EF1 Tornado — Graves, Kentucky

2020-01-11 · near Stubblefield, Graves, Kentucky

Event narrative

The tornado touched down at the intersection of Little Bethel Church Road and Woodson Road, traveled along and just north of Woodson Road, went across State Route 129 and ended just east of Stubblefield Road. The tornado traveled east-northeast at 60 mph for two consecutive miles. Much of the damage path width was 100 yards or less, but peaked at 235 yards wide just east of Route 129. The tornado hit a farm/out building and did damage to several trees along Woodson Road. It intensified at Route 129, and then hit a chicken farm with substantial damage to 3 of the 6 buildings. A 4th building was moderately damaged. Two buildings at each end had minor damage. Metal roofing was launched well up into trees at least 50 to 60 feet tall east of the farm buildings. Damage was estimated to be around 2 million dollars. Minor damage to a house and some trees was found at Stubblefield Road before the tornado ended. Peak winds in this tornado were estimated near 110 mph.

Wider weather episode

An unseasonably strong storm system impacted the region January 10-11. Heavy rainfall, flooding, scattered damaging winds, tornadoes, and gusty non-thunderstorm winds impacted western Kentucky during this time. The bulk of the event occurred overnight and into the morning hours on the 11th. Rainfall totals ranged from 2 to 5 inches, which resulted in pockets of flash flooding across the region, as well as minor flooding of the Green River. Strong to severe convection over the Ozark Mountains moved east into an environment of very strong wind shear over southeast Missouri, with 850 mb winds near 60 knots. The convection maintained intensity after it crossed the Mississippi River during the early morning hours. Tremendous wind shear (winds of 50 knots down to 1500 feet above ground) and strong forcing associated with a potent 500 mb shortwave compensated for weak instability. Some of the strong winds aloft reached the surface in the form of gradient wind gusts from 40 to around 50 mph. A weak surface low formed along a cold front over southwest Arkansas, then deepened as it tracked northeast across the Missouri Bootheel and into the lower Ohio Valley on the morning of the 11th.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (36.6198, -88.7049)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 866145. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.