All information and video courtesy of the NWS in Louisville.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The National Weather Service in Louisville has completed its storm survey of Ohio County in the aftermath of the devastating Dec. 10 tornado. The NWS determined the tornado was an EF-3 with estimated peak winds around 140 miles per hour. The tornado was in Ohio County from 11:10 – 11:45 p.m. The path of the tornado was estimated to be 35.6 miles and at its maximum was 1,200 yards wide, which is around .7 of a mile wide.
The tornado that went through Ohio County was a continuation of the western Kentucky tornado that all but destroyed Mayfield. This tornado was the longest continuous tornado track on record in the Commonwealth of Kentucky at 163 miles, plus another two miles in Tennessee.
The tornado was at EF-1 strength when it crossed the Green River from Muhlenberg County into Ohio County. It stayed at EF-1 strength through an abandoned coal strip mine, snapping hardwood trees, overturning a large section of coal conveyor belt and downing steel and wood power poles.
The rugged terrain appeared to have caused the tornado to fluctuate in width and intensity at times, while moving across A9 Road, to Matanzas Road, approaching A5 road. It weakened to around the EF-0/EF-1 threshold and narrowed to 200-300 yards as it crossed A5 Road and A6 Lane, before rapidly intensifying to EF-2 strength over Chandle Loop and KY 85. Here, a large chicken farm lost five out of seven of its well-built chicken houses. The foundations were swept clean. In addition, several homes and barns suffered major damage or total destruction. Hundreds of large hardwoods were snapped and uprooted. One well-built house had a large portion of its roof removed along with partial wall collapse. The maximum width in this area was around a quarter-mile.
The tornado maintained a solid EF-1 strength and narrowed to a width of around 300 yards as it briefly paralleled Carter Ferry Road, and then approached and crossed A7 Road. From here, a significant topography change occurred as the tornado crossed the Rough River and entered much flatter open farmland. Damage was noted to a grove of snapped hardwood trees near Johnson School and Mud College Roads. Then, six or seven large steel electrical transmission lines were either broken or bent across a widening half to almost three-quarter mile wide width.
The tornado had gained significant intensity up to EF-2/EF-3 strength as it slammed into homes and businesses along US 231 N only about 1 to 1.5 miles northwest of Hartford.
On the west side of US 231 N, two semi tractor-trailers were lifted, twisted, and thrown 40 yards from their original position, badly mangling one of the cabs. In addition, a barn was completely demolished. A small, brick office structure was totally destroyed only leaving one half of a wall and a few interior rooms, while completely wiping away the other half of the building. Winds peaked at an estimated 140 mph here. Across the highway, a well-built, and nearly 100 year old, brick two-story home lost its entire roof and collapsed a couple of upstairs walls.
Photo by Dustin Bratcher/OC Monitor.
Other homes, very large silos, small businesses and a fertilizer storage facility were heavily damaged in addition to some very large and healthy hardwood trees being snapped, twisted and snarled.
The tornado maintained an EF-2/EF-3 intensity as it continued northeastward, crossing the William H. Natcher Parkway and approaching KY 69 E. Here, more intense damage occurred along 69 E between Utley Road and along Morrison Run.
Photo by Dustin Bratcher/OC Monitor.
At Utley Road, 2 homes and 1 double-wide trailer were completely destroyed, and a 4th brick home lost an entire roof and collapsed a couple of walls.
Here, an amazing survival story occurred as the residents of the three structures that were completely destroyed, hunkered down in the bathroom of the brick home and rode out the intense tornado. Luckily, no injuries occurred thanks to the great decisions made by the occupants to find a sturdier structure to ride out the storm. A large barn was also heavily damaged here.
Photo by Dustin Bratcher/OC Monitor.
The next set of homes downstream from Utley Road experienced very intense damage. Here, two anchored mobile homes were completely destroyed as their frames were tossed and bent. One frame ended up 100 yards from its original position. A fifth-wheel camper was thrown and landed upside down 30 yards from where it sat.
A small farmhouse was also heavily damaged as some walls completely collapsed. Another survival story occurred here as residents made a decision to leave the area to seek better shelter. Many compliments were given to local television media coverage and warning lead time. Two more homes were either heavily damaged or destroyed as the tornado crossed KY 69 E. A well-built two-story home lost half of its upper story, and a small brick home was sheared in half.
NWS surveyors reported damage to several hardwood trees along Morrison Run from Cedar Grove Road. However, the most intense tree damage of the Ohio County path occurred along Humble Valley Road where some local terrain influences very likely funneled the tornadic winds into a consolidated area. Here, strong EF-2 to near EF-3 winds snapped thousands of hardwood trees and damaged a few homes, barns, and sheds. It took 2 to 3 days to clear Humble Valley Road for access.
A barn was destroyed, along with tree damage, and complete destruction of a home under construction along W Halls Creek Road. As the tornado continued toward the intersection of KY 878 and KY 919, it crossed Bean Hill doing mainly tree damage. It then did major tree damage, unroofed a home, and destroyed a barn at that intersection.
Heavy damage occurred at New Baymus Road where a farm lost three substantial barns, and a deer farm was heavily damaged along with a bunch of equipment. Clinton Lane was the next to be hit as a brand new barn, power poles and a few structures were damaged or destroyed. The barn was totally destroyed and thrown hundreds of yards downstream, and hundreds of hardwood trees were snapped. One cow was killed by flying debris here. Downwind of that, a trailer was cut in half amongst very heavy tree damage, and the occupants of the mangled half of the trailer had fled to a safer shelter.
Hundreds of hardwoods were snapped around Cane Ford Lane along with total destruction of an old trailer. From there, the tornado climbed a ridge and crossed KY 54, heavily damaging a home and garage, along with continuing to mangle hundreds of hardwood and softwood trees.
The tornado then arrived in Breckinridge County, damaged a cattle barn and trees, before entering Grayson County.
This graphic shows the path of the Dec. 10 tornado as it made its way through Ohio County. (Photo courtesy of the NWS.)