EF2 tornado in Washington County, Kentucky

An NWS damage survey team determined that an EF2 tornado with peak winds of 125 mph, maximum width of 450 yards, and track length of 5.55 miles initially touched down on the morning of Friday, May 30th in southeastern Washington County, Kentucky.

The tornado touched down on a ridgetop near the

intersection of Coyle Lane and Long Run Road, initially snapping

and twisting some hardwood trees, and throwing a chicken cage

almost a quarter mile to the northeast of the path. From there, the

tornado quickly intensified into solid EF-2 strength as a vortex

within the parent circulation produced a third of a mile long

swath of intense damage starting only about 100-200 yards from

the touchdown point. Here, a well built barn with living quarters

was completely swept off the concrete foundation and thrown into

the valley below. Sill plates were anchored to the concrete

foundation, so construction was good, however three large overhead

doors likely contributed to the demise of the structure as they

faced the direction of the tornado path directly. Eyewitness

accounts from inside the structure said the overhead doors caved

inward first, and then the whole building went. Several occupants

were thrown into the valley below among the debris, but

miraculously survived.

From there, the intense EF2 vortex traveled east-northeast across Long Run

Road and completely destroyed another structure/home just to the

east of the road. Here, debris from the complete destruction of

the home was thrown about 75 yards directly to the north of the

path into a ravine. Sadly, one occupant of the home was killed,

with at least two others injured. The foundation of this structure

was on cinder blocks, with quite a bit of open space beneath the

floor. Peak winds reached 125 mph for both of these structures,

with broader EF1 damage noted on either side of the path. Peak

width was right at a quarter of a mile, or roughly 450 yards here

before the tornado narrowed considerably and weakened.

EF1 strength winds continued along and just north of Long Run

Road as the tornado traveled ESE toward the Boyle County line.

During the morning hours on May 30th, an upper-level shortwave trough and an associated surface low pressure system moved across the Ohio and Tennessee valleys. The surface low center tracked across central Kentucky, roughly paralleling the Western Kentucky and Bluegrass Parkways. As the low moved across the area, showers and thunderstorms developed as moisture increased from the south ahead of the center of the low. Within the warm sector of the disturbance, around 500 J/kg of mixed-layer CAPE was present, which was sufficient for modest convective development. Wind shear and helicity values were quite strong, and were enhanced by a warm front which extended to the northeast of the center of the surface low.

While most convection with this system was sub-severe, one cell became attached to the warm front, using the enhanced wind shear and helicity in the front's vicinity to develop strong rotation aloft. While initially this cell produced non-tornadic wind damage, it ultimately produced an EF2 tornado which tracked across Washington and Boyle County before lifting. A separate EF1 tornado was produced by the same cell a few minutes later over Mercer County near Burgin. Convection would then weaken as it continued eastward, with the system exiting the area later in the morning on the 30th.