How the overnight tornado storm compares to Kentucky’s deadliest outbreaks
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Tornadoes: Latest updates from ravaged Kentucky
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A storm of tornadoes that swept through areas of Western Kentucky late Friday night and early Saturday morning are already projected to be among the deadliest and most destructive to rip through Kentucky in modern history.
They have left at least 50 people dead and that number could surpass 100, Gov. Andy Beshear warned early Saturday morning.
Here’s a look back at some of the most vicious and violent tornadoes the Commonwealth State has experienced in modern history.
MARCH 2, 2012
A series of tornadoes swept through parts of northern and eastern Kentucky on March 2, 2012, leaving 26 dead and more than 200 injured, according to the National Weather Service.
West Liberty took the brunt of the storm, as six fatalities were reported in Morgan County. The tornado that ripped through the area, an EF3, had a continuous path of 86 miles and a consistent width of one mile across most of Morgan County, destroying most everything in its way.
Salyersville also experienced an EF3 tornado from the storm, which damaged or destroyed 70 businesses in the city and also killed two people in nearby Johnson County. That twister traveled 49 miles.
Laurel County also had six deaths from a tornado in that storm system.
APRIL 3-4, 1974
One of the most catastrophic storms to ever go through Kentucky took place in early April, 1974. The storm was titled “The Super Outbreak,” as a total of 148 tornadoes touched down in the Midwest and South, leaving 335 dead and over 6,000 injured, according to the National Weather Service.
63 people in Kentucky alone were killed from the storm, 31 of them in Breckinridge and Meade Counties. An EF5 tornado went through the area.
Brandenburg was hit especially hard from the twister, where it left 28 dead, 128 homes and 30 businesses destroyed and $10 million in damages.
A separate tornado went through the fairgrounds area in Louisville, leaving two dead and 425 homes destroyed.
MARCH 27, 1890
The deadliest tornado to ever rip through Kentucky took place in 1890. Jefferson County was the main target, and it left 76 dead and $2.5 million in damages, according to the National Weather Service.
The tornado was believed to have started in Harrison County, Ind. The tornado made its way to the west side of the central business district in Louisville, where the twister was reported to be 500 yards wide.
44 of the reported deaths took place at the Falls City Hall after the building collapsed with 200 people inside, 125 of which were children attending a dance lesson on the lower floor.
It was one of the highest tornado death totals in a single building ever recorded in the United States. It’s possible that record could be broken after a roof collapsed at a candle factory in Mayfield, leaving over 100 trapped inside.
This story was originally published December 11, 2021 at 9:09 AM.
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