September 14, 2008: High wind event in Kentucky

[beaudodson]

I didn't see this posted anywhere and not sure this is the right location, but if not then it can be merged or moved.

I woke up Sunday morning to the howling winds of x-hurricane Ike. We had a wind event that lasted from 4 AM until 1 PM. At the peak of the event winds were gusting between 50-70 mph for about 2 hours. The lowest pressure reading, here at my house in Paducah, was around 29.25".

The amount of damage in this area (and other areas) is nothing less than amazing. Nearly every yard in Paducah had limbs or trees down. Hundreds of homes have damage (see the Paducah, Kentucky - NWS site).

Thankfully, no trees hit my house. The neighbors were not as fortunate. Several of my properties have damage though, waiting on insurance estimates but it will likely be several thousand dollars.

Multiple barns burned down, as it is tobacco drying season.

I placed some photos on my weather blog...

http://www.beaudodson.com/blog/blog45.htm

Some measurements from the KPAH Office

• 81 mph at Kentucky Dam (Tennessee Valley Authority, non-recording equipment)
• 78 mph at Grand Rivers, KY (barge loading facility on KY Lake)
• 75 mph at Calvert City, KY (off-duty NWS employee)
• 73 mph at Owensboro (emergency management)
• 67 mph at Cairo, IL (emergency management)
• 67 mph at Madisonville, KY (emergency management office)
• 66 mph at Poplar Bluff, MO (airport ASOS)
• 66 mph about 6 mi. southwest of Greenville, KY (handheld anemometer)
• 64 mph at Evansville, IN (airport ASOS)
• 64 mph in northwest corner of Christian Co., KY (handheld anemometer)
• 62 mph at Bardwell, KY (sustained for 15 minutes)

 

[Chip Redmond]

The Cincy airport had to be shut down for several hours. Some schools in Dayton/Columbus area still aren't open because power still hasn't been restored, two days later!

Here's the Wilmington Weather Service's write up/summary:HERE.

This is a image from their summary:

Being in Athens we only clocked winds up to 50mph with our school system but they were steady all day at 30mph. It was one of the windiest days I can remember.
A friend of mine was driving through Marietta, OH and a huge tree came down right in front of him across the street smashing the cars parked on either side.


I was wondering, since these winds were severe criteria, why didn't the SPC put the reports down? Was it because there wasn't really a storm?

Chip

 

[Lou Ruh]

I was wondering, since these winds were severe criteria, why didn't the SPC put the reports down? Was it because there wasn't really a storm?
Chip

These wind events were not due to thunderstorms. SPC's mission is "to provide timely and accurate forecasts and watches for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes over the contiguous United States" and also "monitors heavy rain, heavy snow, and fire weather events". They do not track non-thunderstorm wind events (the local offices are supposed to code wind reports in LSRs as either thunderstorm or non-thunderstorm events and SPC storm reports only include the thunderstorm ones). At least, that's my understanding.

 

[Thomas Spence]

One of my best friends and his girlfriend live in Owensboro, KY and they didn't have power for over a day. I haven't talked to him since Monday afternoon so I assume they have their power back now.