EF4 Henryville tornado, Indiana and Kentucky, March 2, 2012

1. EF065 to 85 mph

   Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

2. EF186 to 110 mph

   Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

3. EF2111 to 135 mph

   Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

4. EF3136 to 165 mph

   Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

5. EF4166 to 200 mphthis tornado

   Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

6. EF5over 200 mph

   Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

7. Unrated

   The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Rating

EF4

Date

March 2, 2012

Touchdown

2:50 PM EST (19:50 UTC)

Lifted

3:39 PM EST (20:39 UTC)

On the ground

49 minutes

Path length

46.6 miles (75.0 km)

Path width

800 yards (732 m)

Deaths

11

Injuries

0

Property damage

$58 million

Counties

Washington, Clark, Scott, Jefferson and Trimble counties

Touchdown point

38.432, -86.189

Lift-off point

38.645, -85.345

Record number

1203021350-01

A surface Low over Missouri early in the afternoon of March 2nd strengthened to below 990mb as it moved north into Michigan by the evening hours. Around dawn, a warm front moved north of the Ohio River, accompanied by scattered elevated thunderstorms that produced small hail. During the early afternoon, temperatures rose into the lower 70s across southern Indiana. the combination of extreme wind shear and CAPE near 2000 Joules/kg brought several long lived supercells to the state near the Ohio River. These storms produced baseball-sized hail and several tornadoes, including a violent long-tracker, to southern Indiana. The tornadoes across the area were a part of a well forecast regional outbreak that affected the entire Lower Ohio and Tennessee Valleys. Overall, more than 80 tornadoes caused millions of dollars of damage and took several dozen lives. ||For southern Indiana, March 2nd became the worst tornado outbreak since June 2nd, 1990.

A surface Low over Missouri early in the afternoon of March 2nd strengthened to below 990mb as it moved north into Michigan by the evening hours. Around dawn, a warm front moved north of the Ohio River. Scattered strong storms developed along this front across northern Kentucky, bringing several reports of dime sized hail. By mid afternoon, the combination of strong wind shear, temperatures rising to the upper 70s and over 2000 Joules/kg of CAPE led to the development of numerous supercells. Several of these storms produced tornadoes not only in north central Kentucky, but later in the evening across eastern Kentucky. Large hail was common, with several reports of baseball sized hail that damaged automobiles and roofs.

This EF-4 tornado that ultimately stayed on the ground for 49 miles across several counties touched down just south of Fredricksburg. Several trees were snapped off with estimated EF-1 damage along a path of 30 yards wide along the south fork of the Blue Lick River. After crossing farmland, the tornado widened and intensified quickly, toppling a high tension metal power structure near the intersection of Homers Chapel and Fredricksburg Roads. Damage at that location was consistent with 130 mph winds. ||High tension wires were downed and trees snapped along West End Road just north of Shanks Hill Road. The tornado continued to intensify as it crossed State Route 135 at Dutch Creek Road, ripping large chunks of 3 inch thick asphalt from a section of roadway and depositing large pieces up to 30 yards away, with smaller chunks of pavement found a quarter of a mile downstream. Just east of State Route 135, tremendous tree damage began. At this point, the tornado widened to around 200 yards. As the tornado crossed Trainer Lane and Route 335 towards Robbs Lane, widespread tree and structural damage indicated EF-2 to EF-3 damage. At this point, the damage path began to widen to one third of a mile. ||After crossing Highway 60 just south of New Pekin, tremendous structural damage was surveyed. A large well-constructed factory building was cleared to its foundation slab with numerous anchoring bolts bent and stripped. Debris from this building was observed up to three quarters of a mile downstream. Large power poles were snapped. Another metal out building on the edge of the circulation had sheeting pulled off, apparently from the force of inbound winds towards the circulation. In this area 5 people were killed in a mobile home. Damage suggested an EF-4 tornado with a width of three to four tenths of a mile and estimated winds of 170 mph. ||The tornado then traveled along the border between Washington and Crawford counties where it caused widespread destruction southeast of Hurst and along East Daisy Hill Road in the county. Here, a well constructed one story brick home at the top of a ridge was completely destroyed with no wall left standing. Witnesses described the funnel as a black wall. A heavy semi trailer cab was blown from this house and landed near another destroyed brick home. Damage to these homes suggested EF-4 winds of 170 mph. Near the intersection of East Daisy Hill and Williams Knob Roads, a home and two anchored double wide trailers were destroyed. A car was lifted and fell 100 yards away from its original driveway. The width of the damage path along the county line was up to one half mile, although the concentrated damage path was much more narrow. Overall, the twister traveled 17 miles in Washington county, felling thousands of trees in addition to destroying scores of buildings.

This is a continuation of the violent long tracked tornado that began just south of Fredricksburg moved into Clark county as an EF-4 with a path width of one-third of a mile. ||On Dan Gray Road, many well-constructed homes were leveled. The tornado narrowed to a path width of one-quarter of a mile and decreased in intensity as it crossed Pixley Knob Road. Farther east, the twister destroyed two double-wide modular homes on Speith Road, killing one resident who had moments earlier been videotaping the tornado, and had taken shelter in the interior hallway of the home. Another family residence on the west side of the road was severely damaged, reflecting 150 mph winds. ||The tornado crossed Interstate 65, trapping several people within damaged cars and semis. This highway was closed for several hours. The tornado strengthened just east of exit 19 off the Interstate as it entered a heavily industrialized area. Buildings containing several businesses were destroyed. A home was destroyed with estimated EF-4 winds on the east side of North Fraucke Road. Several homes were seriously damaged on the north side of State Highway 160. The EF-4 tornado then moved through Henryville, severely damaging the south building of the Henryville Junior-Senior High School. The cafeteria was completely destroyed and six automobiles were piled up along the south side of the school. Two school buses in the south parking lot were ripped off their chassis, with one moved hundreds of feet east into a commercial business building across North Ferguson Street. ||Extensive structural damage was surveyed on the east side of Henryville on North Front and Pennsylvania Streets. A high tension tower and other homes were damaged just west of Pine Drive. On Brownstown Road, many homes sustained EF-3 damage along the north side of the road. Several homes were destroyed along Henryville-Otisco Road, with the damage to one reflecting EF-4 winds. The tornado cycled near the intersect of Blackberry Trail and State Highway 3, with the original vortex narrowing rapidly into a rope-like funnel and ending as an EF-1 just as a new vortex immediately touched down just to the southwest of the original near Highway 3 and Mahan Road. This new twister damaged a church as an EF-1 and quickly intensified to an EF-3 as it severely damaged several homes on the south side of Marysville. A Civil Air Patrol Flight revealed extensive ground scouring across several fields east of Marysville all the way to the Scott Jefferson County Line. The scouring indicated a multiple vortex tornado and was confirmed by witnesses and photos. Several homes were severely damaged near and south of the intersection of Nabb-New Washington and Marysville-Nabb Roads. The tornado had 150 mph winds and a width of one third of a mile at this point. ||The tornado intensified over open country east of the intersection of Kettle Bottom and State Highway 362 before crossing into Scott County as it moved north of Route 362.

After exiting Clark County as an EF-4, this one-third mile wide tornado tracked for only six tenths of a mile across extreme southeastern Scott County before entering Jefferson County between the eastern endpoint of County Road 550 South and State Route 362. ||Despite its limited distance in Scott County, however, the tornado proved to be deadly, taking the life of a 72 year old man who was in his frame home residence on State Route 362 east of Kelly Bottom Road, where two other wood frame homes were also severely damaged and 5 mobile homes completely destroyed. This damage proved consistent with 170 mph winds.

The tornado entered Jefferson County as an EF-4 with a damage width of one-third of a mile. Several mobile homes were destroyed along and just north of State Highway 362 near the three-county intersection with Clark and Scott Counties. The tornado severely damaged several frame houses here, extensively damaged many power poles and power lines, and felled many trees. ||After snapping trees and power poles along County Road 850, the tornado did a tremendous amount of damage around 2 miles south of Chelsea near the intersection of State Highway 62 and Swan Road. Here, several well built brick homes were destroyed. The homes had anchor bolts attached to steel plates and a concrete foundation. One home was lifted and slide 65 yards off its foundation while still remaining essentially intact. Another home was demolished and thrown several hundred yards downwind. Three fatalities occurred at this location. Two vehicles from the garage of this home were tossed for several dozen yards. A third well-built brick home had its roof lifted and thrown over 300 yards, and an above-ground pool filled with water was missing. Wind speeds were estimated at around 170 mph with a damage width of one quarter of a mile. ||Through the rest of Jefferson county, the tornado did extensive damage to forests as it tracked to the north of Paynesville and south of Lee Bottom. The damage path narrowed to 200 yards before exiting Jefferson County and moving over the Ohio River.

The tornado first touched down about 5 miles south of Milton just southwest of the intersection of Routes 421 and 1226. After damaging several trees just west of Route 421, this narrow funnel rapidly increased in intensity as it crossed Route 421 and struck Milton Firestation number 2. The station was heavily damaged with the collapse of rigid frames. A two ton concession trailer was moved 30 yards, while a pickup truck was moved 60 yards. Damage to the fire station and a pumper exceeded 300 thousand dollars. Damage to the station indicated 140 mph winds and a tornado with EF-3 intensity. After extensively damaging many trees along Route 1226, the tornado weakened to an EF-1 at 871 Palmyra Road. ||At this point witnesses described one vortex lifting while another descended from its parent wall cloud. Rapidly strengthening to an EF-3, it destroyed several homes on Culls Road. One of these homes had collapsed exterior walls. The tornado knocked over a large truss tower connected with an major electrical transmission line. The tornado weakened and damaged several trees with estimated 80 to 90 mph winds as it moved east into Carroll County.

The deaths

11 direct deaths are recorded for this tornado, each with what Storm Data knows of it.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

10 minutes of warning. NWS LMK issued a tornado warning for this county at 19:40 UTC, 10 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 20:30 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 18:05 UTC and running to 22:51 UTC.

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a High Risk, with a 0.30 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 16:31 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

The Louisville radar (KLVX), 64 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 19:51 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

The live radar over the trackEvery 2012 tornado in IndianaEvery tornado in Indiana since 1950Warnings in force in Indiana nowThe forecast where you are

69 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

All 70 of them

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.