Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Final Report on the Hopkinsville - Christian County, KY Tornado of April 2, 2006

Life in Christian County, Kentucky...



Note: If you're seeking information about the February 5, 2008, tornado, please see "Tornado Damage at Crofton, KY, Tonight."

The National Weather Service has released this final report on the damage done by the April 2, 2006 tornado that hit Christian County, Kentucky, just north of Hopkinsville. I apologize for the all-caps, but that's how it was issued.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
900 PM CDT WED APR 5 2006

...DAMAGE SURVEY RESULTS FOR THE CHRISTIAN AND TODD COUNTY KENTUCKY TORNADO...

THE FOLLOWING IS AN UPDATED DAMAGE ASSESSMENT FOR THE ENTIRE TORNADO TRACK ACROSS CHRISTIAN AND TODD COUNTIES IN KENTUCKY.

* EVENT DATE: SUNDAY APRIL 2, 2006.

* EVENT TYPE: F3 TORNADO.

* BEGIN TIME: APPROXIMATELY 850 PM CDT.

* BEGIN LOCATION: 3 MILES NNE OF GRACEY KENTUCKY (JUST SOUTH OF THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN GRACEY-SINKING FORK ROAD AND SHURDAN CHURCH ROAD).

* END TIME: APPROXIMATELY 923 PM CDT.

* END LOCATION: 8.7 MILES NNE OF ELKTON KENTUCKY (2.5 MILES WEST OF EVERETTE...OR JUST WEST OF THE TODD-LOGAN COUNTY LINE).

* PEAK WIND: ESTIMATED 185 MPH.

* PATH LENGTH: 30 MILES.

* AVERAGE PATH WIDTH: 500 YARDS (700 YARDS IN CHRISTIAN COUNTY & 150 YARDS IN TODD COUNTY).

* INJURIES: 28.

* FATALITIES: NONE.

* EVENT TRACK: TORNADO BEGAN WITH AN EAST-SOUTHEAST MOVEMENT AND THEN CURVED SLIGHTLY LEFT AROUND PRINCETON ROAD AND MOVED EAST- NORTHEAST THROUGH CENTRAL CHRISTIAN COUNTY. THE TORNADO PASSED LESS THAN 4 MILES NORTH OF DOWNTOWN HOPKINSVILLE. IT THEN MOVED EAST INTO TODD COUNTY PASSING JUST NORTH OF PILOT ROCK AND THEN JUST NORTH OF ALLEGRE AND CEDAR GROVE.

* STORM CHARACTER: THE INITIAL TORNADO DISSIPATED ABOUT 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF HOPKINSVILLE AROUND ANTIOCH ROAD. A SECOND TORNADO DEVELOPED 6 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF HOPKINSVILLE ALONG GREENVILLE ROAD OR ABOUT A MILE NORTH OF THE FIRST TORNADO. DOWNBURST WIND DAMAGE OCCURRED BOTH SOUTH AND NORTH OF THE TWO TORNADOES RESULTING IN A 2-MILE WIDE SWATH OF DAMAGE IN THE GREENVILLE ROAD AREA.

* DISCUSSION/DAMAGE: AT LEAST 243 HOMES WERE EITHER SEVERELY DAMAGED OR TOTALLY DESTROYED. OF THOSE...88 HOMES WERE DESTROYED IN CHRISTIAN COUNTY. NUMEROUS OTHER HOMES AND BUILDINGS HAD SOME DEGREE OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF TREES WERE DOWNED...SNAPPED...OR UPROOTED.

SHANKLIN/HOOPER/RJP


The National Weather Service has also posted some photos of the tornado damage.

Here and here are images of the tornado damage in the Sinking Fork area that were posted by the administrator of the Hoptown Hall Forum.

WKDZ Radio has posted over 80 photos of the tornado damage.

Other tornado reports I've posted:
Official Report on Tornado in Christian County
Tornado in Christian County, Kentucky
Stormy Weather Tonight

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CONTENTMENT: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry, live simply, expect little, give much, sing often, pray always, forget self, think of others and their feelings, fill your heart with love, scatter sunshine. These are the tried links in the golden chain of contentment.
(Author unknown)

IT IS STILL BEST to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasure; and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong.
(Laura Ingalls Wilder, 1867-1957)

Thanks for reading.