48-year-old man dead, 7 injured after tornado surprises a Central KY community
A 48-year-old man is dead and seven other people were injured as an unexpected storm system rumbled across Central Kentucky Friday morning and slammed into a rural part of southeastern Washington County.
Ronnie O. Hill was found dead outside his home in the 2700 block of Long Run Road, said Washington County Coroner Len Benedict. It is likely Hill was inside his home when the tornado hit.
The coroner added initial reports indicated one of the injured was the dead man’s fiancee. She had been flown to University of Kentucky’s Chandler Hospital.
Judge Executive Tim Graves said one of the seven injured was a 3-year-old who was missing but was found later and then taken to the UK hospital, officials said at an 11 a.m. news conference.
The girl lived in the home south of Long Run Road and was found lying next to a tree down the hill from the destroyed home.
The severity of the injuries is unknown.
Five were taken by ambulance to various hospitals, including University of Kentucky’s Chandler Hospital in Lexington. Two others went to hospitals without the help of an ambulance.
The National Weather Service said the tornado was an EF-2, with winds roaring at about 115 mph.
The damage could not be missed. Pieces of homes were ensnared in trees and strewn across yards. Vehicles were overturned, and some trees were sawed off or stripped of their bark.
“The devastation looks a lot like what you saw in London a couple of weeks ago. Total destruction,” Graves said.
Friday’s storm came exactly two weeks after violent tornadoes killed at least 18 people in Laurel County and another one in Pulaski County. Multiple homes also were destroyed on May 16-17 after the twisters swept through that area.
Nature’s wrath upends homes and lives
The rural and unincorporated area of southeastern Washington County near the Mercer County border was hit the hardest by the tornado. Most of the damage was confined to the 3000 block of Long Run Road, a single lane, winding, hilly road surrounded by trees and vegetation.
It all was torn up by the storm.
But houses outside of the damage radius showed no obvious signs that an EF-2 tornado had been in the area.
The house where Hill died is north of Long Run Road up a hill. The house was flattened with pieces of wood and debris sprayed all around the property.
To the south of Long Run Road is the second house that was completely destroyed, home to a family of 14. The only thing left of the two-story home was the concrete slab it sat on, with remnants of the home scattered down the hill in what was the backyard.
When did storm hit
Reports of damaged homes and missing people initially came in around 7:11 a.m., according to Washington County Emergency Manager Kevin Devine. Downed trees were blocking the roads near the impacted area, preventing emergency crews from getting to the scene.
“We had to cut the way in to get ambulances inside there,” he said.
Authorities reported significant damage to at least three homes and a smaller structure in that isolated slice of Washington County near the Boyle County line, Graves said.
“It was a smaller area, but it was devastating,” Graves said.
The county has a tornado alert system. An alert went out minutes before the tornado struck, but there are no sirens or towers where the tornado struck, Graves said.
People who weren’t signed up to get the warnings, didn’t get the alert.
The tornado “popped up quick,” Graves said.
The storm moved through the area early in the morning and triggered tornado warnings for multiple counties. Gov. Andy Beshear said the level of severe weather was unexpected.
Devine added he, too, didn’t anticipate a tornado in the county.
By mid-afternoon Friday, the clean-up process had begun.
The National Weather Service was on scene assessing the damage and determining the severity of the storm.
Graves said he was overwhelmed and thankful for the support and offerings of help received by other counties. He also thanked the first responders and road crews for their efforts in helping people.
“Our crews did excellent,” Graves said. “Our EMTs, paramedics, first responders, search and rescue. Over and above beyond to get people safe.”
Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, who represents Washington County, said he was praying for those who were injured and all who had been affected.
“My heart is heavy for the family and loved ones of the individual who lost their life in this morning’s tornado,” he said.
The storms that rattled much of Central Kentucky also carried an excessive amount of rainfall. The NWS said 1-2 inches of rain are expected in Lexington and Central Kentucky throughout Friday, and localized minor flooding is possible where the heaviest rain rates occur.
Standing rain and puddles greeted Friday morning commuters Friday morning.
This story was originally published May 30, 2025 at 7:35 AM.
