FLC OF AN MLG DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO A LOW FUEL STATE DURING AIR HOLDING FOR AN APCH.

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DEPARTED ORD TO CVG; HAD INCREASED FUEL FROM 9000 LBS TO 15000 LBS AND AS WE ARRIVED IN THE CVG AREA WE WERE ADVISED THAT APPROX 10 ACFT WERE AHEAD OF US WITH WINDSHEAR AND CELLS (3-6 LEVEL) IN THE AREA. WE WERE GIVEN A HOLD AT MILAN INTXN AT 12000 FT. RIDE IN CLOUDS WAS MODERATE CHOP. AFTER ONE TURN IN THE HOLDING PATTERN; HOWEVER; WE WERE VECTORED FOR RWY 18R BUT THEN S FOR A RWY 36L APCH DUE TO A WINDSHIFT. RIDE WAS NOW MODERATE CHOP TO LIGHT TURB. APCHING THE FINAL APCH FIX THE ACFT AHEAD RPTED WINDS FROM THE W AT 50 KTS AND WITH THE RADAR SHOWING MOSTLY RED AND MAGENTA; I ELECTED TO ABANDON THE APCH AND DIVERT TO SDF WITH FUEL AT 8300 LBS (ALTERNATE FUEL BURN WAS 2500 LBS). UPON ARR AT SDF; APCHS WERE IN PROGRESS BUT WX SIMILAR TO CVG (CELLS 3-5) WAS BECOMING A FACTOR. OUR FUEL WAS NOW 6500 LBS AND I DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL TO ATC. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WOULD BE #5 WITH ABOUT A 15 MIN DELAY. THEY ALSO TOLD US THE WX AT THE LEXINGTON ARPT (50 MI E) WAS HOLDING OK. I FELT THAT THE DELAY FROM FUEL STANDPOINT WAS UNACCEPTABLE IN THE EVENT THAT THE WX WERE TO DETERIORATE FURTHER OR THE POSSIBILITY THAT A MISSED APCH; IF NECESSARY; MIGHT NOT BE POSSIBLE. AT THIS POINT WITH FUEL AT 6300 LBS I DECLARED AN EMER FOR LOW FUEL STATE. WE RECEIVED IMMEDIATE VECTORS FROM ATC AND SUBSEQUENT APCH (4000 FT RVR; MODERATE RAIN; LIGHT CHOP) AND LNDG WERE NORMAL. WE BLOCKED AT THE GATE WITH 5300 LBS. SHORTLY AFTER OUR ARR (10 MINS) BOTH SDF AND CVG WENT TO A GND STOP FOR ABOUT 35 MINS. HUMAN PERFORMANCE -- ACFT WAS NON TOUCH-SCREEN ACARS SO ALL INFO IN OR OUT IS MANUAL BY RADIO CONTACT (COMMERCIAL RADIO OR DIRECT) AND TAKES ONE PLT OUT OF THE LOOP FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME. WORKLOAD WAS HIGH AFTER THE INCOMPLETE APCH AT CVG. LOW ALT; MODERATE CHOP; DETOURING AROUND WX AND THEN THE HDOF TO SDF. WITH THE DELAY INFO FROM SDF APCH; ANXIETY LEVEL WAS STARTING TO GET HIGH SO AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION OF OUR OPTIONS (GETTING SHORT) WE FELT THAT ONE APCH AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WOULD STILL ALLOW US TO PROCEED DIRECTLY TO LEXINGTON IF THAT WERE REQUIRED. LEXINGTON IS A DESIGNATED CLOSE ARPT; THOUGH I HAVE NEVER BEEN THERE AND WE CARRY NO APCH PLATES FOR IT.