For the first time in more than four decades, Kentucky has recorded a December tornado. A National Weather Service investigative team has confirmed. A level E-F-1 tornado touched down in Harrison County late Saturday night.
Joe Sullivan is the warning coordinator in the Louisville office of the National Weather Service.
“It is a little unusual for central Kentucky in that this is the first December tornado that we’ve recorded since 1971, so in that respect it does make it unusual. But, we’ve had plenty in January, February and November in the past several years,” said Sullivan.
Although Kentucky did not see the heavy rains that fell in Indiana or Illinois over the weekend, there were still tragic consequences. Five people died in three different flooding related incidents. Sullivan says the timing of the rainfall is what caused problems.
“Well, it was more of an issue with the timing of it and the water coming up late at night, in many cases, in the dark when the squall line went through. And, at least in Hardin County, that was a big part of it where we had three fatalities. And that was essentially because the folks drove into the water about midnight and couldn’t see it,” added Sullivan.
While Christmas week brings with it much colder air, dreams of a white Christmas will probably have to stay in our heads. Sullivan says any chance of sticking snow seems pretty remote.
“We’ll have the Christmas temperatures, but it really doesn’t look like we’re gonna be seeing any white stuff on the ground. Pretty much all the rain that came through the other day took care of anything that was left on the ground, so it will be a green Christmas this year,” said Sullivan.
A few Christmas Eve flurries are possible in parts of Kentucky.