8 tornadoes plow through Kentucky, leaving 1 dead and thousands without power

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The National Weather Service has confirmed eight EF-1 tornadoes touched down in Kentucky during Tuesday’s storm.

Around 4 p.m., the National Weather Service Wilmington, Ohio, office confirmed an EF-1 tornado struck in Mason County along the Ohio border. The tornado started near Minerva, Kentucky, and lifted around the Ohio River. An NWS survey of the area is ongoing.

The seven other confirmed tornadoes were in Anderson, Bourbon, Boyd, Henry, Jessamine, Jefferson and Nelson counties. The wind speeds of the tornadoes in Anderson and Nelson counties reached 95 miles per hour while the tornadoes in Jessamine County and Henry County reached 110 miles per hour. The tornado in Jefferson County had wind speeds of 100 miles per hour, and the tornado in Bourbon County had wind speeds of 110 miles per hour.

Gov. Andy Beshear said at a press conference Wednesday the state had learned of one weather-related death from Tuesday’s storms. The death was a result of a car accident in Campbell County “when the first line of strong storms” came through, and Beshear said he the victim was a young man.

A storm report in the NWS’ Storm Prediction Center said photos submitted by the Boyd County Emergency Management Agency showed tornadic damage from at least an EF-1 tornado. Two mobile homes were displaced and multiple trees were uprooted or snapped.

The NWS also confirmed straight-line wind damage in Fayette, Mercer, Spencer and Woodford counties. Damage assessment teams are planning on visiting Bourbon, Clark, Carter, Jefferson, Henry and Oldham counties to survey storm damage there.

It’s possible other tornadoes could be confirmed Wednesday.

In Western Kentucky, storm surveyors plan to visit Ballard, McCracken and Union counties. The NWS has not confirmed any tornadoes in those areas.

One weather-related injury was reported in Lexington, Mayor Linda Gorton said Wednesday morning. The Lexington Police Department reported six injury collisions, 47 non-injury collisions and 100 traffic hazards overnight.

Just over 13,500 people in Kentucky were still without power as of 3:30 p.m., according to poweroutage.us, a website that tracks outages nationwide. Boyd, Carter, Fayette, Estill and Jefferson counties all have at least 1,000 outages, with Fayette seeing approximately 4,100.

LG&E & KU’s power outage map shows power outages all over Lexington, with the largest outages in the Chevy Chase area and in the Ashland neighborhoods to the southwest of Richmond Road. Power restoration estimations for those outages specifically are 11 p.m. Wednesday.

Fayette County residents are encouraged to submit reports of damage to their home or property to Survey123. The Lexington Emergency Management Agency said submitting damage reports helped officials see where resources are most needed.

Shortly after 9:30 p.m. Tuesday Lexington emergency management deactivated its operation center and moved to virtual operations.

Beshear declared a state of emergency Tuesday after the first round of the storms left behind significant damage in many areas.

“I promised to always be there, and I meant it. We will get through this, together,” Beshear said in a post on X.

There is no severe weather in the forecast for the rest of the week. The NWS said the cold front has moved in, dropping temperatures by 25-30 degrees compared to the past few days.

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