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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Louisville KY
515 PM EST Wed Dec 15 2021/415 PM CST Wed Dec 15 2021


...NWS Damage Survey for 12/10/2021 Tornado Event…    	

.Ohio/Breckinridge/Grayson County Kentucky Tornado…        						

EF Scale Rating:           EF-3
Estimated Peak Wind:       140 mph
Path Length/Statute/:      35.6 miles
Path Width/Maximum/:       1200 yards (0.7 miles)
Fatalities:                0	
Injuries:                  0

Start Date:                12/10/2021
Start Time:                11:10 PM CST
Start Location:            5.6 Miles west of Centertown, KY
Start Lat/Lon:             37.407 -87.098		

End Date:                  12/10/2021
End Time:                  11:45 PM CST
End Location:              4 miles west McDaniels, KY			
End Lat/Lon:               37.607 -86.506

Survey Summary: 

Overall, this tornado ranged from EF-0 to EF-3 strength across its 
35 mile path through Ohio, Grayson, and Breckinridge counties. Its 
peak width was close to three quarters of a mile wide, and max 
estimated winds were 140 mph in spots. This tornado is a 
continuation of the western Kentucky (Mayfield) tornado, and will go 
down as the longest continuous track tornado on record in the 
Commonwealth of Kentucky at 163 miles. This length could still 
change to a greater length depending on pending surveys. Thanks to 
NWS Paducah KY for coordination on where the tornado crossed into 
our county warning area. 

The tornado was at EF-1 strength when it crossed the Green River 
from Muhlenberg County into Ohio County. The tornado retained EF-1 
strength through an abandoned coal strip mine, snapping hardwood 
trees, overturning a large section of coal conveyor belt, and 
downing steel and wood power poles. Rugged terrain seems to have 
affected the tornado at times as it fluctuated in width and 
intensity moving across A9 Road, to Matanzas Road, and approaching 
A5 road. It weakened to around the EF-0/EF-1 threshold and narrowed 
to 200-300 yards as it crossed A5 Road and A6 Lane, before rapidly 
intensifying to EF-2 strength over Chandle Loop and Highway 85. 
Here, a large chicken farm lost 5 out of 7 of it's well built 
chicken houses. The foundations were swept clean. In addition, 
several homes and barns suffered major damage or total destruction. 
Hundreds of large hardwoods were snapped and uprooted. One well 
built house had a large portion of roof removed along with partial 
wall collapse. Max width in this area was around a quarter mile wide.

The tornado maintained solid EF-1 strength and narrowed to a width 
around 300 yards as it briefly paralleled Carter Ferry Road, and 
then approached and crossed A7 Road. From here, a significant 
topography change ocurred as the tornado crossed the Rough River and 
entered much flatter open farmland. Damage was noted to a grove of 
snapped hardwood trees near Johnson School and Mud College Roads. 
Then, several (6 or 7) large steel electrical transmission lines 
were either broken or bent across a widening half to almost three 
quarter mile wide width. The tornado had gained significant 
intensity up to EF-2/EF-3 strength as it slammed into homes and 
businesses along US 231 only about 1 to 1.5 miles NW of Hartford. On 
the west side of US 231, two semi tractor trailers were lifted, 
twisted, and thrown 40 yards from their original position, badly 
mangling one of the cabs. In addition, a barn was completely 
demolished. A small, brick office structure was totally destroyed 
only leaving one half of a wall and a few interior rooms, while 
completly wiping away the other half of the building. Winds were 
peaked at an estimated 140 mph here. Across the highway, a well 
built, and nearly 100 year old brick two story home lost its entire 
roof and collapsed a couple of upstairs walls. Other homes, very 
large silos, small businesses, and a fertilizer storage facility 
were heavily damaged in addition to some very large and healthy 
hardwood trees being snapped, twisted, and snarled.

The tornado maintained EF-2/EF-3 intensity as it continued 
northeastward, crossing the William H Natcher Parkway and 
approaching Highway 69. Here, more intense damage occurred along 69 
between Utley Road and along Morrison Run. At Utley Road, 2 homes 
and 1 double wide trailer were completely destroyed, and a 4th brick 
home lost an entire roof and collapsed a couple of walls. Here, an 
amazing survival story occurred as the residents of the 3 structures 
that were completely destroyed hunkered in the bathroom of the brick 
home and rode out the intense tornado. Luckily, no injuries occurred 
thanks to the great decisions made by the occupants to find a 
sturdier structure to ride out the storm. A large barn was also 
heavily damaged here. The next set of homes downstream from Utley 
Road experienced very intense damage. Here, two anchored mobile 
homes were completely destroyed as their frames were tossed and 
bent. One frame ended up 100 yards from its original position. A 
fifth wheel camper was thrown and landed upside down 30 yards from 
where it sat. A small farmhouse was also heavily damaged as some 
walls completely collapsed. Another survival story occurred here as 
residents made a decision to leave the area to seek better shelter. 
Many compliments were given to local television media coverage and 
warning lead time. Two more homes were either heavily damaged or 
destroyed as the tornado crossed Highway 69. A well built two story 
home lost half of its upper story, and a small brick home was 
sheared in half.

Damage was observed by NWS surveyors to several hardwood trees along 
Morrison Run from Cedar Grove Road. However, the most intense tree 
damage of the Ohio County path occurred along Humble Valley Road 
where some local terrain influences very likely funneled the 
tornadic winds into a consolidated area. Here, strong EF-2 to near 
EF-3 winds snapped thousands of hardwood trees and damaged a few 
homes, barns, and sheds. It took 2 to 3 days to clear Humble Valley 
Road for access. A barn was destroyed, along with tree damage, and 
complete destruction of a home under construction along W Halls 
Creek Road. As the tornado continued toward the intersection of 878 
and 919, it crossed Bean Hill doing mainly tree damage. It then did 
major tree damage, unroofed a home, and destroyed a barn at that 
intersection. Heavy damage occurred at New Baymus Road where a farm 
lost three substantial barns, and a deer farm was heavily damaged 
along with a bunch of equipment. Clinton Lane was the next to be hit 
as a brand new barn, power poles, and a few structures were damaged 
or destroyed. The barn was totally destroyed and thrown hundreds of 
yards downstream, and hundreds of hardwood trees were snapped. One 
cow was killed by flying debris here. Downwind of that, a trailer 
was cut in half amongst very heavy tree damage, and the occupants of 
the mangled half of the trailer had fled to a safer shelter.

Hundreds of hardwoods were snapped around Cane Ford Lane along with 
total destruction of an old trailer. From there, the tornado climbed 
a ridge and crossed State Road 54, heavily damaging a home and 
garage, along with continuing to mangle hundreds of hardwood and 
softwood trees. The tornado arrived in Breckinridge County, crossed 
Schneider Road, and damaged a cattle barn and trees, before entering 
Grayson County. 

The path crossed the Rough River about 1 mile WNW of the Lafayette 
Golf Club. The tornado snapped several hardwood trees in this area 
before moving almost a half mile across an open flood plain. The 
tornado then continued northeast through a heavily wooded area, 
continuing to snap and uproot hardwood trees along the path. There 
some strong EF-1 intensity damage happened in a development area a 
mile north of the Falls of Rough State Resort where intense snarling 
of a cluster of hardwood trees was indicative of winds just over 100 
mph. A well built structure was mostly spared as and inflow vortex 
fed into the main tornado path around the southeast side of the 
house. Extensive tree damage occurred in this area where over 100 
hardwood trees were snapped and uprooted.

The tornado continued onward crossing Highway 110, going over a 
ridgetop and snapping more trees. More extensive tree damage 
occurred as the tornado briefly paralleled another portion of the 
Rough River as it crossed Old Railroad Bed Road. From there, the 
tornado travelled another 1 mile to 1.5 miles to a large boat 
storage facility on the Falls of Rough Road. The boat facility was 
heavily damaged due to winds easily tearing apart open boat storage 
structures. Large debris from these structures was scattered 300 
yards across Falls of Rough Road and a runway. Power lines were also 
taken down along Falls of Rough Road. Damage ended just shy of the 
Rough River Dam Resort State Park on the western Banks of Rough 
River Lake. 
We would like to thank Ohio County, Breckinridge County, and Grayson 
County Emergency Management Agencies, the Centertown Fire Chief and 
department, NWS Jackson KY, and the Civil Air Patrol for their 
assistance with this survey. In addition, the good people of west 
central Kentucky who offered us food and beverages even though they 
had been the ones to lose so much. Their spirit and resilience was 
amazing to see.

EF Scale:  The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the 
following categories:

EF0...Weak.....65 to 85 MPH
EF1...Weak.....86 to 110 MPH
EF2...Strong...111 to 135 MPH
EF3...Strong...136 to 165 MPH
EF4...Violent..166 to 200 MPH
EF5...Violent..>200 MPH

Note:  The information in this statement is preliminary and subject 
to change pending final review of the event and publication in NWS 
storm data.

For the latest updates, please visit our webpage at 
weather.gov/louisville. 

You can follow us on Facebook at NWSLouisville.

You can follow us on Twitter at @NWSLouisville.

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BJS/LB/KF/CSG/JMW/RAS