Tornadoes · United States · Kentucky · 2008
EF1 tornado, Stringtown, Kentucky, February 6, 2008
This EF1 tornado ran 0.9 miles across Mercer County on February 6, 2008, touching down at 1:20 AM EST and reaching 350 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $1.0 million 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.
EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
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.
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.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
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.
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
- EF1
- Date
- February 6, 2008
- Touchdown
- 1:20 AM EST (06:20 UTC)
- Lifted
- 1:22 AM EST (06:22 UTC)
- On the ground
- 2 minutes
- Path length
- 0.9 miles (1.4 km)
- Path width
- 350 yards (320 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $1.0 million
- County
- Mercer County
- Touchdown point
- 37.760, -84.839
- Lift-off point
- 37.761, -84.823
- Record number
- 0802060020-01
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.
The tornado touched down on the east side of Harrodsburg and collapsed three walls of a warehouse. Near the intersection of KY 152 and Mac Court extensive tree damage occurred. Metal sheeting was found in trees. A large tree fell on a house and power lines, and that same house had its garage destroyed. A small branch was driven into the side of a car and a chimney was knocked down from a house. Near KY 152 and Montrose Street the roof of a factory was blown in and extensive tree damage occurred. An elementary school suffered extensive roof and ceiling damage.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
12 minutes of warning. NWS LMK issued a tornado warning for this county at 06:08 UTC, 12 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 06:45 UTC.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 01:10 UTC and running to 07:00 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01:10 UTC | 07:00 UTC | Tornado Watch | LMK |
| 06:08 UTC | 06:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | LMK |
| 06:21 UTC | 06:45 UTC | Tornado Warning | LMK |
| 18:05 UTC | 21:00 UTC | High Wind Warning | LMK |
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 General Thunderstorms Risk, with a 0.02 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 05:58 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.
Cncnati-Daytn, OH (KILN), 00:00Z
6.3 hours before the tornado, 206 km from the path. February 6, 2008.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -62558 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 537 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 74 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 28 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 295 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 379 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.1
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 4.3 K/km
Cncnati-Daytn, OH (KILN), 12:00Z
5.7 hours after it, 206 km from the path. February 6, 2008.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -149 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 1 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 669 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 70 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 23 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 124 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 185 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.3 K/km
The surface observations
Lexington/Bluegrass (LEX), 37 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04:54 UTC | 65 | 59 | 190° 23 kt | 32 | 1002 | -RA |
| 05:54 UTC | 64 | 60 | 180° 36 kt | 51 | 999.3 | -RA BR |
| 06:28 UTC | 62.6 | 57.2 | 270° 29 kt | 52 | 1004.1 | -RA BR |
| 06:34 UTC | 55.4 | 55.4 | 270° 17 kt | 52 | 1004.4 | +RA BR |
| 06:40 UTC | 55.4 | 53.6 | 270° 12 kt | 28 | 1004.4 | -RA BR |
| 06:42 UTC | 55.4 | 53.6 | 270° 14 kt | 28 | 1004.7 | -RA BR |
| 06:54 UTC | 56 | 55 | 270° 10 kt | 24 | 1005.1 | -RA |
| 07:54 UTC | 56 | 54 | 230° 8 kt | 1006.1 | -RA |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Louisville radar (KLVX), 101 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 06:20 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) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05:38 UTC | TORNADO | 5 Sw Taylorsville | Spencer, KY | NWS 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 |
| 05:43 UTC | TORNADO | 1 S Taylorsville | Spencer, 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 |
| 05:45 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Ene Taylorsville | Spencer, KY | EXTENSIVE STRAIGHT-LINE WIND DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWERLINES AND SHINGLES AND OUTBUILDINGS WAS FOUND NEAR AND JUST NORTHEAST OF TAYLORSVILLE OFF OF HIGHWAY 44. |
| 05:46 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 S Shelbyville | Shelby, KY | SEVERAL LARGE BARNS WERE DESTROYED AND TREES WERE UPROOTED ON MT. EDEN ROAD SOUTH OF I-64 NEAR WESSINGER HILLS GOLF COURSE. |
| 05:47 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 Ne Bardstown | Nelson, KY | A 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 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Se Waddy | Shelby, KY | NWS 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 UTC | TORNADO | 2 Se Waddy | Anderson, KY | NWS 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 UTC | TSTM WND GST 60 | Bardstown | Nelson, KY | |
| 06:01 UTC | TORNADO 1 | 2 Se Springfield | Washington, KY | NWS 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 UTC | TORNADO | 2 Se Springfield | Washington, KY | NWS 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 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Bloomfield | Nelson, KY | POWER LINES WERE DOWNED. |
| 06:05 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Lebanon | Marion, KY | ONE GARAGE HEAVILY DAMAGED. |
| 06:06 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Lawrenceburg | Anderson, KY | TREES DOWN...BARNS COLLAPSED ON VEHICLES |
| 06:06 UTC | TORNADO 2 | 8 Ene Springfield | Washington, KY | NWS DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM FOUND A SECOND TORNADO OF EF-2 STRENGTH TOUCHDOWN ABOUT 8 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF SPRINGFIELD AT APPROXIMATELY 106 AM EST. THIS TORNADO CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO A WELL-CONSTRUCTED OUT BUILDING. W |
| 06:06 UTC | TORNADO | 8 Ene Springfield | Washington, KY | NWS DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM FOUND A SECOND TORNADO OF EF-2 STRENGTH TOUCHDOWN ABOUT 8 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF SPRINGFIELD AT APPROXIMATELY 106 AM EST. THIS TORNADO CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO A WELL-CONSTRUCTED OUT BUILDING. W |
| 06:08 UTC | TORNADO 1 | 1 N Frankfort | Franklin, KY | NWS SURVEY TEAM FOUND DAMAGE CONSISTENT AT THE EF-1 LEVEL. WIND DAMAGE FIRST OCCURRED WITH DOWNBURST WINDS OF 70 MPH WEST OF STADMANTOWN LANE. EVIDENCE OF AN EF-0 TOUCHDOWN WAST NOTED ACROSS ELKHORN CREEK WHERE HARDWOOD |
| 06:08 UTC | TORNADO | 1 N Frankfort | Franklin, KY | NWS SURVEY TEAM FOUND DAMAGE CONSISTENT AT THE EF-1 LEVEL. WIND DAMAGE FIRST OCCURRED WITH DOWNBURST WINDS OF 70 MPH WEST OF STADMANTOWN LANE. EVIDENCE OF AN EF-0 TOUCHDOWN WAST NOTED ACROSS ELKHORN CREEK WHERE HARDWOOD |
| 06:20 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Harrodsburg | Mercer, KY | AN NWS STORM SURVEY TEAM FOUND EXTENSIVE STRAIGHT-LINE WIND DAMAGE IN AND AROUND HARRODSBURG. MUCH STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OCCURRED AT THE COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS AND AT THE JAMES B HAGGIN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. ALSO A TWO-STORY APARTM |
| 06:20 UTC | TORNADO 1 | 1 E Harrodsburg | Mercer, KY | NWS STORM SURVEY FOUND AN EF-1 TORNADO TOUCH DOWN ONE QUARTER MILE EAST OF HARRODSBURG AT ABOUT 120 AM EST WHERE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO A WAREHOUSE AND TREES WAS FOUND. A TREE BRANCH WAS DRIVEN INTO THE SIDE OF A CAR AND A |
| 06:20 UTC | TORNADO | 1 E Harrodsburg | Mercer, KY | NWS STORM SURVEY FOUND AN EF-1 TORNADO TOUCH DOWN ONE QUARTER MILE EAST OF HARRODSBURG AT ABOUT 120 AM EST WHERE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO A WAREHOUSE AND TREES WAS FOUND. A TREE BRANCH WAS DRIVEN INTO THE SIDE OF A CAR AND A |
| 06:25 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 S Nicholasville | Jessamine, KY | NWS STORM SURVEY TEAM FOUND EXTENSIVE STRAIGHT-LINE WIND DAMAGE FROM THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF JESSAMINE COUNTY NORTHEASTWARD TO 4 MILES SOUTH OF NICHOLASVILLE ROUGHLY BETWEEN 125 AM EST AND 135 AM EST. THE WORST DAMAGE O |
| 06:25 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 N Clementsville | Casey, KY | SEVERAL BARNS DAMAGED AND TREES DOWN |
| 06:29 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Lexington | Fayette, KY | CORRECTED TIME...ROOF OFF A BUILDING NEAR NEW CIRCLE ROAD. |
| 06:29 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Lexington | Fayette, KY | CORRECTED TIME...TREES DOWN...BARN DAMAGED...AND FENCES DOWN NEWTOWN PIKE NEAR IRON WORKS. |
| 06:29 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Lexington | Fayette, KY | AN NWS STORM SURVEY TEAM FOUND STRAIGHT-LINE WIND DAMAGE ACROSS URBAN LEXINGTON. THIS OCCURRED ROUGHLY BETWEEN 129 AM EST AND 139 AM EST. MOST DAMAGE WAS FROM 50-60 MPH WITH TWO CONCENTRATED AREAS JUST WEST AND JUST EAST |
| 06:29 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Nicholasville | Jessamine, KY | A BARN WAS DESTROYED. |
| 06:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 E Bardstown | Nelson, KY | BARNS WERE DAMAGED. A MAINTENENCE BUILDING WAS FLATTENED. |
| 06:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Versailles | Woodford, KY | NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWNED COUNTYWIDE. |
| 06:36 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Lexington | Fayette, KY | SIGNIFICANT ROOF DAMAGE AND EQUIPMENT DAMAGE TO THE JIFF PEANUT BUTTER PLANT IN LEXINGTON |
| 06:36 UTC | TSTM WND GST 60 | Lexington | Fayette, KY | IN THE SOUTH PART OF LEXINGTON. |
| 06:42 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Frankfort | Franklin, KY | MANY TREES AND POWER LINES WERE DOWNED. |
| 06:43 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Lancaster | Garrard, KY | SEVERAL TREES AND POWERLINES DOWN. ONE HOME WITH MINOR DAMAGE AND 3 MODULAR HOMES WERE HEAVILY DAMAGED. |
| 06:43 UTC | TSTM WND GST 90 | 5 Ne Liberty | Casey, KY | SEVERAL LARGE PINE TREES SNAPPED ON A GOLF COURSE. DAMAGE OCCURRED IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANTICYCLONIC CIRCULATION ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF A BOWING THUNDERSTORM SEGMENT. |
| 06:45 UTC | TSTM WND GST 95 | 1 N Middleburg | Casey, KY | ONE LARGE BARN MOVED OFF ITS FOUNDATION...ANOTHER DESTROYED ALONG WITH PARTIAL DESTRUCTION OF A THIRD. DAMAGE OCCURRED IN ASSOCIATION WITH AN ANTICYCLONIC CIRCULATION ON SOUTH SIDE OF A BOWING THUNDERSTORM SEGMENT. |
| 06:48 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Liberty | Casey, KY | TREES WERE DOWNED AND SHINGLES WERE BLOWN OFF ROOFS ALONG ARNOLD HALE ROAD. |
| 06:55 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 N Richmond | Madison, KY | STORAGE SHED BLOWN ONTO ROAD AT INTERSECTION OF STATE HIGHWAY 627 AND LOST FORK ROAD. LOCAL STORES ICE MAKING MACHINE OVERTURNED. |
| 07:01 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Nw Ford | Madison, KY | PART OF THE STRUCTURE OF A GAS STATION WAS BLOWN ON TO HIGHWAY 627 IN MADISON COUNTY...JUST SOUTHWEST OF THE FORT BOONESBORO STATE PARK. |
| 07:01 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Nw Ford | Madison, KY | TREES WERE DOWN ON SIMPSON LANE SOUTHWEST OF FORT BOONESBORO. TREES WERE ALSO BLOCKING HIGHWAY 388. |
| 07:02 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Lexington | Fayette, KY | ROOF OFF A BUILDING NEAR NEW CIRCLE ROAD. |
| 07:05 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Lexington | Fayette, KY | TREES DOWN...BARN DAMAGED...AND FENCES DOWN NEWTOWN PIKE NEAR IRON WORKS. |
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 6, 2008
23 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 6 | 1:01 AM EST | EF1 | Washington, KY | 0.3 | 150 | $60,000 | ||
| February 6 | 1:06 AM EST | EF2 | Washington, KY | 1.0 | 250 | $15,000 | ||
| February 6 | 1:08 AM EST | EF1 | Franklin, KY | 2.4 | 170 | $250,000 | ||
| February 6 | 1:29 AM EST | EF2 | Harrison, KY | 3.5 | 440 | 1 | $500,000 | |
| February 6 | 12:32 AM CST | EF0 | Dickson, TN | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| February 6 | 12:44 AM CST | EF0 | Davidson, TN | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| February 6 | 12:46 AM CST | EF0 | Yazoo, MS | 4.8 | 75 | $180,000 | ||
| February 6 | 1:51 AM EST | EF0 | Clark, KY | 0.9 | 125 | $200,000 | ||
| February 6 | 2:06 AM EST | EF1 | Bath, KY | 8.7 | 250 | $250,000 | ||
| February 6 | 1:12 AM CST | EF0 | Sumner, TN | 3.3 | 50 | |||
| February 6 | 1:22 AM CST | EF1 | Sumner, TN | 11.8 | 100 | |||
| February 6 | 2:23 AM EST | EF0 | Menifee, KY | 4.0 | 150 | $50,000 | ||
| February 6 | 1:25 AM CST | EF1 | Leake, MS | 1.5 | 50 | |||
| February 6 | 1:40 AM CST | EF3 | Allen, KY | 9.4 | 440 | 4 | 11 | $1.3 million |
| February 6 | 1:45 AM CST | EF0 | Williamson, TN | 1.6 | 300 | |||
| February 6 | 1:55 AM CST | EF0 | Noxubee, MS | 1.7 | 50 | |||
| February 6 | 2:04 AM CST | EF1 | Lamar, AL | 7.3 | 150 | $70,000 | ||
| February 6 | 2:51 AM CST | EF2 | Fayette, AL | 26.2 | 2,000 | 4 | $335,000 | |
| February 6 | 3:02 AM CST | EF4 | Moulton–Decatur tornado, AL | 16.7 | 880 | 4 | 23 | |
| February 6 | 4:00 AM CST | EF0 | Cullman, AL | 0.3 | 20 | |||
| February 6 | 4:45 AM CST | EF1 | Marshall, AL | 0.2 | 35 | |||
| February 6 | 5:17 AM CST | EF4 | Rosalie–Flat Rock tornado, AL | 10.9 | 660 | 1 | 12 | |
| February 6 | 6:25 AM CST | EF2 | Coosa, AL | 15.9 | 2,000 | $120,000 |
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.