May 28, 1996: F4!
Half-mile wide tornado tears through three Kentucky counties, producing up to F4 damage (207+ mph winds) along a 30 mile path.
Those who witnessed the huge vortex tear through neighborhoods just south of Louisville will certainly never forget that sight. Luckily, no deaths occurred, but the tornado injured ten residents and damaged over 1,000 homes in parts of Jefferson, Bullitt, and Spencer counties in Kentucky.
Southern Indiana and central Kentucky were in the warm sector of a spring storm system pushing into the Ohio Valley. Low pressure advanced from Iowa to West Virginia; powerful thunderstorms erupted ahead of its trailing cold front in warm, unstable air ahead of the boundary.
The powerful storm developed over southern Dubois County in southern Indiana. As it moved east it split into two storms. One went to the northeast and dropped golf ball sized hail on Crawford County. The other continued to the east-southeast, producing an F2 tornado near Corydon and then the F4 monster from southern Jefferson County to Spencer County. A squall line then developed behind the initial storms and swept through the region.
The tornado touched down in Jefferson Memorial Forest, cutting a gash through the woods. It quickly strengthened and caused significant damage in Brooks, Hillview, and Mount Washington. Witnesses reported multiple vortexes swirling around the main circulation. The twister moved into Spencer County, producing F3 damage before dissipating.
The storm was responsible for over $100 million in damages. Fortunately, thanks to effective warnings and quick public action, there were no fatalities.
In this video from Bullitt County we see broad rotation within the supercell thunderstorm, followed by the development of a funnel that hurls debris into the air. The residents who took this video suffered severe damage to their home.
