Kentucky tornado now rated high-end EF4
(WISH) — The National Weather Service office in Paducah, Kentucky, has released its preliminary storm report for the violent tornado that moved through the state last week; it has been rated an EF4 with winds near 190 mph.
To give some perspective, an EF5 tornado has wind speeds of 200 mph.
The data is preliminary but it appears the strongest part of the tornado created a path of destruction from Mayfield to Bremen, Kentucky. This is the second EF4 tornado this year.
Friday night’s tornado is being called the “Quad State” tornado because it started in northeast Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky.
Survey teams from the National Weather Service said late Thursday afternoon that Friday night’s storm had two long-track tornadoes. The original thought was that it was possibly one very long tracked tornado. The first was 80.3 miles; the second was at least 163.5 miles. The first tornado also received a rating of EF4 with wind speeds of 170 MPH. This would officially mark the third EF4 tornado of the year.
The longest tracked tornado on record is the “Tri State” tornado which was on the ground for 219 miles in March of 1925. It moved through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.
75 people in Kentucky alone have died from the tornado.