EF2 tornado in Warren County, Kentucky

After an in-depth radar analysis and on-the-ground surveying, the survey team found a separate tornado which first touched down as a thin skipping tornado just before the Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport. It damaged a storage building, and then became more ground based on the east side of the airport, damaging the roof of a well built hangar. The Bowling Green ASOS measured a 63 mph wind gust about a quarter mile away from the 100 yard wide tornado of 100 mph. The tornado increased in size to about 200 yards hitting the Hub apartments and townhouses. There was extensive damage to windows, as well as roofing. The garage units had the most structural roofing and side wall damage. Winds increased to 110 mph.

The tornado became more elevated hitting several trees, power lines, and there was some apartment roofing damage near the Barren River. The tornado crossed Interstate 65 near the 27 mile marker and was about 200 yards wide.

There was extensive tree damage and one barn was destroyed east of the interstate between Cumberland Trace Road and Porter Pike. Winds were between 90 and 100 mph, and then the tornado increased to EF2 120 mph striking the Corvette track and Motorsports Park. There was extensive damage to the main building and a series of garage and storage buildings had extensive structural damage to the individual roofs. Debris was thrown over half a mile to the east northeast. The tornado was 225 yards wide, and the survey team could see the main tornado damage about a half a mile away towards the Corvette plant on the other side of the interstate. NWS used drone technology to analyze the roofing structures for wind speed determinations.

The tornado weakened and paralleled Interstate 65 along McGinnis Road and Bristow Road. Most of the damage was tree damage. Trees were snapped, twisted, and uprooted facing from the northwest to the southeast direction. There was also some siding, gutter, and roofing damage. The tornado was between 100 and 150 yards wide and the wind speeds were around 90 to 95 mph before it lifted at the 29.2 mile marker.

Strong southern winds brought warm temperatures and plenty of moisture into an environment of strong wind shear ahead of an advancing cold front. This resulted in unusually warm temperatures for a December day and the ingredients to produce a historic tornado outbreak and flash flooding. This included multiple long track tornadoes. Central Kentucky saw 18 tornadoes that injured 96 and killed 18. An additional death occurred in a flash flood.