Flash Flood — Magoffin, Kentucky

2023-02-16 · near Salyersville, Magoffin, Kentucky

Event narrative

Pictures and videos on social media show a large SUV having been swept into a water-filled ditch in front of River Bend Apartments in Salyersville, after trying to drive through the flooded roadway (KY-7/Gardner Trail) and losing traction. The car was mostly submerged in the water, but all occupants were able to escape the flooded vehicle.

Wider weather episode

A low pressure center was slowly tracking into western Kentucky during the first part of the day on Wedensday, with a stationary front positioned along the Ohio River, and keeping much of eastern Kentucky in a warm, moist, and unstable airmass. Showers and thunderstorms were ongoing through much of the morning, leading to multiple flooding reports across the region. Then by the afternoon, the low pressure center had moved into Indiana, allowing the stationary front to lift north as a warm front, and a cold front to begin traversing the western half of the state. A more progressive line of strong showers and thunderstorms moved through eastern Kentucky ahead of this cold front, finally coming to an end after the cold front had passed through overnight. Multiple reports of downed trees and additional flooding were reported as heavy rain and strong winds complimented some of these storms.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (37.7472, -83.0680)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1083323. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.