EF1 tornado in Jefferson County, Kentucky

The National Weather Service conducted a storm assessment survey across Eastern Jefferson County from storms early Saturday morning just after midnight on April 1. The survey team found an EF1 tornado with maximum winds of 90 mph. The tornado went a little over 4 miles intermittently and crossed over into extreme northwestern Shelby County.

The tornado first touched down just east of I-265 (Gene Snyder Freeway)

at a large warehouse by Terra View Trail. The western edge of the warehouse was partially peeled back and insulation was thrown off to the north through easterly directions. A portion of the tornado was aloft, based on the lack of tree damage initially, until it hit a plastic surgery center off of Bush Farm Road which sustained roof damage. This consisted of shingle and fascia damage. Most of that was cleaned up and repaired by the time of the survey. There was insulation on the backside of the three-story building.

The street sign was bent back and turned to the northeast at Arnold Palmer Boulevard near Chestnut Ridge. There was sporadic tree damage along Chestnut Ridge Circle, and at 15107 Chestnut Ridge Circle a doorbell camera showed an intense loud 20 second burst of wind and rain. The homeowner stated that the entire house was shaking,

and several trees were snapped and twisted, and their garbage tote was found two houses over behind that house. Behind their house across Lake Forest Country Club were several uprooted and twisted trees. Most of the trees were laying from the north

northeast to due east. There was sporadic wind damage along Champion Lakes Way, with several houses sustaining gutter and fascia damage. The maximum wind speed in Lake Forest was 85 mph with a width of 75 yards.

The tornado took a southward jog along Flat Rock Road and increased in wind speed and width. All along Flat Rock Road there were dozens and dozens of trees snapped, twisted and uprooted. The width of the tornado increased to 130 yards wide and the wind speed increased to 90 mph. Several residents heard a distinct roar and had their ears pop. There was shingle and fascia damage.

The tornado took a northward jog and crossed into northwestern Shelby County.

During the night of March 31 into April 1, a low pressure system, moving east across the Upper Midwest towards the Great Lakes, dragged a trailing cold front through the Lower Ohio Valley. This produced a broken line of severe storms that moved west to east over parts of central Kentucky, resulting in multiple reports of tree damage, isolated structural damage, and a tornado that affected Jefferson and Shelby Counties.