Path of Kentucky tornado updated: Deadly western KY twister gets EF3 rating
The tornado that claimed the lives of 17 people in Warren County has been deemed an EF3 twister on the Enhanced Fujita scale, according to the National Weather Service in Louisville.
NWS predicts the tornado’s wind speeds peaked at 165 miles per hour at Kentucky TransPark on the northeast side of Bowling Green. The southwest side of town near Russellville Road and I-165 also suffered damage from winds estimated at 160 miles per hour.
Nyssa Brown, 13, was the latest tornado-related death in Bowling Green after authorities found her body on Thursday. She was found in a dense briar thicket in the edge of a field near where she lived on Moss Creek Avenue.
Brown’s mother, father, three siblings and grandmother also died in the tornado. Most of the people who died from the tornado lived on or near Moss Creek.
Western Kentucky tornado
The first assessment for the deadly western Kentucky tornado that left dozens dead and many more displaced was released Thursday.
Surveyors with the National Weather Service concluded that the twister that pummeled parts of western Kentucky had wind speeds up to 190 miles per hour, classifying it as an EF4. In order to be considered an EF5 tornado, wind speeds need to be above 200 mile per hour.
The assessment is preliminary, so it’s possible it could be upgraded to an EF5 once the investigation is complete.
Surveyors estimate the tornado’s maximum width was at least one mile. They also believe it traveled 128 miles across Fulton, Hickman, Graves, Marshall, Lyon, Caldwell, Hopkins and Muhlenberg Counties.
According to NWS, the tornado first entered Kentucky at 8:56 p.m. Friday in Fulton County and lifted off the ground in Muhlenberg County at 11:10 p.m. That means it moved along at speeds of roughly 60 miles per hour.
Gov. Andy Beshear previously reported the tornado possibly traveled 227 miles across multiple states, which if proven to be true by NWS, would break a 96-year-old record for the longest continuous distance traveled by a tornado.
Third tornado discovered in Bowling Green
NWS officials have confirmed a third tornado hit Bowling Green early Saturday morning.
The third twister was an EF0, meaning its winds ranged from 65-85 miles per hour. It did damage near the Hadley community in western Warren County, per NWS.
The main tornado, the confirmed EF3 twister, did most of the damage. A second tornado more to the east in Warren County was an EF2.
The EF3 tornado also made confirmed appearances in Logan, Hart, Green, Taylor and Marion Counties. It’s unknown if the tornado continuously stayed on the ground throughout the storm, as it might have lifted up in Edmonson County.
The surveys in Logan and Taylor Counties confirmed EF3 damage in the area. The Saloma area in Taylor County received most of the damage in the area.
Boyle County
Preliminary information shows two twisters hit Boyle County. No assessment on the damage or wind speeds there have been given.
It was the first tornado ever to touch down in the county, according to NWS. The Danville-Boyle County airport suffered significant damage from the storm, but no fatalities have been reported.
Ohio, Breckinridge Counties
An EF3 tornado hit Ohio County and into Breckinridge County. The survey there is complete and no deaths have been reported. NWS said in a tweet their team started surveying in the Rough River Area and as they moved southwestward towards Hartford, the damage became worse.
Spencer County
A short EF1 tornado hit parts of Spencer County. It was the third tornado ever to touch down in the county, according to NWS.
Monroe County
An EF0 made a short appearance in Monroe County.
This story was originally published December 16, 2021 at 7:05 AM.
