LOUISVILLE, Ky. —
The National Weather Service’s preliminary survey showed that an EF-1 tornado touched down in eastern Jefferson County and Oldham County on Tuesday.
The NWS is looking into whether it was one tornado that picked up and touched down a second time in another area or if there were two separate tornadoes.
An NWS and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration team surveyed an area in the Worthington Hills area off Westport Road on Wednesday morning and later surveyed the Confederate Estates area of Pewee Valley.
In Jefferson County, damage was reported in a subdivision and apartment complex where limbs pierced the siding of homes, trees fell, and fences and playground equipment were destroyed.
NWS’ John Gordon said the tornado had wind speeds of 90 mph.
Gordon said it’s not just the debris that shows a tornado came through, but the trees also tell the story of what happened.
“A lot of twisting and turning in the trees, where healthy trees are trying to come apart and move. If it were a burst of wind, it would come down like this. It’s probably not that wide. I’ll have to put up some points and I don’t know the length yet, but it’s a real classic small spring up tornado, very small,” Gordon said.
In Pewee Valley, almost every house in Confederate Estates had downed trees and branches.
George Dunaway said the storm was over almost as soon as it started, but the remnants of the damage can be seen throughout his neighborhood.
“The chairs were all over our yard and their yard, but we gathered them up,” Dunaway said.
Dunaway’s gazebo, which is now a mangled mess of metal, ended up next door in his neighbor’s yard.
“I just saw something big and black coming past my window, and I just heard something crash,” Larry White said.
The airborne gazebo caused the most damage to White’s home.
NWS crews also surveyed areas of Hardin County on Wednesday. The county emergency services chief said there was no major damage, just fallen trees and a few downed power lines.
by WLKY (2018, June 28)
