After no tornadoes struck Kentucky in the month of December for eight years, the state has recorded at least 20 tornadoes since December 6, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
On Monday, the NWS said a tornado struck Hardin County during the outbreak of severe weather on December 10 and 11 that ravaged many areas of western Kentucky. The EF1 twister touched down in the Rineyville area, with The News-Enterprise reporting the twister severely damaged a 92-year-old barn.
The tornado packed wind speeds of up to 100 miles per hour and touched down a few minutes after 1:00 a.m. Saturday, December 11, according to the NWS.
The NWS said on Monday that at least two tornadoes struck Madison County during the severe weather outbreak on December 10 and 11. An EF1 twister hit the small community of Kirksville. The tornado topped trees and took the roofs off a farm house and several barns.
A tornado also touched down about 12 miles from Richmond, damaging at least one home. The Madison County twisters arrived in the area on the morning of Saturday, December 11, at approximately 4:30.
No injuries or deaths were reported in Hardin or Madison county.
On December 6, two tornadoes began the onslaught of deadly weather in the commonwealth when a twister ripped through a Scott County trailer park, while another touched down in a rural area of Franklin County.
Only minor injuries were reported in Scott County but the twister heavily damaged or destroyed most of the 25 mobile homes in the trailer park. No injuries were reported in Franklin County.
The December 10 and 11 outbreak produced at least 18 tornadoes, the NWS reports, as several tornadoes were spawned from the same supercell thunderstorm. For example, a twister that damaged Todd County “cycled down its tornado in eastern Todd County (but) spun back up again after crossing the border into western Logan County.”
In total, at least 20 tornadoes have struck Kentucky since December 6.
Gov. Andy Beshear said on Monday that the death toll from the tornado outbreak stands at 76. One person recently passed away after being injured in the Mayfield candle factory. The death toll from the business now stands at nine.
Prior to this December’s tornadoes, the last twister to touch down in Kentucky occurred in Bourbon County in 2013.
(Photo: Drone photo of 92-year-old barn in Rineyville damaged by tornado, courtesy of The News-Enterprise)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
