EF0 Tornado — Breckinridge, Kentucky

2024-03-14 · near Raymond, Breckinridge, Kentucky

Event narrative

On March 14th at approximately 9:32 PM CST, radar data showed a Tornado Debris Signature (TDS) at around 2,000 feet just east of Finley and Norton Road on Highway 477. Two minutes later the TDS was larger and reached to around 3,000 feet just under a mile away to the east-southeast, still near Highway 477.

A National Weather Service storm damage assessment survey was conducted on Thursday, March 21st, in the area of the TDS. In addition to walking the area, information was also gathered using a drone and from talking with an area homeowner. In the following weeks, additional information was gathered from other property owners.

Just north of Highway 477, about halfway between Finley and Norton Road and Horsley Ridge Lane, the first area of damage was located. The woodline sticks out into the field separating two corn fields. At this point, a large dead tree was blown towards the southeast into the field. From here, the tornado crossed Highway 447. No damage was observed to the power lines or poles along the highway.

After crossing another large cut corn field, the tornado approached a residence on the southwest side of Highway 477. The tornado overturned a small old wood shed to the south-southwest. Winds are estimated to have been between 65-70 mph. A piece of

lumber from the shed was found 60 yards to the south of where the shed originated.

For the next 100 yards or so, there was a scattering of aluminum housing trim that came from a pile near an outbuilding, but there was also a path of corn stover and lots of broken limbs from several dead trees in the area. Near the end of this path of light

debris, a large dead tree was uprooted and blown to the south. This was the most impressive damage from the tornado with estimated winds of 75 mph. Also in the area, an aluminum piece of gutter was bent around a small tree.

Around 65 yards to the east-southeast, another smaller tree was freshly uprooted and fell to the east. This was the last area of observed damage from the tornado.

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 → (37.9278, -86.3549)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1176014. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.