Six Tornadoes Hit Kentucky Thursday

Photo by: RYAN HERMENS | Lexington Herald-Leader | A home in Harrodsburg, Ky., took damage from one of six tornadoes that landed in the state Thursday morning, January 6, 2023.

While parts of the western Commonwealth reported heavy winds and large hailstones, the National Weather Service has confirmed that six tornadoes touched down throughout Kentucky Thursday — five of which were rated EF-1.

Around 2 AM Central, the first one spun through Ballard and McCracken counties, before crossing the Ohio River and into Illinois. The Paducah NWS office indicates it landed near Monkeys Eyebrow and had top speeds of 95 miles per hour, was on the ground for seven minutes, carved a 6.7-mile-long path and was 200 yards wide.

Six hours later, four more tornadoes were generated in central Kentucky, per the Louisville NWS office.

At exactly 8:47 AM Eastern, one touched west of Pleasureville in Henry County. It was on the ground for two minutes, had a path 1.27 miles long, a maximum width of 100 yards and reached speeds of 110 miles an hour.

At 9 AM Eastern, just west of Harrodsburg in Mercer County, a tornado lasted two minutes — with top winds at 100 miles an hour, a path of 2.25 miles and a 75-yard berth.

At 9:10 AM Eastern, Danville in Boyle County experienced a twister for one minute. Its path was 0.84 miles long and 125 yards wide, with top speeds approaching 95 miles an hour.

A survey team was still on the ground late Friday afternoon, but Madison County experienced an EF-1 tornado during this same window.

The sixth tornado generated by the Thursday morning storm system occurred two miles northwest of Williamstown in Grant County. According to the Wilmington, Ohio, NWS office, it touched ground around 9:23 AM Eastern, and was only landed for one minute. Its path was 0.3 miles long, 50 yards wide and had maximum winds at 85 miles an hour — making it an EF-0.

As of Saturday morning, no injuries or deaths have been reported due to these storms, but trees, powerlines, roofs, barns and gutters were damaged in multiple areas.

Information from this report came from Tom Latek, with Kentucky Today.

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