Strong Wind — Barren, Kentucky

2013-10-31 · Barren, Kentucky

Event narrative

Strong gradient winds felled a large limb of a pecan tree near Hays, KY, killing an elderly woman who was harvesting pecans at the time. A nearby Kentucky Mesonet site clocked winds gusting to 40 mph at the time.

Wider weather episode

A powerful cyclone began to deepen over Illinois during the afternoon hours on October 31st. Towards midnight, as low pressure moved across southern Lake Michigan, it deepened to well below 990mb. A powerful low level jet developed over the Lower Ohio Valley by mid-afternoon, as winds at 925mb increased to around 55kt by evening. These winds translated to surface winds of around 30 mph with frequent gusts up to 50 mph across southern Indiana and the Commonwealth. Widespread minor wind damage developed as large branches fall across roads and power lines. In addition to strong gradient winds, several convective lines of showers developed by mid-evening across central Kentucky. Despite a lack of thunder, these lines of showers brought additional wind damage.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 476243. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.