EF2 Tornado — Trimble, Kentucky

2024-03-14 · near Milton, Trimble, Kentucky

Event narrative

The National Weather Service in Louisville, KY in coordination with the National Weather Service in Wilmington, OH conducted a 2 day storm damage assessment survey. The survey found a 18.6 mile long EF-2 tornado with peak winds of 115 mph occurred on the afternoon of March 14, 2024. The tornado was on the ground for 26 minutes as it touched down 1 mile north of Hanover, IN, and lifted just east of Carrollton, KY. The tornado crossed the Ohio River three times as it started in Jefferson County, IN, crossed the Ohio River into Trimble County, KY, entered Carroll County, KY, crossed the Ohio River back into Jefferson County, IN, crossed into Switzerland County, IN, and crossed the Ohio River for the last time before entering Carroll County, KY. The tornado was 500 yards wide at its maximum.

The tornado crossed the Ohio River between River Bottom Road on the Indiana side and Coopers Bottom Road on the Kentucky side, just south of the Clifty Creek Power Plant. After the tornado crossed the river, the next observed damage was along Race Track Road. There was extensive tree damage, consisting of uprooted, topped, and twisted trees facing in all directions. Two greenhouses had the plastic roofing material thrown several hundred yards. Three well-built barns next to the greenhouses sustained no damage, nor did the farmhouse. NWS drone photography showed distinct tree damage and greenhouse debris. The tornado was 80 to 85 mph, EF0, with a

width of around 200 yards.

The tornado then started moving more to the northeast and damaged roof panels on some older barns at the end of Detmer Lane. The tornado was 85 mph, EF0, with a width of 250 yards.

At this point, the tornado came down the large hill overlooking Milton and widened significantly, moving parallel to the sharpest curve on US 421. Half of the tornado was over the Ohio River and the other half was just north of US 421 mainly along Coopers

Bottom Road. There was a plethora of tree damage all the way to the Milton-Madison Bridge. The tornado was 90 mph, EF1, with a width of around 400 yards. Some of the most dramatic tornado video shows the tornado partially over the Ohio River, sucking up water and throwing it in all directions.

EF-0 and EF-1 damage continued as the southern half of the funnel entered Milton, doing roof and structural damage to numerous homes and businesses. In addition, numerous hardwood trees were either snapped or uprooted. Just east of downtown Milton, a large brick home under renovation had a large section of its back wall blown

out, with estimated winds of 105 mph, which was a bit stronger than points to the west. Noted strengthening occurred over the next mile eastward as more concentrated medium to high end EF-1 damage was noted. Evidence that the center of the tornado was still out over water at this point was strong, given that the downed trees were facing toward the river in almost all instances from Milton eastward until Paradise Point along Highway 36 about 1 mile east of downtown Milton.

The center of the tornado finally came on shore at Paradise Point and was immediately at low-end EF-2 strength as several large campers and a motorhome were demolished. One tri-axle camper weighing well over 10,000 pounds was rolled and thrown over 100 yards to the ESE, with debris scattered much farther downstream. Just across Highway 36, a well-built single family residence sustained major roof damage as half of the structure was removed by the tornado. This was also rated at EF-2 strength with winds of 115 mph. Just east of that house, a semi trailer was rolled, a large barn was completely collapsed and shifted, and nearly every tree was snapped in a grove. This was a notable uptick in intensity from areas to the west as snapped trees were more sporadic in those areas. This was more justification for the increase to EF-2. It was at this point that a clear northern portion of the tornado track became evident as downed trees along Highway 36 were laying in a SE direction, pointing inward toward the center of the circulation. It was unclear just how wide the tornado was as it crossed through Milton, since half of the funnel was out over water, however the tornado was around 500 yards wide (roughly a third of a mile) by the time it reached the Trimble/Carroll county line at North Spillman Lane. EF-1/EF-2 intensity remained here as a large span of telephone polls were snapped.

Wider weather episode

On March 14, 2024, in the warm sector ahead of a cold front, a supercell formed on the southern side of a convective line moving east through central Indiana. As the supercell moved east across southern Indiana and northern Kentucky, it produced a tornado which formed near Hanover, Indiana, crossed the Ohio River into Milton, Kentucky, and then crossed the Ohio River two more times before ending east of Carrollton, Kentucky. This tornado reached a maximum strength of 115 mph (EF2) and was on the ground for over 18 miles.

Later that night, ahead of the cold front, a line of thunderstorms brought down multiple trees and a few power lines. It also produced a weak tornado in Breckinridge County. Multiple reports of severe hail were also received from across the region.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (38.7295, -85.4339)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1171166. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.