EF0 tornado in Hart County, Kentucky

A National Weather Service storm damage survey confirmed an EF1 tornado briefly touched down in northeastern Hart County, about one mile south of the LaRue County line. The tornado touched down just west of the intersection of US Route 31 E

and Levi Beams Rd. It topped and uprooted trees on a farm about

0.5 miles west of the 11500 block of North Jackson Highway (31E).

The twister then hit a well built house, damaging the southwest

roof, blowing out windows, and taking a bunch of shingles off.

A large, well built barn had its doors blown out and about a third

of its roof destroyed. There were large sections of the roofing

structure thrown 200 yards. Several large 2 x 10 joists, each

weighing about 100 pounds, were thrown over 150 yards and

embedded in the ground. Portions of the barn's metal sheeting

were thrown about a third of a mile. There were sporadic roofing

impalements downwind facing north northeast to south southeast.

Winds were 95 mph, EF1, with a width of 100 yards.

On the east side of 31E, along the rear flank downdraft, a resident

reported heavy wind that caused the house to shake and caused their

ears to pop.

About 50 yards north of that house, there was topping and snapping

of some older trees and a large section of an older barn

had its roof ripped off. Several power poles were leaning along

31E. Winds were 95 mph, EF1, with a width of 100 yards.

Along Levi Beams Rd, there were dozens of older and newer trees

snapped, topped and uprooted along with a couple of snapped power

poles. The NWS drone found more tree damage about an eighth of a

mile east of the end of Levi Beams Rd. Winds were 90 mph, EF1,

with a width of 80 yards.

There was a lot of tree damage along Ernest Chaudoin Rd. The most

concentrated tree damage was in a deep forested area on JD Garner

property. Trees were uprooted, twisted, and leaning. Drone

photography was very helpful to see the tree damage in in the trees.

Winds were 90 mph, EF1, with a width of 100 yards.

There was a lot of tree damage along Mount Zion Church Road (KY 1079).

Trees were uprooted, twisted, and leaning. One well built home

was hit by the tornado with only minor shingle damage. Winds were

90 mph, EF1, with a width of 100 yards.

Pine and cedar trees were snapped along Carl Benningfield Rd.

Maple and locust trees were uprooted and facing from north northeast

to the southeasterly direction. Drone photography found an old barn,

just east of Carl Benningfield Rd with metal sheeting thrown and

wrapped around some trees and fence. That was the last damage point

about 50 yards east of the barn. Winds were 90 mph, EF1, with a width

of 100 yards.

A quasi-stationary front was draped across the lower Ohio Valley from February 5th into the 6th. South of the front, a warm and humid air mass was present, with temperatures in the mid 60s and dewpoints in the upper 50s and low 60s during the early morning hours on February 6th. Temperatures warmed into the low 70s south of the front during the day, with dewpoints remaining in the low 60s. A few elevated storms produced severe hail across Mercer County just after midnight. The main wave of strong to severe storms occurred during the early morning hours on the 6th, as a shortwave in the mid levels moved across the area. A broken line of miniature supercells produced isolated wind damage across south central Kentucky, as well as an EF1 tornado which briefly touched down in Hart County. More isolated wind damage occurred during the late afternoon hours in the Lake Cumberland area before the front pushed off to the east.