Tornado confirmed in Russell County during KY storms. Assessments continue

At least one tornado touched down in Russell County and moved into western Pulaski County during severe storms late Friday and early Saturday in Kentucky, according to the National Weather Service.

A preliminary report from the weather service confirmed an EF-2 level of damage from the storm.

One person died in Pulaski County. The victim was identified as Melodie Godby, 68, of Somerset, said Coroner Clyde Strunk.

A woman also died of carbon monoxide poisoning in Russell County after power went out on her houseboat during the storm, and she turned on her generator.

The damage could be upgraded to an EF-3 depending on further assessments. Wind speeds were confirmed up to 145 miles per hour.

This first preliminary investigation includes only Russell and Pulaski Counties. Surveyors are on the ground Sunday in Laurel County, which saw widespread destruction and had recorded 17 deaths as of Saturday, conducting assessments.

Survey assessments are expected to last most of Sunday and into Monday, Mark Jarvis, a meteorologist with the NWS said.

The Enhanced Fujita scale is a system used to categorize tornado intensity based on the damage they cause, ranging from the weakest ranking, EF-0, to the highest, EF-5.

Jarvis said the EF scale is based on damage to structures — not characteristics of the tornado itself.

Surveyors with the NWS analyze damage to buildings, trees, outbuildings, and cars to estimate the EF rating.

The damage level takes into account the home’s structure, foundation and whether it is up to code. Those factors help surveyors determine the strength and speed of the winds.

For example, Jarvis said, if a home is built well with heavy bracing and it is significantly damaged, engineers can determine the winds were more severe.

But engineers often see homes built quickly and poorly that are not anchored or up to code. Those homes may take damage from less severe winds.

This is a developing story.

This story was originally published May 18, 2025 at 10:18 AM.

Taylor Six

Lexington Herald-Leader

Taylor Six is the criminal justice reporter at the Herald-Leader. She was born and raised in Lexington attending Lafayette High School. She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 2018 with a degree in journalism. She previously worked as the government reporter for the Richmond Register.