EF0 Tornado — Scott, Indiana

2021-10-15 · near Lexington, Scott, Indiana

Event narrative

The National Weather Service in Louisville conducted a storm damage survey across Scott county, Indiana. The survey team found damage consistent with 80 mph winds in Lexington, Indiana. The tornado began at the Lexington cemetery and continued all the way to the Lexington fire and rescue. The tornado uprooted, twisted, and snapped numerous trees at the cemetery with the trees falling in a northerly, northeasterly, southeasterly, and southwesterly direction. This is where the widest part of the tornado was observed with approximately a 75 yard width.

Several trees were snapped along Charlestown Road with more significant damage along South Stuard Street. A couple of homes had shingle damage and loose items such as gas cans and garden decorations that were thrown 50 yards.

Power crews were working feverishly to restore power all along South Mulberry Street, where trees were thrown in multiple directions and across power lines. Power company workers said that several of the power poles were snapped or cracked.

The tornado continued along South Cherry St. with a very narrow path of only 40 to 50 yards, and lifted around the Lexington Fire and Rescue. Several witnesses told us that they heard windows being opened up and a distinct roar in the air.

Wider weather episode

During the night, an area of thunderstorms ahead of a cold front, worked its way east through southern Indiana. The environment became more stable and only marginal shear remained. The environment was looking less favorable for severe weather, but a storm on the leading edge of a storm cluster generated its own shear between the northern edge of outflow dominant storms to the south and the environmental winds ahead of the storm. This resulted in a series of isolated quick spin-up type tornadoes that caused isolated damage in Washington and Scott Counties.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (38.6491, -85.6355)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 989277. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.