Straight-line winds and tornadoes caused damage in Kentucky. What to know about both
Marina JohnsonThree tornadoes, touching down in various Kentucky counties, caused chaos in the Bluegrass State during Tuesday's severe storms, damaging powerlines, family homes, vehicles and more.
The National Weather Service of Louisville also confirmed straight-line winds. What does it mean? What's the difference?
Kentucky tornado updates:Greenberg, Beshear to give damage updates, NWS conducting surveys Wednesday
Here's what we know:
Where did tornadoes hit in Kentucky?
On Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service of Louisville confirmed three preliminary EF-1 tornadoes impacted the state, touching down in Nelson, Anderson and Jessamine counties.
Straight-line winds confirmed in Kentucky
Evan Webb, a meteorologist with NWS of Louisville, confirmed straight-line winds in Kentucky counties of Fayette, Woodford, Mercer and Spencer.
What's the difference between a tornado and straight-line winds?
According to the NWS, a tornado is "a narrow, violently rotating column of air that extends from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground." Often, tornadoes are difficult to see unless it forms into a condensation funnel of water droplets, dust and debris.
Straight-line winds, or downbursts, form when cold air rises in a thunderstorm to the point of condensation. Once the rising air is unable to support the continued condensation and increasingly large waterdrops, it begins to descend from the upper and middle levels of a thunderstorm, sometimes creating winds even stronger than a tornado. They are defined as "strong winds produced by a downdraft over a horizontal area up to 6 miles."
Tornado damage in Louisville, Kentucky
No tornadoes have been confirmed in Louisville, but the area experienced strong winds, large hail and severe thunderstorms. The NWS started assessing damages in several locations in Nelson and Spencer counties. On Wednesday morning, the NWS said they will start surveying Clark County, Indiana eastward through the Prospect area of Oldham and Henry counties.
Storm damage in Kentucky:Several Kentucky counties saw damage as a result of Tuesday's severe storms. What we know
Tornado confirmed near University of Kentucky
A third preliminary EF-1 tornado touched down in the northern part of Jessamine County, just south of Lexington, home to the University of Kentucky Wildcats.
Tornado confirmed in Nelson County, Kentucky
A preliminary EF-1 tornado touched down in the northeastern part of Nelson County on Tuesday, as confirmed by the NWS on Wednesday morning.
Tornado confirmed in Anderson County, Kentucky
A preliminary EF-1 tornado touched down in Anderson County on Tuesday, confirmed by the NWS on Wednesday morning.
What is an EF-1 tornado?
According to the National Weather Service, an EF-1 tornado is classified as a weak tornado with winds of 86 to 110 mph, causing moderate damage. The EF Scale, used to assess wind speeds and damages of a tornado, incorporates 28 damage indicators such as building type, structures, and trees. For each damage indicator, there are 8 degrees of damage ranging from the beginning of visible damage to complete destruction of the damage indicator.
1974 Louisville tornado
One man, Phil Parish, watched as Tuesday's tornado approached his Prospect home, knocking over five pine trees in his yard, according to The Courier Journal. For Parish, this wasn't the first time. He was only in second grade when the April 3, 1974, destroyed hundreds of Louisville area homes. See below for more details.