Storm Events Database

Storm Events Database

Event Details:

Event Tornado
-- Scale EF1
-- Length 0.84 Miles
-- Width 125 Yards
State KENTUCKY
County/Area BOYLE
WFO LMK
Report Source NWS Storm Survey
NCEI Data Source CSV
Begin Date 2023-01-12 09:10 EST-5
Begin Location 1NNE WELLS LNDG
Begin Lat/Lon 37.6878/-84.7367
End Date 2023-01-12 09:11 EST-5
End Location 2NE WELLS LNDG
End Lat/Lon 37.6931/-84.7231
Deaths Direct/Indirect 0/0 (fatality details below, when available...)
Injuries Direct/Indirect 0/0
Property Damage
Crop Damage
Episode Narrative During the morning hours of January 12th, an area of low pressure moved through the Ohio Valley downstream of an upper trough across the mid-Mississippi Valley. The initial wave of storms along a warm front moved across north central Kentucky and southern Indiana during the pre-dawn hours, bringing generally sub-severe hail with isolated quarter-sized hail reports. Storms along this boundary were not surface based, but were able to utilize 500-1000 J/kg MUCAPE via steep mid-level lapse rates to produce convection which was of sufficient depth and strength to produce hailstones. Wind shear was more than sufficient for sustaining convection throughout the event, with anywhere from 50-60 kt effective bulk shear across central Kentucky. The second wave of severe convection formed ahead of the surface cold front, moving from west to east across the region during the early and mid-morning hours as a broken quasi-linear convective system (QLCS). Modest destabilization occurred ahead of this second line of storms; however, the antecedent near-surface inversion was able to erode, contributing to the development of 200-500 J/kg of SBCAPE. As a result, severe impacts transitioned from predominantly elevated ones to surface-based threats. While scattered straight-line wind damage was initially the dominant severe impact, convection encountered a local maximum in 0-1 km storm-relative helicity as it crossed Interstate 65, with greater than 300 m2/s2 0-1 km SRH analyzed on SPC hourly mesoscale analysis. In addition, the segment of the QLCS which passed through the Bluegrass region had an orientation which was more perpendicular to the 0-3 km bulk shear vector, indicating a greater potential for embedded tornadoes. Accordingly, appendages and breaks within the QLCS produced several brief tornadoes across the area, with tornadoes being reported in Henry, Mercer, Boyle, and Madison Counties. The line continued to push into eastern Kentucky during the late morning hours, with the severe threat ending shortly thereafter.
Event Narrative The National Weather Service in Louisville conducted a storm damage survey in Boyle County for storms that rolled through during the mid-morning hours on January 12th. The survey team determined the damage was consistent with an EF1 tornado with maximum winds of 95 mph.
The initial touchdown occurred near the intersection of Tibbs Lane and Waterworks Road. A large, well-built garage sustained significant roof and side wall damage with a west side uplift of the foundation of the garage. The garage debris was thrown up to 150 yards to the east with portions of two-by-fours being driven into the ground. There were several trees topped, snapped, and uprooted facing from the north to the southeast. An owner of one of the homes was on his back porch and saw the tornado, and went into his basement. After some time, he came outside and two of his back porch support beams were bent and twisted. Winds in this area were determined to be 90 mph.
Aerial photography from a drone showed significant tree damage along Waterworks Road all the way to the Dix River. The drone showed that many trees were topped and/or twisted, and they were facing a northeasterly to southeasterly direction. At 2140 Waterworks Road, the worst damage occurred, with significant tree damage all around a well-built house that did not have any damage. At the back of the house, two very large hardwood trees were uprooted right next to each other, creating an enormous crater. Most significantly, one tree was facing due east and the other northeast. Additionally, a fairly well-built barn lost several roof panels. The owners of the house described a fifteen second deafening noise, with pine cones hitting their house from multiple directions. Winds at this house were estimated at 95 mph.
Drone photography showed the tree damage ended at the Dix River, but the survey team went across to the other side of the river to Taylor Road and Stoney Point Road in Garrard County, and no damage was found at all.


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Event Map:

Note: The tornado track is approximate based on the beginning (B) and ending (E) locations. The actual tornado path may differ from a straight line.


All events for this episode:

Location County/Zone St. Date Time T.Z. Type Mag Dth Inj PrD CrD
Totals: 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
CRESTWOOD OLDHAM CO. KY 01/12/2023 05:35 EST-5 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
MC DANIELS BRECKINRIDGE CO. KY 01/12/2023 06:05 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 51 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
MADRID BRECKINRIDGE CO. KY 01/12/2023 06:07 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
HOMER LOGAN CO. KY 01/12/2023 06:31 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 52 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
LEITCHFIELD GRAYSON CO. KY 01/12/2023 06:35 CST-6 Hail 0.75 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
NEEDMORE BUTLER CO. KY 01/12/2023 06:44 CST-6 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
NAKER BUTLER CO. KY 01/12/2023 06:51 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 51 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
GLENMORE WARREN CO. KY 01/12/2023 06:52 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 51 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
BRANDENBURG MEADE CO. KY 01/12/2023 07:03 EST-5 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
GEORGETOWN SCOTT CO. KY 01/12/2023 07:03 EST-5 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
CANMER HART CO. KY 01/12/2023 07:25 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 51 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
BROADWELL HARRISON CO. KY 01/12/2023 07:27 EST-5 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
ST DENNIS JEFFERSON CO. KY 01/12/2023 07:27 EST-5 Hail 0.88 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
EVE GREEN CO. KY 01/12/2023 07:44 CST-6 Thunderstorm Wind 51 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
TONIEVILLE LARUE CO. KY 01/12/2023 08:10 EST-5 Thunderstorm Wind 51 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
BALLTOWN NELSON CO. KY 01/12/2023 08:25 EST-5 Thunderstorm Wind 51 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
BARDSTOWN NELSON CO. KY 01/12/2023 08:28 EST-5 Thunderstorm Wind 51 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
RAYWICK MARION CO. KY 01/12/2023 08:30 EST-5 Thunderstorm Wind 51 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
LEBANON SPGFLD ARPT WASHINGTON CO. KY 01/12/2023 08:35 EST-5 Thunderstorm Wind 50 kts. MG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
PLEASUREVILLE HENRY CO. KY 01/12/2023 08:47 EST-5 Tornado EF1 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
ROSE HILL MERCER CO. KY 01/12/2023 09:01 EST-5 Tornado EF1 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
HARRODSBURG MERCER CO. KY 01/12/2023 09:04 EST-5 Thunderstorm Wind 53 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
WELLS LNDG BOYLE CO. KY 01/12/2023 09:10 EST-5 Tornado EF1 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
NICHOLASVILLE JESSAMINE CO. KY 01/12/2023 09:20 EST-5 Thunderstorm Wind 51 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
STONE GARRARD CO. KY 01/12/2023 09:22 EST-5 Thunderstorm Wind 51 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
MEREDITH GRAYSON CO. KY 01/12/2023 09:30 CST-6 Hail 1.00 in. 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
RICHMOND MADISON CO. KY 01/12/2023 09:36 EST-5 Thunderstorm Wind 60 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
RICHMOND MADISON CO. KY 01/12/2023 09:40 EST-5 Thunderstorm Wind 51 kts. EG 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
UNION CITY MADISON CO. KY 01/12/2023 09:42 EST-5 Tornado EF1 0 0 0.00K 0.00K
Totals: 0 0 0.00K 0.00K