Kentucky Environment & Hazard Risk

This historic EF-4 tornado was associated with a very long-track supercell that originally formed over eastern Arkansas. The supercell produced a nearly continuous tornado damage path from northeast Arkansas across western Tennessee and western Kentucky. The starting point of this particular tornado was in northwest Tennessee, northwest of Union City (see Storm Data, Tennessee, Western for information on the beginning of this tornado). This tornado crossed from Hickman County into Graves County about one-half mile north of where Highway 58 crosses the county line, close to the tiny community of Baltimore. The tornado was about 1.3 miles wide when it entered the county. It varied from 1 to 1.3 miles in width as it traversed Graves County. The primary impact to Graves County was on the city of Mayfield, where the tornado achieved a rating of EF-4. This city suffered a devastating impact, in terms of both loss of life and property destruction. There were 23 fatalities countywide and many more injuries. On the southwest edge of Mayfield as the tornado entered the city, a candle factory was demolished (DI 23, DOD 7). At least nine workers in the factory were killed. The tornado...

This historic EF-4 tornado was associated with a very long-track supercell that originally formed over eastern Arkansas. The supercell produced a nearly continuous tornado damage path from northeast Arkansas across western Tennessee and western Kentucky. The starting point of this particular tornado was in northwest Tennessee, northwest of Union City (see Storm Data, Tennessee, Western for information on this and other tornadoes associated with the supercell). This tornado crossed from Caldwell County into Hopkins County near the city limit of Dawson Springs, which straddles the county line. The tornado produced catastrophic damage and some fatalities in Dawson Springs. About two-thirds of the city's homes were destroyed, and about a dozen fatalities occurred. There were at least 200 injuries. The core of the tornado narrowly missed the downtown Dawson Springs business district, but a large residential neighborhood on the north side of downtown was destroyed. This neighborhood is where the tornado obtained its maximum EF-4 rating in Hopkins County. A two-story apartment building was almost totally destroyed. Only a few first-story interior walls remained standing (DI 5, DOD...

The National Weather Service in Louisville surveyed a tornadic supercell over the course of 6 days in Warren County which directly struck Bowling Green. The tornado first touched down in rural southwestern Warren County just south of the intersection of Wimpee Smith Road and Petros Browning Rd. It tracked to the northeast for approximately 26 miles before entering Edmonson County. The tornado continued approximately 3.6 miles into Edmonson before dissipating at 0138 CST. At the tornado's beginning in Warren County, the tornado twisted, snapped, topped and uprooted softwood and hardwood trees. The tornado was about 200 yards wide, with EF1 winds of 90 mph. Aerial photography confirmed the tornado was continuous in this rugged area of southwest Warren County. The tornado increased to EF2, between 120 and 125 mph, doing major damage to several older barns along Tommy Smith Road. It threw a 1700 pound cattle trailer, 300 yards into a creek ravine.The NWS drone showed a distinct narrow main funnel within the larger funnel. This 30 to 35 yard funnel was clearly seen scouring the corn field and produced the most concentrated damage. The narrow funnel crossed Browning Rd and hit a well...

NWS survey teams dispatched on Saturday morning to Russell and |Pulaski Counties, where they were able to confirm a touchdown |along KY-619, about 2.5 miles northeast of Jamestown. Upon |touchdown it caused damage to a garage, two antenna towers, and |several trees. Sporadic damage east of KY-619 seems to suggest |that the tornado may have briefly lifted for a few hundred yards |after its initial touchdown point, before touching back down in a |grove of trees between KY-619 and John Streat Road. EF-1 damage |was observed in this area, with winds estimated between 95 and 100|mph. The tornado caused roofing damage to a house along John |Streat Road as it continued east, also producing a swath of |uprooted trees as it crossed a finger of Lake Cumberland. The |tornado gradually intensified as it crossed Parks Ridge and |continued through the community of Eli and points eastward. The|damage in this area was consistent with high-end EF-1 and EF-2 |winds, between 100 and 130 mph. ||The tornado then continued across the Pulaski County line, where |it caused considerable damage near the Faubush and Nancy |communities, before making it's way to the south side of Somerset.|Here it...

Extensive flash flooding occurred in Knott County. Some of the reports included:||11:00 PM EST - Pictures on social media show flash flooding around the Big Branch Baptist Church. |11:56 PM EST - Broadcast media reported street flash flooding leaving KY-899 impassable in front of the Holly Hills Shopping Center. |12:38 AM EST - 4 children, ranging from 1 to 8 years old, perished in the flood waters of Montgomery and Troublesome Creeks after being swept away from their parents. Numerous news articles state that the family was awoken by the flash flood warning around 2:00 AM EDT (1:00 AM EST). The Considerable Tag that set off the WEA alerts as sent out at 1:38 AM EDT (12:38 AM EST), so this is likely what awakened the parents. The reports go on to state that it was a matter of minutes before the family was forced to escape to the roof of their mobile home once water started pouring in. They were not on the roof very long before they realized the mobile home was not stable, and they swam to a nearby tree. Strong currents in the water ripped the children away from the parent's grasp. It was around 8 hours before the parents were rescued. 2 of the 4 children were found deceased on...

This historic EF-4 tornado was associated with a very long-track supercell that originally formed over eastern Arkansas. The supercell produced a nearly continuous tornado damage path from northeast Arkansas across western Tennessee and western Kentucky. The starting point of this particular tornado was in northwest Tennessee, northwest of Union City (see Storm Data, Tennessee, Western for information on this and other tornadoes associated with the supercell). This tornado crossed from Hopkins County into Muhlenberg County at the Pond River, about 8 miles southwest of Bremen. The primary impact to Muhlenberg County was in and around the community of Bremen, where the tornado achieved a rating of EF-4. The Bremen area was the site of most of the 11 fatalities in Muhlenberg County. A total of 165 structures were damaged or destroyed, of which 84 were completely destroyed or uninhabitable. The remainder were damaged at least moderately. The majority of these structures were along and just south of Highway 175 from 5 miles southwest of Bremen to the community of Bremen. Several demolished houses in this area warranted a rating of EF-4. The destruction of one house warranted a wind...