Summary of May 8, 2024 Severe Thunderstorms

Tornadoes:

Additional damage surveys will continue in the coming days so stay tuned for updates!

Tornado #1 - Cora, Illinois Jackson County (far Northwest) Date May 8, 2024 Time (CDT) 12:01 - 12:03 PM EF Rating EF-1 Est. Peak Winds 108 mph Path Length 1.25 miles Max Width 100 yards Injuries/Deaths 1/0 Summary: An EF-1 tornado impacted the the community of Cora in extreme western Jackson County, IL. The tornado began south of Cora where it uprooted a tree in the Mississippi River bottomlands and did roof damage to a nearby barn. Moving north, the tornado did significant tree damage in Cora and did roof, siding, and facia damage to a few homes. A couple small barns and a carport were destroyed as well. One manufactured home slid about a foot off its foundation. One person caught outside by the tornado was injured by a falling tree limb. The tornado ended immediately north of Cora. Track Map Downloadable KMZ File

Tornado #2 - Crab Orchard Lake, Illinois Jackson and Williamson Counties Date May 8, 2024 Time (CDT) 3:10 - 3:26 PM EF Rating EF-1 Est. Peak Winds 90 mph Path Length 4.6 miles Max Width 75 yards Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Summary: Damage was mainly to tree limbs along a path beginning southeast of Carbondale along Giant City Blacktop. Several large tree limbs were downed on Wagon Wheel Road and County Line Road. Crossing into Williamson County, a large tree was uprooted on Skyhawk Road. Moving east, a barn suffered roof damage on New Hope Road. The tornado lifted after crossing Spillway Road on the southwest side of Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. Track Map Downloadable KMZ File

Tornado #3 - Lake of Egypt, Illinois Williamson County Date May 8, 2024 Time (CDT) 4:04 - 4:11 PM EF Rating EF-0 Est. Peak Winds 80 mph Path Length 6.6 miles Max Width 25 yards Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Summary: An EF-0 tornado did intermittent damage from the central subdivisions of the Lake of Egypt community to just south of Creal Springs in Williamson County, IL. The great majority of the damage was from downed tree limbs. A couple trees in waterlogged soil were also uprooted. Track Map Downloadable KMZ File

Tornado #4 - Carrier Mills, Illinois Saline County Date May 8, 2024 Time (CDT) 4:11 - 4:26 PM EF Rating EF-1 Est. Peak Winds 95 mph Path Length 7.8 miles Max Width 150 yards Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Summary: Several dozen trees snapped or uprooted along with many large branches broken along the path. A few homes and barns with minor roof damage. One home was slightly shifted off its foundation. Track Map Downloadable KMZ File

Tornado #5 - St. Joseph, Kentucky Daviess County Date May 8, 2024 Time (CDT) 9:39 - 9:42 PM EF Rating EF-0 Est. Peak Winds 80 mph Path Length 2.7 miles Max Width 50 yards Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Summary: Numerous large tree limbs downed along the damage path. A few hog barns suffered roof damage. One house had a small area of shingles removed. Track Map Downloadable KMZ File

Tornado #6 - West Louisville, Kentucky Daviess County Date May 8, 2024 Time (CDT) 9:41 - 9:46 PM EF Rating EF-0 Est. Peak Winds 85 mph Path Length 3.1 miles Max Width 300 yards Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Summary: A few large barns and outbuildings had portions of their roofs removed with one outbuilding also losing a portion of an exterior wall. A few wooden power poles were damaged or leaning slightly. A carport was lifted and tossed into the top of a nearby tree. Numerous large tree limbs were downed along the damage path, and one tree in very soggy soil was uprooted. Track Map Downloadable KMZ File

Tornado #7 - Rome, Kentucky Daviess County Date May 8, 2024 Time (CDT) 9:49 - 9:50 PM EF Rating EF-1 Est. Peak Winds 95 miph Path Length 0.9 miles Max Width 100 yards Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Summary: One farm outbuilding was severely damaged, with heavy machinery tossed or pushed into nearby open fields. A grain bin and outbuildings were also damaged. Two large trees were snapped at the base, in addition to several downed large limbs. Track Map Downloadable KMZ File

Tornado #8 - Cape Girardeau, Missouri Cape Girardeau County Date May 8, 2024 Time (CDT) 10:58 - 10:59 AM EF Rating EF-0 Est. Peak Winds 65 mph Path Length 0.2 miles Max Width 50 yards Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Summary: Mobile home suffered some minor underpinning damage. Several large tree branches broken. Resident`s outdoor camera captured tornado on video. Track Map Downloadable KMZ File

Tornado #9 - Paducah, Kentucky McCracken County Date May 8, 2024 Time (CDT) 4:01 - 4:02 PM EF Rating EF-U (Unknown) Est. Peak Winds Unknown Path Length 0.2 miles (estimated) Max Width 50 yards (estimated) Injuries/Deaths 0/0 Summary: Several videos and eye witness reports indicate a brief touchdown. No damage was found. Track Map Downloadable KMZ File

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

Flooding

The majority of our area received 1 to 4 inches of rainfall over a 24-30 hour period. Much of southeast Missouri that doesn't border the Mississippi River largely missed out though, with some areas failing to even pick up 0.25". Meanwhile, localized higher pockets were observed. particularly across western Kentucky. Portions of Marshall, Trigg, southern Christian, and southern Todd counties received 5 to 6 inches! This lead to flash flooding with several roads impassable due to higher water levels. Streams, creeks, and rivers observed a noticeable rise across the region.

MRMS precipitation estimates for 48 hour period ending at 7 AM on May 9, 2024

Photos

Large hail in Christopher, IL via Luke Saeger	Large hail in Carterville, IL via Beau Dodson	Wind damage in Jefferson County IL via Nick Skaggs	Tornado damage near Carrier Mills, IL via Jacob Dickey

Wind damage in Beechmont, KY via Ricky King	Wind damage in Livermore, KY via Arden Gregory	Tornado damage in Cora, IL (far northwest Jackson County)	NWS Paducah Operations Floor During Event - All-Hands on Deck!

Radar

Here is a radar loop of the entire event. The loop runs from 10 PM on May 7th through 2 AM on May 9th. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms impacted the region. The most intense storms occurred during the afternoon and evening on May 8th. The first round of storms developed late in the evening on May 7th and sank southward across the region through the overnight. By 6-7 AM, a line of broken storms was oriented along the KY/TN border. This boundary lifted back northward through the morning. By 10 AM, storm activity had largely dissipated which allowed the atmosphere to start rapidly destabilizing, particularly along and south of the aforementioned boundary. Numerous supercells developed between midday and early-mid afternoon (11 AM - 4 PM) across southern Illinois and western Kentucky. Multiple bowing segments then entered portions of southeast Missouri and southern Illinois from mid afternoon through the evening. The first of these entered our western counties around 3 PM, with a second one around 7 PM, and finally a 3rd around 9-10 PM. Supercells continued developing ahead of each of these, gradually sinking south with time and focusing more across western Kentucky by mid to late evening.

Also, here is a radar loop of the main event from 11 AM on May 8th through 1 AM on May 9th.

Reflectivity and Storm Relative Velocity of tornado southeast of Carbondale, IL	Reflectivity and Storm Relative Velocity of tornado near Carrier Mills, IL	Reflectivity and Velocity of bowing line segment moving through Jefferson and Perry counties IL	Line segment producing brief tornadoes and downburst in Owensboro, KY

Storm Reports

Map of local storms reports. Icons include tornadoes, thunderstorm wind gusts/damage, and hail.

Preliminary Local Storm Report...Summary
National Weather Service Paducah KY
147 AM CDT Fri May 10 2024

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

0650 AM     Hail             3 S Aurora              36.73N 88.14W
05/08/2024  E1.00 Inch       Calloway           KY   Public

            Report from mPING of Quarter (1.00 in.)
            hail.

0725 AM     Tstm Wnd Gst     4 NW Brewers            36.81N 88.49W
05/08/2024  M57 MPH          Graves             KY   Trained Spotter

            Small limbs down.

0731 AM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     1 E Cunningham          36.91N 88.87W
05/08/2024                   Carlisle           KY   Emergency Mngr

            Trees down with power outages.

0750 AM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     1 NNW Symsonia          36.92N 88.51W
05/08/2024                   Graves             KY   911 Call Center

            Trees down near Symsonia. Time estimated.

0802 AM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     3 E Hickman             36.56N 89.14W
05/08/2024                   Fulton             KY   Amateur Radio

            Large tree limbs down.

0815 AM     Flood            4 WNW Benton            36.88N 88.42W
05/08/2024                   Marshall           KY   Public

            Standing water over Highway 348 near New
            Harmony Rd.

0816 AM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     1 SSE Calvert City      37.02N 88.35W
05/08/2024                   Marshall           KY   Emergency Mngr

            Trees down on Cedar Street.

0819 AM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     4 WSW Calvert City      37.02N 88.42W
05/08/2024                   Marshall           KY   Trained Spotter

            large trees down over road, above ground
            pool side blown in.

0819 AM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     1 N Calvert City        37.05N 88.35W
05/08/2024                   Marshall           KY   Trained Spotter

            About four trees snapped or uprooted.

1007 AM     Flood            1 ESE Guthrie           36.64N 87.16W
05/08/2024                   Todd               KY   Public

            Water over the road reported.

1104 AM     Hail             Ware                    37.45N 89.39W
05/08/2024  M0.25 Inch       Union              IL   Trained Spotter

            Pea size hail.

1115 AM     Rain             Cypress                 37.37N 89.02W
05/08/2024  M0.50 Inch       Johnson            IL   Trained Spotter

            Heavy Rain, 0.5 inches in approx. 15 min.

1201 PM     Tornado          Cora                    37.81N 89.67W
05/08/2024                   Jackson            IL   NWS Storm Survey

            *** 1 INJ ***
            An EF-1 tornado impacted the the community
            of Cora in extreme western Jackson County,
            IL. The tornado began south of Cora where it
            uprooted a tree in the Mississippi River
            bottomlands and did roof damage to a nearby
            barn. Moving north, the tornado did
            significant tree damage in Cora and did
            roof, siding, and facia damage to a few
            homes. A couple small barns and a carport
            were destroyed as well. One manufactured
            home slid about a foot off its foundation.
            One person caught outside by the tornado was
            injured by a falling tree limb. The tornado
            ended immediately north of Cora.

1202 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     10 SW Campbell Hill     37.83N 89.67W
05/08/2024                   Jackson            IL   Emergency Mngr

            *** 1 INJ ***
            Mobile home shifted off foundation, Older
            barn roof damage, travel trailer flipped
            over. Multiple Trees snapped,.

1245 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     3 S Clifty              36.96N 87.15W
05/08/2024                   Todd               KY   Emergency Mngr

            Roof damage and an outhouse destroyed, time
            estimated from radar.

1253 PM     Hail             4 WSW Christopher       37.95N 89.11W
05/08/2024  M0.70 Inch       Franklin           IL   Emergency Mngr

            Corrects previous hail report from 2 NNE
            Orient. Dime size hail.

1255 PM     Hail             Buckner                 37.98N 89.01W
05/08/2024  E1.00 Inch       Franklin           IL   Public

            Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).

0104 PM     Hail             Benton                  38.00N 88.92W
05/08/2024  M0.70 Inch       Franklin           IL   Public

            dime size hail.

0106 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     1 S Elkton              36.80N 87.16W
05/08/2024                   Todd               KY   Trained Spotter

            Possible tornado damage to a barn.

0147 PM     Hail             Dawson Springs          37.17N 87.69W
05/08/2024  M0.75 Inch       Hopkins            KY   Public

            Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.).

0202 PM     Hail             Dawson Springs          37.17N 87.69W
05/08/2024  E0.50 Inch       Hopkins            KY   Public

            Report from mPING: Half-inch (0.50 in.).

0205 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     4 SE Sturgis            37.50N 87.95W
05/08/2024                   Union              KY   Public

            Tree fell on a vacant home in Sullivan.

0211 PM     Hail             Mortons Gap             37.24N 87.47W
05/08/2024  M0.25 Inch       Hopkins            KY   Trained Spotter

            pea sized hail.

0225 PM     Hail             1 S Bremen              37.35N 87.22W
05/08/2024  E0.88 Inch       Muhlenberg         KY   Public



0230 PM     Hail             3 SW Bremen             37.32N 87.25W
05/08/2024  E0.88 Inch       Muhlenberg         KY   Public



0244 PM     Hail             3 S Drakesboro          37.17N 87.04W
05/08/2024  E0.50 Inch       Muhlenberg         KY   Public

            Report from mPING: Half-inch (0.50 in.).

0245 PM     Hail             3 SSE Drakesboro        37.18N 87.03W
05/08/2024  M1.00 Inch       Muhlenberg         KY   Public



0253 PM     Hail             4 ESE Paducah           37.06N 88.57W
05/08/2024  M0.70 Inch       McCracken          KY   Trained Spotter



0253 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     3 S Drakesboro          37.18N 87.05W
05/08/2024                   Muhlenberg         KY   Public

            Trees down.

0300 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     3 SSE Drakesboro        37.17N 87.03W
05/08/2024                   Muhlenberg         KY   Emergency Mngr

            Trees down, hail damage to vehicles and one
            house with significant damage, power outages
            reported.

0300 PM     Hail             1 SE Drakesboro         37.20N 87.04W
05/08/2024  M1.75 Inch       Muhlenberg         KY   Public



0300 PM     Funnel Cloud     3 SSW Carbondale        37.69N 89.24W
05/08/2024                   Jackson            IL   Trained Spotter

            Funnel cloud confirmed Tornado warning.

0302 PM     Hail             1 ESE Ledbetter         37.04N 88.48W
05/08/2024  E0.25 Inch       Livingston         KY   Public



0305 PM     Hail             4 E Hanson              37.42N 87.41W
05/08/2024  M0.50 Inch       Hopkins            KY   Public

            Report from mPING: Half-inch (0.50 in.).

0308 PM     Hail             2 W Ava                 37.88N 89.54W
05/08/2024  E0.75 Inch       Jackson            IL   Public



0310 PM     Tornado          5 NE Makanda            37.67N 89.17W
05/08/2024                   Jackson            IL   NWS Storm Survey

            Damage was mainly to tree limbs along a path
            beginning southeast of Carbondale along
            Giant City Blacktop. Several large tree
            limbs were downed on Wagon Wheel Road and
            County Line Road. Crossing into Williamson
            County, a large tree was uprooted on Skyhawk
            Road. Moving east, a barn suffered roof
            damage on New Hope Road. The tornado lifted
            after crossing Spillway Road on the
            southwest side of Crab Orchard National
            Wildlife Refuge.

0310 PM     Hail             1 SW Uniontown          37.77N 87.94W
05/08/2024  E1.00 Inch       Union              KY   Public

            Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).

0310 PM     Flash Flood      Carbondale              37.73N 89.22W
05/08/2024                   Jackson            IL   Public

            Report from mPING: Street/road flooding;
            Street/road closed; Vehicles stranded.

0315 PM     Tornado          5 SE Carbondale         37.68N 89.14W
05/08/2024                   Williamson         IL   Broadcast Media

            Video of a tornado shared on social media
            southeast of Carbondale. Time and location
            approximate.

0317 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     7 SE Carbondale         37.66N 89.13W
05/08/2024                   Williamson         IL   Emergency Mngr

            Trees down.

0319 PM     Hail             Henderson               37.84N 87.58W
05/08/2024  M0.88 Inch       Henderson          KY   Trained Spotter

            Nickel size hail.

0321 PM     Hail             4 NW Sacramento         37.47N 87.31W
05/08/2024  E0.75 Inch       McLean             KY   Public

            Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.).

0325 PM     Hail             Carterville             37.76N 89.08W
05/08/2024  M1.75 Inch       Williamson         IL   Public

            golf ball size hail.

0325 PM     Hail             2 W Marion              37.73N 88.97W
05/08/2024  E0.50 Inch       Williamson         IL   Public

            Report from mPING: Half-inch (0.50 in.).

0332 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     4 SE Marion             37.70N 88.89W
05/08/2024                   Williamson         IL   Emergency Mngr

            Trees Down.

0332 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     5 SE Marion             37.69N 88.87W
05/08/2024                   Williamson         IL   Emergency Mngr

            Trees Down.

0333 PM     Hail             1 E Marion              37.73N 88.93W
05/08/2024  M0.88 Inch       Williamson         IL   Emergency Mngr

            nickel sized hail.

0333 PM     Hail             1 ENE Colp              37.81N 89.06W
05/08/2024  M1.00 Inch       Williamson         IL   Trained Spotter

            Quarter size hail.

0334 PM     Hail             3 W Du Quoin            37.99N 89.28W
05/08/2024  E0.50 Inch       Perry              IL   Public

            Report from mPING: Half-inch (0.50 in.).

0335 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     Livermore               37.49N 87.13W
05/08/2024                   McLean             KY   Emergency Mngr

            Corrects previous tstm wnd dmg report from
            Livermore. Large trees uprooted, tree fell
            on house. Damage to porch.

0339 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     3 SE Waverly            37.67N 87.78W
05/08/2024                   Union              KY   Emergency Mngr

            Telephone pole blown down on KY141 at TL
            Bishop Rd.

0340 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     Waverly                 37.71N 87.81W
05/08/2024                   Union              KY   Dept of Highways

            Tree limbs down across KY Highway 2094 in
            the Waverly community. Time estimated by
            radar.

0346 PM     Flood            1 ESE Marion            37.73N 88.93W
05/08/2024                   Williamson         IL   Public

            Water over road.

0347 PM     Flood            1 SSE Marion            37.71N 88.93W
05/08/2024                   Williamson         IL   Public

            Water over road.

0350 PM     Flash Flood      7 SE Waverly            37.64N 87.73W
05/08/2024                   Henderson          KY   Dept of Highways

            KYTC reports a closure of KY-1557 between
            mile markers 1 and 3 due to flooding.

0355 PM     Hail             4 NW Robards            37.72N 87.58W
05/08/2024  E1.00 Inch       Henderson          KY   Public

            Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).

0356 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     2 SSW Cerulean          36.93N 87.72W
05/08/2024                   Trigg              KY   Trained Spotter

            Trees down.

0359 PM     Hail             6 W Sebree              37.59N 87.63W
05/08/2024  E0.75 Inch       Webster            KY   Public



0401 PM     Hail             5 NNW Fort Campbell Nor 36.72N 87.49W
05/08/2024  E1.00 Inch       Christian          KY   Public



0402 PM     Tornado          3 SSE Rockcastle        36.86N 87.96W
05/08/2024                   Trigg              KY   Public

            Video shared on social media of a tornado
            over Lake Barkley. Location approximate.

0403 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     5 SSW Breckinridge Cent 37.61N 87.88W
05/08/2024                   Union              KY   Public

            Trees down reported.

0404 PM     Tornado          3 WSW Creal Springs     37.61N 88.90W
05/08/2024                   Williamson         IL   NWS Storm Survey

            An EF-0 tornado did intermittent damage from
            the central subdivisions of the Lake of
            Egypt community to just south of Creal
            Springs in Williamson County, IL. The great
            majority of the damage was from downed tree
            limbs. A couple trees in waterlogged soil
            were also uprooted.

0405 PM     Flash Flood      2 ENE Benton            38.02N 88.89W
05/08/2024                   Franklin           IL   Law Enforcement

            Flooding is ongoing at Christopher
            underpass.

0413 PM     Tornado          2 ESE Carrier Mills     37.68N 88.58W
05/08/2024                   Saline             IL   NWS Storm Survey

            Several dozen trees snapped or uprooted
            along with many large branches broken along
            the path. A few homes and barns with minor
            roof damage. One home was slightly shifted
            off its foundation.

0415 PM     Flood            8 WSW Darmstadt         38.05N 87.72W
05/08/2024                   Posey              IN   Public

            Water over the road.

0416 PM     Tornado          5 ESE Carrier Mills     37.66N 88.54W
05/08/2024                   Saline             IL   Broadcast Media

            Likely tornado damage to a large outbuilding
            near Highway 145 and Willow Grove Road. Time
            estimated.

0418 PM     Rain             5 SE Reidland           36.97N 88.46W
05/08/2024  M2.00 Inch       Marshall           KY   Public

            2 inches of rain storm total.

0419 PM     Hail             1 E Harrisburg          37.74N 88.54W
05/08/2024  M1.50 Inch       Saline             IL   Trained Spotter

            Ping pong ball sized hail.

0420 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     2 SSE Harrisburg        37.70N 88.53W
05/08/2024                   Saline             IL   Emergency Mngr

            eagle coal building damaged.

0425 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     4 NE Rockcastle         36.94N 87.93W
05/08/2024                   Trigg              KY   Trained Spotter

            Tree down over road, and water over road.

0429 PM     Tornado          5 SW Equality           37.68N 88.41W
05/08/2024                   Saline             IL   Emergency Mngr

            Tornado reported five miles southwest of
            Equality.

0432 PM     Hail             1 NE Pembroke           36.78N 87.35W
05/08/2024  M0.88 Inch       Christian          KY   Trained Spotter

            nickel size hail.

0440 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     4 N Equality            37.79N 88.33W
05/08/2024                   Gallatin           IL   Public

            Report from mPING: 1-inch tree limbs broken;
            Shingles blown off.

0444 PM     Flash Flood      6 NE Gross              37.59N 88.20W
05/08/2024                   Hardin             IL   Public

            Report from mPING: Street/road flooding;
            Street/road closed; Vehicles stranded.

0446 PM     Flash Flood      2 NW Cadiz              36.89N 87.84W
05/08/2024                   Trigg              KY   Public

            Stretches of Will Jackson Road is flooded
            out.

0448 PM     Flash Flood      3 S Broughton           37.90N 88.45W
05/08/2024                   Saline             IL   Public

            Report from mPING: Street/road flooding;
            Street/road closed; Vehicles stranded.

0450 PM     Flash Flood      Harrisburg              37.74N 88.54W
05/08/2024                   Saline             IL   Emergency Mngr

            Several roads flooded with cars in water.

0450 PM     Flash Flood      Eldorado                37.81N 88.44W
05/08/2024                   Saline             IL   Emergency Mngr

            Flooding on the road leading to the hospital
            in Eldorado. Water is into Eldorado High
            School. Several streets are flooded.

0451 PM     Flash Flood      3 N Eldorado            37.86N 88.45W
05/08/2024                   Saline             IL   Public

            Report from mPING: Street/road flooding;
            Street/road closed; Vehicles stranded.

0455 PM     Flood            Harrisburg              37.73N 88.56W
05/08/2024                   Saline             IL   Public

            Most of a softball field flooded in
            Harrisburg.

0455 PM     Flash Flood      1 W Eldorado            37.82N 88.47W
05/08/2024                   Saline             IL   Public

            Report from mPING: Street/road flooding;
            Street/road closed; Vehicles stranded.

0518 PM     Flash Flood      Simpson                 37.47N 88.76W
05/08/2024                   Johnson            IL   Public



0520 PM     Flash Flood      3 NW Sturgis            37.58N 88.03W
05/08/2024                   Union              KY   Emergency Mngr

            Multiple roads briefly closed due to
            flooding.

0523 PM     Flood            Harrisburg              37.74N 88.55W
05/08/2024                   Saline             IL   Trained Spotter

            Water over streets.

0537 PM     Hail             6 NE Dixon              37.59N 87.64W
05/08/2024  M0.75 Inch       Webster            KY   Public

            Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.).

0551 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     1 N Salem               37.27N 88.24W
05/08/2024                   Livingston         KY   911 Call Center

            Power lines down over road.

0643 PM     Rain             Henderson               37.83N 87.58W
05/08/2024  M1.10 Inch       Henderson          KY   Public



0700 PM     Hail             5 W Pinckneyville       38.09N 89.48W
05/08/2024  M1.00 Inch       Perry              IL   Public

            Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).

0709 PM     Hail             3 N Crofton             37.09N 87.50W
05/08/2024  E1.25 Inch       Christian          KY   Public

            Report from mPING: Half Dollar (1.25 in.).

0712 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     5 SSW Nortonville       37.12N 87.48W
05/08/2024                   Christian          KY   911 Call Center

            Tree down on Madisonville Road near the
            Mudsink community. Time estimated.

0715 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     5 SW Dix                38.40N 89.02W
05/08/2024                   Jefferson          IL   Public

            Report from mPING: 3-inch tree limbs broken;
            Power poles broken.

0720 PM     Hail             3 W Lone Oak            37.04N 88.72W
05/08/2024  E1.00 Inch       McCracken          KY   Trained Spotter



0721 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     Mount Vernon            38.32N 88.90W
05/08/2024                   Jefferson          IL   Emergency Mngr

            Trees down power outages.

0721 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     Mount Vernon            38.32N 88.91W
05/08/2024  E70 MPH          Jefferson          IL   Public

            Facebook report.

0728 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     6 NW Bluford            38.41N 88.79W
05/08/2024                   Jefferson          IL   Public

            Report from mPING: 3-inch tree limbs broken;
            Power poles broken.

0728 PM     Hail             1 NE Lone Oak           37.05N 88.65W
05/08/2024  M0.25 Inch       McCracken          KY   Public

            pea size hail.

0729 PM     Hail             2 NW Lone Oak           37.06N 88.69W
05/08/2024  E1.25 Inch       McCracken          KY   Emergency Mngr

            Reported at Friendship Road and New Holt
            Road.

0741 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     2 W Cisne               38.52N 88.47W
05/08/2024                   Wayne              IL   Emergency Mngr

            Large tree and power lines down on Highway
            161 west of Highway 45.

0742 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     Jeffersonville          38.44N 88.40W
05/08/2024                   Wayne              IL   Emergency Mngr

            Trees down and power lines down over road.

0742 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     5 NE Johnsonville       38.57N 88.49W
05/08/2024  E70 MPH          Wayne              IL   Fire Dept/Rescue

            Estimated winds of 60-70 mph with dime size
            hail.

0744 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     2 ENE Cisne             38.52N 88.40W
05/08/2024  M67 MPH          Wayne              IL   Mesonet

            Measured from private anemometer.

0748 PM     Hail             1 SSW Benton            38.00N 88.92W
05/08/2024  M0.25 Inch       Franklin           IL   Trained Spotter

            pea size hail.

0754 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     1 E Fairfield           38.39N 88.35W
05/08/2024  M45 MPH          Wayne              IL   Public



0801 PM     Hail             5 N Thompsonville       37.99N 88.75W
05/08/2024  M0.50 Inch       Franklin           IL   Trained Spotter

            half inch hail.

0823 PM     Hail             Benton                  36.85N 88.36W
05/08/2024  M0.25 Inch       Marshall           KY   Trained Spotter

            pea size hail.

0832 PM     Hail             Harrisburg              37.74N 88.55W
05/08/2024  M1.00 Inch       Saline             IL   Public



0832 PM     Flood            1 W Guthrie             36.65N 87.19W
05/08/2024                   Todd               KY   Emergency Mngr

            Water over road.

0840 PM     Hail             Harrisburg              37.73N 88.54W
05/08/2024  M1.75 Inch       Saline             IL   Trained Spotter

            golf ball sized hail.

0840 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     Fort Branch             38.25N 87.57W
05/08/2024  M72 MPH          Gibson             IN   Trained Spotter

            measured 72 mph wind gust.

0850 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     2 N Fort Branch         38.27N 87.57W
05/08/2024                   Gibson             IN   Emergency Mngr

            power lines down over road.

0850 PM     Flash Flood      Eldorado                37.82N 88.44W
05/08/2024                   Saline             IL   Public

            Report from mPING: Street/road flooding;
            Street/road closed; Vehicles stranded.

0858 PM     Flash Flood      Hopkinsville            36.85N 87.49W
05/08/2024                   Christian          KY   Public

            Report from mPING: Street/road flooding;
            Street/road closed; Vehicles stranded.

0930 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     5 NE Robards            37.72N 87.49W
05/08/2024  M57 MPH          Henderson          KY   Fire Dept/Rescue

            Measured in the Niagara community.

0944 PM     Hail             5 S Miner               36.82N 89.52W
05/08/2024  M1.50 Inch       New Madrid         MO   Public

            Report from mPING of Ping Pong Ball (1.50
            in.) hail.

0950 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     Owensboro               37.76N 87.12W
05/08/2024                   Daviess            KY   Emergency Mngr

            Widespread wind damage across the county.
            Homes damaged, trees down and power poles
            snapped.

1000 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     2 S Oxly                36.56N 90.68W
05/08/2024                   Ripley             MO   Trained Spotter

            Tree damage, damage to power lines.

1001 PM     Flood            3 W Owensboro           37.77N 87.17W
05/08/2024                   Daviess            KY   Public

            Report from mPING: River/Creek overflowing;
            Cropland/Yard/Basement Flooding.

1003 PM     Flood            3 W Philpot             37.75N 87.05W
05/08/2024                   Daviess            KY   Public

            Report from mPING: River/Creek overflowing;
            Cropland/Yard/Basement Flooding.

1020 PM     Hail             East Prairie            36.78N 89.38W
05/08/2024  E1.00 Inch       Mississippi        MO   Public



1045 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     2 NW Naylor             36.60N 90.62W
05/08/2024                   Ripley             MO   Public

            Report from mPING: Trees uprooted or
            snapped.

1054 PM     Flood            2 W Reidland            37.00N 88.56W
05/08/2024                   McCracken          KY   Public

            Report from mPING: River/Creek overflowing;
            Cropland/Yard/Basement Flooding.

1115 PM     Hail             5 S Aurora              36.71N 88.14W
05/08/2024  E0.70 Inch       Calloway           KY   Public



1122 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     4 N Bernie              36.72N 89.96W
05/08/2024  E50 MPH          Stoddard           MO   Emergency Mngr



1212 AM     Hail             Hopkinsville            36.85N 87.49W
05/09/2024  M1.00 Inch       Christian          KY   Public



1232 AM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     4 NE Trenton            36.76N 87.21W
05/09/2024                   Todd               KY   Trained Spotter

            Power lines down on Old Trenton Road.

0100 AM     Flash Flood      Hopkinsville            36.85N 87.49W
05/09/2024                   Christian          KY   Emergency Mngr

            Widespread flash flooding in multiple
            locations across Hopkinsville, KY.

0127 AM     Flood            Cadiz                   36.87N 87.83W
05/09/2024                   Trigg              KY   Emergency Mngr

            Flooding on Old Dover Rd, Donaldson Creek
            Rd, Maple Grove Rd, Oak Grove Church Rd, and
            many more roads across the county.

Warning Statistics

It was an extremely busy day monitoring radar and issuing warnings for this event. NWS Paducah ended up issuing an astounding 119 combined warnings (Severe Thunderstorm, Tornado, and Flash Flood) for our 58 county forecast area during this event. 117 of these warnings occurred on May 8th. This was BY FAR the most number of warnings we have issued in a single calendar day, breaking the old record of 71 warnings issued back on May 25, 2006. At the peak of the event shortly after 7 PM, we had 17 total warnings in effect at the same time across parts of our area. Almost everybody was in a warning at some point or another, and many locations received multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms. A severe thunderstorm or tornado warning was in effect for portions of our forecast area for nearly 14 consecutive hours (11 AM May 8th - 1 AM May 9th).

Top 10 calendar days with most warnings issued by NWS Paducah	Bar chart showing the timeline of Severe Thunderstorm, Tornado, and Flash Flood Warnings that were in effect for portions of the NWS Paducah forecast area

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings	Tornado Warnings	Flash Flood Warnings

Environment

The synoptic environment was characterized by a longwave trough centered across the Rockies with deep-layer southwest flow in place from the Southern Plains into the Ohio Valley and Midwest. A 110 knot upper-level jet extended from Northern Kansas into Iowa, while a 60 knot mid-level jet existed across Northern Missouri into Iowa. At the surface, low pressure was initially located near the Missouri-Kansas border and then lifted to around St Louis by midnight. A warm frontal boundary extended across our region, with a trailing cold front extending southward from the surface low. 

300mb chart at 1 PM May 8, 2024	500mb chart at 1 PM May 8, 2024	Surface chart at 1 PM May 8, 2024

The environment rapidly became unstable by early afternoon, especially across southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, and western Kentucky where MLCAPE values of 2500-3000 j/kg were present. At the same time, we had plenty of deep-layer wind shear present with effective shear on the order of 55-65 kts. Low level shear was lacking a bit though, only around 15 kts. Some increase closer to 20 kts was noted by later afternoon near the KY/TN border and across southwest Illinois into southeast Missouri.

Mixed-Layer CAPE at 1 PM May 8, 2024	0-6km effective shear at 1 PM May 8, 2024	0-1 km shear at 1 PM May 8, 2024

While storm relative helicity was decent across our region during the afternoon, it was greater off to our northwest and southeast. However, STP values of 3-4 were still present which was largely due to the greater deep-layer shear and higher instability. There was also a notable lack of a capping inversion early in the day. This allowed storms to develop early with the predominate storm mode being supercells. Nearly every storm had some rotation with it aloft. Mid-level lapse rates were also rather steep during the afternoon (6.5 to 7.5 C) which helped generate some very large hail.

Significant Tornado Parameter (STP) at 4 PM May 8, 2024	Mid-level lapse rates at 1 PM May 8, 2024	0-1 km Storm Relative Helicity (SRH) at 4 PM May 8, 2024

Additional Information

The Forecast

Forecast 36 hours before event	Early AM Forecast on May 8th	SPC Hazard Graphics	Flash Flooding Concern - Early AM Forecast on May 8th