1/13/23 1:15 p.m. Update:
After surveying damage from Thursday morning storms, the National Weather Service is confirming multiple EF1 tornadoes in central Kentucky. The tornadoes were confirmed in Mercer, Henry and Boyle counties. NWS crews were in Madison County Friday, surveying the site of another EF1 tornado northwest of Richmond. Crews recorded damage to structures as well as downed trees and tree limbs.
Original Story:
State and weather officials are assessing the damage done by storms that rolled through the Commonwealth Thursday morning. The National Weather Service started issuing tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings around 9 a.m. as the line of storms moved east across the region.
Brian Neudorff is a meteorologist with the NWS in Louisville. Neudorff said preliminary reports from Mercer County confirm that a tornado touched down just west of Harrodsburg.
“There was peak wind of 100 mph and it’s going to go as an EF-1. And the track was about a mile long and the width was about 75 yards,” said Neudorff.
The meteorologist said reported damage to the YMCA in Harrodsburg appears to have been caused by straight-line winds, not a tornado. Other damage includes downed trees and tree limbs, roof damage and one car that flipped.
For many, the storms brought to mid deadly tornados last winter. Neudorff said there is a severe weather season in Kentucky.
“But things happen out of season, just like we can get snow in October, that’s fall but it’s not truly winter. So, these things can happen out of season, so to speak. All you need to do is get the right environment and the right ingredients. So, while rare, it’s not all that unusual,” said Neudorff.
The severe storm came after some residents reported feeling a small earthquake in Mercer County. The USGS reports there was a 2.6 magnitude earthquake just east of Burgin at 3:07 a.m. Thursday.
Crews are still taking in the scope of the storm and may be out again Friday assessing possible damage in the Richmond area.
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