TO A
FRONTAL BOUNDARY. ISOLATED STRONG OR SEVERE STORMS WILL BE
POSSIBLE...MAINLY ACROSS SOUTHEAST MISSOURI INTO SOUTHWEST
KENTUCKY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUESTED.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 11, 5:16 PM CDT, 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
516 PM CDT THU JUN 11 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0516 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     2 SW HATFIELD           37.88N 87.25W
06/11/2009                   SPENCER            IN   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

SMITTY

Local storm report, Jun 11, 5:26 PM CDT, 10 minutes before

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

Local storm report, Jun 11, 5:28 PM CDT, 8 minutes before

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

Local storm report, Jun 11, 5:31 PM CDT, 5 minutes before

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

Local storm report, Jun 11, 5:33 PM CDT, 3 minutes before

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

Local storm report, Jun 11, 5:36 PM CDT, 0 minutes before

<!doctype html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <title>Service Notice</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="index.css">
</head>
<body>
  <main class="wrap">
    <section class="card" role="status" aria-live="polite">
      <div class="status" id="status">Temporary Notice</div>
      <h1 id="headline">This service is currently unavailable.</h1>
      <p id="message1">
        The site you requested is temporarily down for maintenance or an unexpected outage.
      </p>
      <p id="message2">
        Please try again in a few minutes.
      </p>
      <p class="small" id="detail">
        If you are an administrator, restore upstream service and remove the redirect/fallback rule when normal operations resume.
      </p>
    </section>
  </main>
  <script src="index.js"></script>
</body>
</html>

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), 12:00Z

10.6 hours before the tornado, 191 km from the path. June 11, 2009.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 2748 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -5 J/kg
Surface CAPE: 1923 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 587 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 41 kt
0-1 km bulk shear: 15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 36 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 76 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.8
Supercell composite: 4.5
0-3 km lapse rate: 6.0 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), 00:00Z

1.4 hours after it, 191 km from the path. June 12, 2009.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.

Hodograph

Mixed-layer CAPE: 2096 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -1 J/kg
Surface CAPE: 2475 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 896 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 40 kt
0-1 km bulk shear: 18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 132 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 201 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.6
Supercell composite: 8.4
0-3 km lapse rate: 6.9 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Owensboro/Daviess (OWB), 17 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)	Temp (°F)	Dew point (°F)	Wind	Gust (kt)	Pressure (mb)	Weather
00:00 UTC

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 22:34 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

This ground now

The live radar over the track Every 2009 tornado in Kentucky Every tornado in Kentucky since 1950 Warnings in force in Kentucky now The forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of June 11, 2009

5 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)
June 11	5:02 PM CDT	EF0	Henderson, KY to IN	3.0	150
June 11	7:00 PM CDT	EF1	Warren, KY	17.2	150
June 11	6:03 PM MDT	EF0	Otero, CO	1.1	50
June 11	6:35 PM MDT	EF0	Crowley, CO	1.1	50
June 11	8:01 PM CDT	EF1	Monroe, KY	1.4	150

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.