Deadly tornado strikes Eastern KY

[Stormsfury]

2 miles West of Oakdale in Breathitt County, KY ...

2 fatalities and more injured ...
Two buildings were demolished, several mobile homes severely damaged or destroyed. Numerous trees down or uprooted... Report from Law Enforcement.

A tragic end to a heavy severe weather day ...
4 tornado reports, 106 wind reports, and 28 hail reports.

[southerngale]

Yes, very tragic!

[Anonymous]

any pics?

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

2113 UNK 2 W OAKDALE BREATHITT KY 3754 8355 *** 2 DEAD, SEVERAL INJ *** TWO BUILDINGS DEMOLISHED. TEN MOBILE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DEMOLISHED. NUMEROUS TREES DOWN OR UPROOTED. REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT. (JKL)

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON, KY
1030 PM EST SAT FEB 22 2003

TIME(EST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....

0700 AM WOOTON KY FLASH FLOODS
02/22/03 LESLIE MUDSLIDE THREATENING A
TRAILER ON POUND MILL ROAD.
REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT.

0740 AM BLACKEY KY FLASH FLOODS
02/22/03 LETCHER WATER OVER HWY 7 AT DOTY
CREEK. REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT.

0745 AM VAN KY FLASH FLOODS
02/22/03 LETCHER SMOOT CREEK ROAD UNDER
WATER AT INTERSECTION OF
HWY 15 AND HWY 160.
REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT.

0340 PM 1 N WILLIAMSBURG KY .75 INCH HAIL
02/22/03 WHITLEY DIME-SIZED HAIL. REPORTED
BY SPOTTERS.

0350 PM ANNVILLE KY .75 INCH HAIL
02/22/03 JACKSON DIME-SIZED HAIL. REPORTED
BY SPOTTERS.

0352 PM 5 W BOONEVILLE KY 1.00 INCH HAIL
02/22/03 OWSLEY QUARTER-SIZE HAIL.
REPORTED BY SPOTTERS.

0413 PM 2 W OAKDALE KY POSSIBLE TORNADO
02/22/03 BREATHITT *** 2 DEAD, SEVERAL INJ ***
TWO BUILDINGS DEMOLISHED. TEN
MOBILE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED
OR DEMOLISHED. NUMEROUS TREES
DOWN OR UPROOTED. REPORTED BY
LAW ENFORCEMENT.

0514 PM 1 NW PRESTONSBURG KY .75 INCH HAIL
02/22/03 FLOYD DIME-SIZED HAIL ALONG
ABBOTT CREEK. REPORTED BY
SPOTTERS.

0515 PM THOUSANDSTICKS KY .75 INCH HAIL
02/22/03 LESLIE DIME-SIZED HAIL ALONG
OSBORNE FORK. REPORTED BY
SPOTTERS.

0515 PM PRESTONSBURG KY .75 INCH HAIL
02/22/03 FLOYD DIME-SIZED HAIL. THE HAIL
COVERED THE GROUND.
REPORTED BY SPOTTERS.

0535 PM INEZ KY 1.75 INCH HAIL
02/22/03 MARTIN GOLFBALL-SIZED HAIL.
REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT.

0540 PM PRESTONSBURG KY 1.00 INCH HAIL
02/22/03 FLOYD QUARTER-SIZED HAIL.
REPORTED BY SPOTTERS.

0540 PM 2 E INEZ KY 1.00 INCH HAIL
02/22/03 MARTIN QUARTER-SIZED HAIL.
REPORTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT

0545 PM 3 SE INEZ KY .75 INCH HAIL
02/22/03 MARTIN DIME-SIZED HAIL COVERED
THE GROUND. REPORTED BY
PUBLIC.

0625 PM FLEMING-NEON KY 1.00 INCH HAIL
02/22/03 PIKE QUARTER-SIZED HAIL.
REPORTED BY DES DIRECTOR.

0635 PM DORTON KY 1.00 INCH HAIL
02/22/03 PIKE QUARTER-SIZED HAIL.
REPORTED BY DES DIRECTOR.

0700 PM LOOKOUT KY WIND DAMAGE
02/22/03 PIKE MULTIPLE TREES DOWN ALONG
ROUTE 195 NEAR LOOKOUT.
REPORTED BY DES DIRECTOR.

0715 PM ASHCAMP KY WIND DAMAGE
02/22/03 PIKE NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ALONG
HWY 197 NEAR ASHCAMP AND
SYCAMORE. REPORTED BY DES
DIRECTOR.

0745 PM 1 W ELKHORN CITY KY WIND DAMAGE
02/22/03 PIKE TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN.
REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT.

[Rob-TheStormChaser]

Saturday Storm Leaves Behind Dead And Injured


Breathitt County, KY, Feb. 22 - Two people died late Saturday afternoon after strong winds rushed through a community on the Breathitt-Lee County line. At least ten others were injured and have been taken to area hospitals, according to an emergency management spokesman.



Kentucky State Police received a call around 4 p-m of a weather event on Highway 52.

KSP says there are reports of homes being lifted and overturned. Authorities are on the scene searching for other victims of the storm.

The Kentucky Division of Emergency Management says two mobile homes and a furniture store were severely damaged by the winds.

Strong rains were drenching the area Saturday. A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Breathitt County at 4:04 by the National Weather Service in Jackson.

Meteorologists have not determined if the mobile homes were hit by a tornado or straight line winds.

[Stormsfury]

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
915 PM EST SAT FEB 22 2003

MOTHER NATURE CONTINUES TO USE EAST KENTUCKY TO DEMONSTRATE HER POWER. A SOMBER AND TRAGIC EVENING AS A PROBABLE TORNADO IN OUR HOST COUNTY HAS CAUSED TWO CONFIRMED DEATHS. OTHER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND POSSIBLE TORNADOES ROLLED THROUGH MUCH OF EAST KENTUCKY WITH LARGE HAIL AND WIND DAMAGE REPORTS.

[breeze]

And, now snow is covering the ground in Breathitt County, where
they are trying to clean up the debris!

[Stormsfury]

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSON KY
1158 AM EST SUN FEB 23 2003

...STORM DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED TWO MILES WEST OF OAKDALE SATURDAY
HAD AN F1 TORNADO EMBEDDED IN STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS...

A STORM SURVEY TEAM FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSON
DETERMINED THAT THE STORM DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED AROUND 4:13 PM EST
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 22ND...TWO MILES WEST OF OAKDALE...WAS THE RESULT
OF AN F1 TORNADO EMBEDDED IN DOWNBURST WINDS.

A LARGE SWATH OF DOWNBURST WINDS...NEARLY 450 FEET WIDE...SWEPT
THROUGH THE DAMAGED AREA. EMBEDDED IN THESE WINDS WAS AN F1
TORNADO...WITH WINDS BETWEEN 100 AND 112 MILES PER HOUR...THAT WAS
ON THE GROUND FOR APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS AND WAS 75 YARDS WIDE.

THIS STORM CLAIMED TWO LIVES AND INJURED SEVEN. AT LEAST FIVE
TRAILERS WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND NUMEROUS OTHER STRUCTURES
WERE DAMAGED.