Captivating beauty, distinct outdoor recreation, rich country music heritage, and enchanting folk culture are all that define Kentucky. This U.S. state offers endless possibilities to make the most of your trip. However, Kentucky is also known for tornadoes. You will be surprised to know that on average there are about 21 tornadoes in Kentucky every year. Yes, you read that right.
The U.S. state is quite prone to tornadoes that often result in the destruction of property and loss of lives. We are not done yet. There is a lot more to know about the reasons and incidents of tornadoes in Kentucky.
In this all-inclusive blog, we have mentioned everything from the frequency to the reasons for tornadoes in Kentucky. So, without further wait, let’s get started.
An Overview Of Tornadoes In The USA
To people’s knowledge, a tornado is a natural disaster that involves a high-speed and violently spinning column of air that is in touch with both the surface of the ground and the cloud or, in rare cases, the cumulus cloud base.
In other words, a tornado is a funnel-shaped cloud that involves the violent circulation of high-speed winds. Tornadoes mostly occur during the spring or late summer seasons. They are very frequent in the United States. In fact, it may amaze you to know that the United States experienced 1,376 tornadoes in the year 2021.
Every year tornadoes in the USA result in the loss of lives and destroy property worth several million. Some of the most tornado-prone USA states are Oklahoma, Kentucky, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska just to name a few.
An Overview Of Tornadoes in Kentucky
It may come as a big shock to many people to know that since 1830 Kentucky has experienced 62 fatal and powerful tornadoes, resulting in 417 fatalities. That’s a huge figure, right?
The big question that makes sense here is, why does Kentucky so prone to many tornadoes? Keep reading the blog to know various conditions and reasons resulting in tornadoes in Kentucky.
Reason For Tornadoes In Kentucky
As per the research, Hoosier Alley is the third-most active area of the United States that is prone to tornadoes.
It is a location around Indiana that also includes parts of Kentucky and Illinois. Being part of Hoosier Alley, Kentucky often experiences a higher occurrence of tornadoes compared to other locations in the country.
Due to this, it has become more challenging to predict the weather in Kentucky.
There are many other factors that result in tornadoes in Kentucky.
For instance, atmospheric instability is one of the main conditions that contribute to high-speed wind storms. This instability depends on the moisture content present in the air as well as changing temperatures at different heights.
Another factor is a change in wind direction. Change in the vertical wind shear, results in the spinning part of a tornado. Both atmospheric instability and change in wind direction may result in tornadoes.
How Often Does Kentucky See Tornadoes?
As already mentioned above, on average, Kentucky experiences about 21 tornadoes every year. During the years 1950-2022, Kentucky encountered more than 1,315 tornadoes, causing loss of lives and over a billion dollars in damages.
The Biggest Tornadoes in Kentucky
Initially, Kentucky wasn’t part of the traditional tornado alley. It only included Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas. The beautiful U.S. state has impressive weather and unlike other states, it is not always afflicted.
However, eventually, Kentucky experienced some fatal tornadoes in its history and during recent times. Some of the fatal tornadoes in Kentucky are discussed below.
1. The 1890 Twister
It was on March 27, 1890, when a deadly tornado hit the Louisville area, Kentucky. Eventually, the storm grew stronger and damaged the property worth over 7.6 billion dollars. Overall, the storm killed 76 people.
The biggest impact of the storm was seen at Falls City Hall. The force of the wind resulted in the collapse of the building, killing 44 people including men, women, and kids.
2. Destruction In New Albany
On March 23, 1917, people saw a powerful tornado devastating the northern part of the city of Albany before approaching Harrods Creek, Kentucky. The tornado took 46 lives, including school kids. The tornado also resulted in the loss of property worth $19 million in total.
3. Super Outbreak
It was in the year 1974 when 148 tornadoes hit the mid-western and southern parts of America. Out of 146, Kentucky experienced 26 vicious tornadoes that claimed the lives of 77 people, injured 1,377, and caused property damage of over $100 million.
That’s not all! Tornadoes destroyed over 2,000 farms, affected 6,000 families and severely damaged more than 400 houses.
The storm affected 39 counties in Kentucky, making it one of the worst and deadliest storm disasters in the state’s history. The 1974 super outbreak still remains one of the most severe weather incidents in the history of the United States.
4. 2021 Makes History
One of the deadliest tornadoes in Kentucky happened on December 10, 2021. The storm destroyed more than 15,000 buildings and killed 74 people.
