Tornadoes · United States · Kentucky · 2008

EF2 tornado, Nelsonville to Woodlawn, Kentucky, February 5, 2008

From Nelsonville to Woodlawn, this EF2 tornado ran 0.8 miles across Nelson County on February 5, 2008, touching down at 12:50 AM EST and reaching 300 yards wide. It killed nobody and injured 2, and did $250,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  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 mphthis tornado

    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 mph

    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.

The record

Rating
EF2
Date
February 5, 2008
Touchdown
12:50 AM EST (05:50 UTC)
Lifted
12:52 AM EST (05:52 UTC)
On the ground
2 minutes
Path length
0.8 miles (1.2 km)
Path width
300 yards (274 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
2
Property damage
$250,000
County
Nelson County
Touchdown point
37.811, -85.381
Lift-off point
37.822, -85.376
Record number
0802052350-01

What the Weather Service recorded

A cold front along with a strong upper level low produced a squall line that crossed central Kentucky. This set off widespread severe weather, and spawned several tornadoes.

A long swath of wind damage showed signs of an intermittent embedded tornado. The tornado destroyed an outbuilding, and knocked the top half off a silo. Near Patton Road, there was an enhanced area of tree damage, with the trees laying in a convergent path, consistent with tornadic damage.

The tornado destroyed or heavily damaage two shop buildings at a construction company. A couple trailers on the company site were rolled over. Farther along the tornado's path, it knocked a mobile home off the foundation, and rolled it over two nearby cars. Two occupants of the mobile home were injured.

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

The warnings

23 minutes of warning. NWS LMK issued a tornado warning for this county at 05:27 UTC, 23 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 06:00 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 01:10 UTC and running to 07:00 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
01:10 UTC07:00 UTCTornado WatchLMK
05:13 UTC05:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningLMK
05:27 UTC06:00 UTCTornado WarningLMK
05:51 UTC06:11 UTCTornado WarningLMK

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 forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Moderate Risk, with a 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 00:48 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 air that afternoon

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.

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), 00:00Z

5.8 hours before the tornado, 217 km from the path. February 6, 2008.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 2008-02-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 706 joules per kilogram, CIN -45, lifted condensation level 812 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 2008-02-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 300 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 54 knots.1939587897117Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
706 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-45 J/kg
Surface CAPE
750 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
812 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
300 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
362 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.6
Supercell composite
3.2
0-3 km lapse rate
6.3 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), 12:00Z

6.2 hours after it, 217 km from the path. February 6, 2008.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2008-02-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -75186, lifted condensation level 675 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2008-02-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -77 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 75 knots.1939587897117Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-75186 J/kg
Surface CAPE
15 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
675 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
75 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-77 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
221 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
5.0 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The radar

The Louisville radar (KLVX), 53 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 05:47 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.

What was reported nearby

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

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
05:13 UTCTSTM WND GST 60Pleasure Ridge ParkJefferson, KYAT TERRY AND GREENWOOD ROAD. SPOTTER REPORTED DEBRIS HITTING THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE.
05:19 UTCTSTM WND DMGLouisvilleJefferson, KYPOWER LINES WERE DOWNED AT THE STATE FAIRGROUNDS.
05:20 UTCTSTM WND DMGShelbyvilleShelby, KYTREES DOWN ON ROADS MAINLY TO THE EAST OF HIGHWAY 55. US HIGHWAY 60 WAS CLOSED EAST OF SHELBYVILLE DUE TO SNAPPED POWER POLES.
05:21 UTCTORNADO 22 Sw CeciliaHardin, KYNWS DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM FOUND AN EF-2 TORNADO TOUCHDOWN NEAR CEILIA IN CENTRAL HARDIN COUNTY. TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR HANSBOROUGH ROAD AND MOVED NORTHEAST TOWARD CECILIA. EF-2 DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED NEAR BETHLEHEM ACADEMY
05:21 UTCTORNADO2 Sw CeciliaHardin, KYNWS DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM FOUND AN EF-2 TORNADO TOUCHDOWN NEAR CEILIA IN CENTRAL HARDIN COUNTY. TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR HANSBOROUGH ROAD AND MOVED NORTHEAST TOWARD CECILIA. EF-2 DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED NEAR BETHLEHEM ACADEMY
05:23 UTCFLASH FLOODLouisvilleJefferson, KYLINDSEY AVENUE WAS FLOODED NEAR THE VA HOSPITAL. SPOTTER ESTIMATED 70 MPH WINDS.
05:27 UTCTORNADO 22 Ese ElizabethtownHardin, KYNWS DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM FOUND A SECOND EF-2 TORNADO TOUCHDOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF PORTER LANE AND MILLER ROAD. A TRAILER WAS KNOCKED OFF ITS FOUNDATION WHILE ANOTHER TRAILER WAS COMPLETELY DESTORYED. THE TORNADO MOVE
05:27 UTCTORNADO2 Ese ElizabethtownHardin, KYNWS DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM FOUND A SECOND EF-2 TORNADO TOUCHDOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF PORTER LANE AND MILLER ROAD. A TRAILER WAS KNOCKED OFF ITS FOUNDATION WHILE ANOTHER TRAILER WAS COMPLETELY DESTORYED. THE TORNADO MOVE
05:29 UTCTSTM WND GST 69St. MatthewsJefferson, KYTREE LIMBS WERE BLOWN DOWN.
05:30 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 E ClermontBullitt, KYTWENTY TREES WERE DOWNED.
05:34 UTCTSTM WND GST 68Mount WashingtonBullitt, KYLIMBS WERE DOWNED. PEA SIZE HAIL ALSO REPORTED.
05:34 UTCHAIL 0.885 E ShepherdsvilleBullitt, KYNICKEL SIZE HAIL FELL FOR THREE MINUTES.
05:37 UTCTSTM WND DMGElizabethtownHardin, KYPOSSIBLE TORNADO. THE ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF CENTRAL HARDIN HIGH SCHOOL AT HIGHWAY 62 AND RING ROAD.
05:38 UTCTORNADO 14 S BostonNelson, KY*** 2 INJ *** NWS SURVEY TEAM FOUND EF-1 TORNADO DAMAGE NEAR NELSONVILLE ROAD IN WESTERN NELSON COUNTY. THE TORNADO WAS EMBEDDED WITHIN A SWATH OF STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. ON NELSONVILLE LOOP...A LARGE GRAIN SILO WAS DESTORY
05:38 UTCTORNADO4 S BostonNelson, KY*** 2 INJ *** NWS SURVEY TEAM FOUND EF-1 TORNADO DAMAGE NEAR NELSONVILLE ROAD IN WESTERN NELSON COUNTY. THE TORNADO WAS EMBEDDED WITHIN A SWATH OF STRAIGHT LINE WINDS. ON NELSONVILLE LOOP...A LARGE GRAIN SILO WAS DESTORY
05:38 UTCTORNADO5 Sw TaylorsvilleSpencer, KYNWS DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM FOUND ONE EF-0 TORNADO TOUCHDOWN ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF TAYLORSVILLE WHERE TWO MOBILE HOMES WERE DESTROYED AND EXTENSIVE ROOF AND TREE DAMAGE OCCURRED. THE TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND FOR ABOUT A
05:41 UTCFLASH FLOODLouisvilleJefferson, KYBEARGRASS CREEK NEAR CANNONS LANE WAS OUT OF BANKS.
05:43 UTCTORNADO1 S TaylorsvilleSpencer, KY*** 1 INJ *** NWS DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM FOUND A SECOND EF-0 TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ONE MILE SOUTH OF TAYLORSVILLE ON HIGHWAY 55 CAUSING MAJOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO SEVERAL BARNS AND HOMES. THE TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND FOR ABO
05:43 UTCTORNADO2 Ese HammonvilleHart, KYFINAL TOUCHDOWN OF INTERMITTENT EF-1 TORNADO
05:43 UTCTORNADO2 Ese HammonvilleHart, KYFINAL TOUCHDOWN OF INTERMITTENT EF-1 TORNADO THAT BEGAN 3 NNE PRICEVILLE.
05:44 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 W ShelbyvilleShelby, KYSEVERAL LARGE BARNS WERE DESTROYED AND TREES WERE UPROOTED ON HEBRON RD NEAR SCOTT STATION AND HARRINGTON MILL ROADS.
05:45 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Ene TaylorsvilleSpencer, KYEXTENSIVE STRAIGHT-LINE WIND DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWERLINES AND SHINGLES AND OUTBUILDINGS WAS FOUND NEAR AND JUST NORTHEAST OF TAYLORSVILLE OFF OF HIGHWAY 44.
05:45 UTCTSTM WND DMGCeciliaHardin, KYTHE ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF A SCHOOL. ELSEWHERE IN HARDIN COUNTY...TRAILERS WERE DESTROYED...MAJOR ROOF DAMAGE WAS REPORTED...SOME REPORTS OF INJURIES.
05:45 UTCTSTM WND DMGCeciliaHardin, KYUPDATED REPORT...THE ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF A SCHOOL. MULTIPLE HOMES WERE DAMAGED ELSEWHERE IN CECILIA.
05:45 UTCTSTM WND DMGElizabethtownHardin, KYTWO MOBILE HOME TRAILERS WERE DESTROYED OR ROLLED OVER JUST OUTSIDE THE ELIZABETHTOWN CITY LIMITS. ONE WAS ON VALLEY CREEK ROAD...AND THE OTHER WAS ON PORTER ROAD.
05:45 UTCTSTM WND DMGElizabethtownHardin, KYUPDATED REPORT...TWO MOBILE HOME TRAILERS WERE DESTROYED OR ROLLED OVER JUST OUTSIDE THE ELIZABETHTOWN CITY LIMITS. ONE WAS ON VALLEY CREEK ROAD...AND THE OTHER WAS ON PORTER ROAD. THERE WAS MASSIVE DAMAGE TO HOMES IN TH
05:46 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 S ShelbyvilleShelby, KYSEVERAL LARGE BARNS WERE DESTROYED AND TREES WERE UPROOTED ON MT. EDEN ROAD SOUTH OF I-64 NEAR WESSINGER HILLS GOLF COURSE.
05:46 UTCTORNADO 26 Ne ShelbyvilleShelby, KYNWS SURVEY TEAM FOUND DAMAGE CONSISTENT AT THE EF-2 LEVEL. AROUND 40 LARGE HARDWOODS WERE UPROOTED AT 900 FLOOD ROAD. A LARGE BARN WAS DESTROYED AND A LARGE TRAILER WEIGHING 18 THOUSAND POUNDS WAS OVERTURNED AT 940 FLOOD
05:46 UTCTORNADO1 Ne ShelbyvilleShelby, KYNWS SURVEY TEAM FOUND DAMAGE CONSISTENT AT THE EF-2 LEVEL. AROUND 40 LARGE HARDWOODS WERE UPROOTED AT 900 FLOOD ROAD. A LARGE BARN WAS DESTROYED AND A LARGE TRAILER WEIGHING 18 THOUSAND POUNDS WAS OVERTURNED AT 940 FLOOD
05:46 UTCTORNADO6 Ne ShelbyvilleShelby, KYNWS SURVEY TEAM FOUND DAMAGE CONSISTENT AT THE EF-2 LEVEL. AROUND 40 LARGE HARDWOODS WERE UPROOTED AT 900 FLOOD ROAD. A LARGE BARN WAS DESTROYED AND A LARGE TRAILER WEIGHING 18 THOUSAND POUNDS WAS OVERTURNED AT 940 FLOOD
05:47 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 Ne BardstownNelson, KYA DOUBLEWIDE MOBILE HOME WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED IN THE DOUBLE SPRINGS AREA OFF KY HIGHWAY 605 AND WOODLAWN ROAD. THERE WAS ONE MINOR INJURY. TREES WERE DOWNED. POSSIBLE TORNADO.
05:52 UTCTORNADO1 Se WaddyShelby, KYNWS SURVEY TEAM FOUND DAMAGE CONSISTENT AT THE EF-0 LEVEL. THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 1 MILE SOUTHEAST OF WADDY NEAR 1527 KINGS HIGHWAY OR KY 637 BETWEEN KY 395 AND KY 1472. A LARGE BARN WAS DESTROYED AND SCATTERED U
05:52 UTCTORNADO2 Se WaddyAnderson, KYNWS SURVEY TEAM FOUND DAMAGE CONSISTENT AT THE EF-0 LEVEL. THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WADDY NEAR 1527 KINGS HIGHWAY OR KY 637 BETWEEN KY 395 AND KY 1472. A LARGE BARN WAS DESTROYED AND SCATTERED
05:55 UTCTSTM WND GST 60BardstownNelson, KY
06:01 UTCTORNADO 12 Se SpringfieldWashington, KYNWS DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM FOUND AN EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHDOWN ON PLEASANT DRIVE ABOUT 2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SPRINGFIELD AT APPROXIMATELY 101 AM EST. THIS CAUSED ROOF DAMAGE AND EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE ALONG ITS PATH TO THE NORTHEA
06:01 UTCTORNADO2 Se SpringfieldWashington, KYNWS DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM FOUND AN EF-1 TORNADO TOUCHDOWN ON PLEASANT DRIVE ABOUT 2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SPRINGFIELD AT APPROXIMATELY 101 AM EST. THIS CAUSED ROOF DAMAGE AND EXTENSIVE TREE DAMAGE ALONG ITS PATH TO THE NORTHEA
06:02 UTCTSTM WND DMGBloomfieldNelson, KYPOWER LINES WERE DOWNED.
06:04 UTCTSTM WND DMGLouisvilleJefferson, KYTREES WERE DOWNED AT FLOYD AND JACOB STREETS.
06:04 UTCHAIL 1Mount WashingtonBullitt, KYCARS WERE DAMAGED BY HAIL. HAIL SIZE ESTIMATED.
06:05 UTCTSTM WND DMGLebanonMarion, KYONE GARAGE HEAVILY DAMAGED.

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

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2008 tornado in KentuckyEvery tornado in Kentucky since 1950Warnings in force in Kentucky nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of February 5, 2008

61 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
February 53:26 PM CSTEF1Ashley, AR0.650$40,000
February 54:04 PM CSTEF0Chicot, AR1.150
February 54:27 PM CSTEF0Phillips, AR0.225
February 54:45 PM CSTEF0Bolivar, MS3.450$70,000
February 54:49 PM CSTEF4Atkins–Clinton tornado, AR121.81,32013139$119 million
February 54:50 PM CSTEF1Smith, TX1.0300$30,000
February 55:00 PM CSTEF2Shelby, TN8.11501$1.0 million
February 55:02 PM CSTEF2Marion, AR12.5880136$18 million
February 55:18 PM CSTEF0Tipton, TN0.250$7,000
February 55:18 PM CSTEF0DeSoto, MS2.6100$50,000
February 55:23 PM CSTEF1Tipton, TN0.750$75,000
February 55:31 PM CSTEF0Yell, AR0.630
February 55:32 PM CSTEF1Tipton, TN to MS0.350$50,000
February 55:32 PM CSTEF2DeSoto, MS to TN10.2440313$128 million
February 55:53 PM CSTEF0Panola, MS0.225$12,000
February 55:55 PM CSTEF1Weakley, TN5.1150$160,000
February 55:57 PM CSTEF1Lafayette, MS6.925$25,000
February 55:57 PM CSTEF3Lafayette, MS7.21,00014$35 million
February 56:02 PM CSTEF0Shelby, TN4.950$50,000
February 56:12 PM CSTEF0Marion, IL0.140
February 56:12 PM CSTEF0Marion, IL0.230
February 56:21 PM CSTEF3Fayette, TN31.1600314$10 million
February 56:25 PM CSTEF1Calloway, KY1.4150$35,000
February 56:36 PM CSTEF0Tippah, MS1.450$50,000
February 56:45 PM CSTEF1Trigg, KY0.140$8,000
February 56:50 PM CSTEF0Tippah, MS2.550$100,000
February 56:50 PM CSTEF1Trigg, KY5.6150$60,000
February 56:56 PM CSTEF1Alcorn, MS2.61004$250,000
February 56:59 PM CSTEF4Jackson tornado, TN7.612551$100 million
February 57:05 PM CSTEF1Faulkner, AR5.5100$140,000
February 57:09 PM CSTEF2Christian, KY14.12752$4.4 million
February 57:13 PM CSTEF2Madison, TN0.4150$200,000
February 57:13 PM CSTEF1McNairy, TN8.9150$250,000
February 57:19 PM CSTEF0St. Francis, AR0.125$1,000
February 57:20 PM CSTEF1Randolph, AR to MO31.92004$280,000
February 57:30 PM CSTEF0Union, AR7.0100$200,000
February 57:40 PM CSTEF4Hardin County tornado, TN16.288035$18 million
February 57:44 PM CSTEF3Muhlenberg, KY18.1375324$21 million
February 57:48 PM CSTEF0Monroe, AR8.075$15,000
February 57:59 PM CSTEF0Lee, AR0.125$1,000
February 58:03 PM CSTEF1Butler, MO3.4300$100,000
February 58:05 PM CSTEF1Benton, TN2.050
February 58:07 PM CSTEF2Benton, TN6.6440$10 million
February 58:10 PM CSTEF1Lewis, TN22.9200$900,000
February 58:10 PM CSTEF1Wayne, TN10.150
February 59:15 PM ESTEF1Greene, IN2.050$1.3 million
February 58:18 PM CSTEF2Butler, MO13.9200$300,000
February 58:40 PM CSTEF2Hickman, TN25.33001$750,000
February 510:02 PM CSTEF3Sumner, TN to KY50.38802263$28 million
February 511:54 PM ESTEF1Meade, KY6.5350$2.0 million
February 511:17 PM CSTEF0Catahoula Parish, LA1.550$2,000
February 512:21 AM ESTEF2Hardin, KY7.1400$3.0 million
February 512:27 AM ESTEF2Hardin, KY1.0300$150,000
February 511:32 PM CSTEF1Hart, KY10.5150$500,000
February 512:38 AM ESTEF0Spencer, KY0.7220$150,000
February 512:38 AM ESTEF2Nelson, KY1.3300$50,000
February 511:41 PM CSTEF0Perry, TN0.120
February 512:43 AM ESTEF0Spencer, KY0.62201$200,000
February 512:46 AM ESTEF2Shelby, KY7.0250$175,000
February 511:51 PM CSTEF0Hickman, TN0.120

All 62 of them

What this means

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.

Sources

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