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F1 tornado in Breathitt County, Kentucky

Tornado February 22, 2003 · Breathitt County, Kentucky

Rating

0.5 mi

Path length

75 yd

Path width

Deaths

Injuries

$300K

Damage as recorded

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NOAA recorded where this tornado touched down but not where it lifted, so it appears as a point. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F1 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F1 meant moderate damage: roofs badly stripped, mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned, windows broken; the scale paired it with winds of 73–112 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

What the National Weather Service wrote

A large swath of downburst winds, nearly 450 yards wide, swept through the damaged area. Embedded in these winds was an F1 tornado, with winds between 100 and 112 mile per hour. At least five trailer homes were completely destroyed along with several other structures including tobacco barns and outbuildings. Twelve cars were also destroyed in a car lot. Numerous trees were down or uprooted. Two people died as a result of injuries from their mobile homes being tossed off of the ground.

Began near Oakdale (37.5500, -83.5500).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5345281. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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