By Tom Latek, Kentucky Today
FRANKFORT — The National Weather Service has confirmed at least three small tornadoes touched down in Kentucky as the remnants of Hurricane Beryl spun through the Ohio Valley earlier this week.
The Paducah weather office says two twisters touched down in Union County on Tuesday afternoon. One began around 3:30 p.m. (CT) near the intersection of Kentucky-270 and 492, then lifted just northeast of the Grove Center community. A survey team found minor to moderate roof damage to two homes occurred near Grove Center. Several large trees were uprooted and snapped along the path. Crops were severely damaged in the path of the tornado with large sections of corn flattened.
The survey team determined damage was consistent with an EF-1 tornado, with top winds of 105 miles per hour (mph), along a path that was 3.22 miles long and 150 yards wide.
The second one took place about ten minutes later. It started along Kentucky 56 West, then moved north to the River View Coal Mine. Along the path several large trees were uprooted and snapped with significant damage to crops. The most clustered area of snapped trees was along Kentucky 360 just west of Uniontown. The tornado then lifted over the Ohio River.
This was also recorded as an EF-1, with a maximum wind speed of 100 mph. Its path was 6.34 miles long and 150 yards wide, according to the survey team.
The Louisville weather office says their storm survey team and Cumberland County Emergency Management determined that there was a brief EF-0 tornado around 2 p.m. (CT) in Cumberland and Metcalfe counties. The tornado touched down about a half mile NNW of the Highway 90 and Ferris Fork Road intersection where two large trees were downed, and facing back to the SE. Just downstream of that, a home was hit, and this is where the tornado quickly reached its widest point and strongest winds.
This was rated as an EF-0, with top winds of 85 mph, along a path that was 0.92 miles long and 200 yards wide.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported in any of the Kentucky tornadoes.
