Weather service confirms 4 tornadoes in Wednesday’s severe storms
Harry Owen Trucking was struck by the storm Wednesday morning on the south side of Elizabetown.
STAFF REPORT
Thursday, March 1, 2012, 12:40 a.m. — There have been four confirmed tornadoes attributed to the severe storms that rolled through Central Kentucky Wednesday morning.
The National Weather Service reports it has confirmed two twisters in LaRue County and one each in Hardin and Grayson counties.
HARDIN COUNTY. At 9:56 a.m. Wednesday, the weather service believes an EF-2 tornado approximately 250 yards wide packing winds of 120-125 mph touched down south of Elizabethtown near I-65 and stayed on the ground for approximately 2 miles. The storm hit the Harry Owen Trucking complex and severely damaged buildings and turned over trailers parked there.
LARUE COUNTY. The first twister that touched down at 11:10 a.m. is estimated to be an EF-1 storm with winds of 90-95 mph. The tornado touched down 2 miles west of Hodgenville. The storm left a path of damage approximately 100 yards wide and was on the ground for about a mile, causing roof and tree damage.
This photo shows the tornado passing south of Hodgenville Wednesday morning.
The second tornado struck near downtown Hodgenville at 11:13 a.m near the Citizens Union Bank. The storm moved through a nearby neighborhood, damaging homes, vehicles and ripped the roof off an apartment complex. The weather service estimates the storm was an EF-2 tornado packing winds of 120-125 mph. The storm left a path of destruction about 225 yards wide. It was on the ground for about two minutes and traveled about two miles.
GRAYSON COUNTY. An EF-2 storm is believed to have touched down south of the Western Kentucky Parkway near Horntown in eastern Grayson County about 10:42 a.m. The storm destroyed three mobile homes and blew one 400 yards away. Several brick homes were damaged and the Horntown Convenience Store was heavily damaged. The tornado left a path of damage 300 yards wide and 2 miles long.
The National Weather Service will be conducting damage surveys in southern Casey and northern Russell counties today.
MORE ON THE WAY? The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., is forecasting a 30 percent chance of severe weather for Central Kentucky on Friday. A warm front will move north through Kentucky bringing the possibility of thunderstorms with it, some of which could be severe. A cold front will sweep into Central Kentucky Friday evening, bringing a greater chance of severe weather, including damaging winds, hail and tornadoes.
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