Thunderstorm Wind — Pike, Kentucky

2025-03-31 · near Broad Bottom, Pike, Kentucky

Event narrative

Law enforcement initially reported that a roof was blown off a structure, with additional damage to the second story of the same structure along US-23 between Boldman and Broad Bottom. Debris was reported to be blocking all lanes of US-23. In addition, power lines were also blown down at this location, as well as on nearby Ziegler Road. A NWS Storm Survey team was sent out to the look at the damage. They observed an outer wall having collapsed and significant roof damage sustained at an older office building on the east side of Sunset Drive and just south of US-23. Debris was blown downwind towards US-23. A semi-trailer just north of US-23 was also pivoted by the wind in a similar direction. The team concluded damage was likely due to a microbust of winds in this location.

Wider weather episode

A deep low pressure system (including a surface low and upper level shortwave) was tracking through the Midwest throughout the day on Sunday March 30th, reaching the Lower Great Lakes region by that evening. A strong cold front draped south and southwest from this low pressure center, finally making its way into western Kentucky around midnight on the 31st. By that point, a strong line of convection had developed ahead of the cold front, and was making its way across the central and eastern portion of the state. The Storm Prediction Center had much of western and central KY in an enhanced risk for severe weather for that time period leading up to the event, but expanded the risk eastward during the Day 1 update to include virtually all of Kentucky and points to the north and south. Much of the higher probabilites for hail and tornadoes remained located west of the WFO Jackson, KY County Warning Area, with the exception of winds - which was still a 30% risk. This proved true as the line moved through and produced numerous instances of wind damage across portions of Kentucky, including eastern Kentucky. By the end of the event, 51 tornado reports were made stretching from Michigan to southern Mississippi. A slew of hail reports were also noted along the Mississippi Valley, transitioning to wind reports across much of the Ohio Valley. Damage in Floyd and Pike counties was substantial enough to warrant a NWS Storm Survey, however the conclusions were embedded microbursts of wind within the storms.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (37.5365, -82.6098)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1290850. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.