EF4 London tornado, Kentucky, May 16, 2025

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

May 16, 2025

Touchdown

9:27 PM CDT (02:27 UTC)

Lifted

10:56 PM CDT (03:56 UTC)

On the ground

89 minutes

Path length

60.1 miles (96.7 km)

Path width

1,700 yards (1554 m)

Deaths

18

Injuries

0

Counties

Russell, Pulaski and Laurel counties

Touchdown point

37.016, -85.032

Lift-off point

37.084, -83.965

Record number

2505162027-01

600 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS JKL and NWS LMK and NWS OHX, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF4. The highest wind the damage implies is 170 mph.

• House wall collapse on one side of house with adjacent house missing a large section of roof and front corner likely also received significant damage.
• Large section of roof removed on house and neighboring house. Apartment building behind sustained roof damage and a large hole in one side, likely from flying debris
• Numerous trees snapped and uprooted, with several showing visable twisting of the trunks and loss of most limbs.
• Garage door collapsed causing left (WNW) side of house to blow out. House also sustained considerable damage to the siding windows and roofing

Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.

A strong storm system moved across the central and eastern United States from May 16th into May 17th, producing a significant severe weather event across the Mississippi and Ohio Valley. An unusually deep closed upper low slowly moved across the upper Midwest on the 16th, with strong mid- and upper-level southwest flow overspreading the Mississippi and Ohio Valley. The upper low pressure system brought a surface cold front into the Mississippi Valley by the morning of May 16th, with the front stalling out over the region until clearing to the east by the morning hours of May 17th. Ahead of the cold front, a typically unstable late spring air mass was present, with temperatures in the 80s and dewpoint temperatures in the upper 60s and lower 70s. The combination of strong wind shear for mid-May and a moist, unstable environment set the stage for severe weather across central Kentucky and southern Indiana.||During the early morning hours on May 16th, discrete cells, some supercellular, began to develop along the Ohio River and across central Kentucky. These cells were assisted by a 35 knot southwesterly low-level jet, which provided enough instability via low-level moisture transport for convection to initiate. Most of the morning convection was elevated, with between 2000-3000 J/kg of most unstable parcel CAPE present above a relatively stable boundary layer. Given the strong flow aloft, effective bulk shear was strong, around 55-60 kt, supporting organized multicell and supercell clusters. For the first wave of storms which moved across central Kentucky during the morning hours, large hail was the primary severe threat, with several reports of quarter to ping pong ball sized hail reported in severe storms. By later in the morning, isolated wind damage was also observed with severe storms across south central Kentucky. The first wave of storms continued until around midday, with a lull in activity occurring through the late afternoon hours.||During the early and mid-afternoon hours, breaks in cloud cover allowed for additional destabilization to occur, with temperatures warming into the low 80s and dewpoint temperatures in the low 70s ahead of the second wave of severe storms. This would support between 3500-4500 J/kg of surface-based CAPE across central Kentucky and extending into southern Indiana, setting up quite an unstable environment. Wind shear values were also extremely high ahead of the second wave of storms, with 60-70 knots of effective bulk shear noted in mesoanalysis data. Strong low-level wind shear and helicity were also present, with the parameter space supporting significant threats from damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes. The second wave of storms began as a broken line of supercells across Missouri, which moved into western and central Kentucky during the early evening hours. A dominant lead supercell moved across south central Kentucky, producing significant wind damage and up to baseball sized hail as it tracked from Logan and Butler County across to Russell County. As the supercell moved across Russell County, rotation aloft within the cell translated to the ground, with the storm producing a strong tornado which produced up to EF3 damage in eastern Russell County before tracking for nearly 60 miles across southeastern Kentucky, with maximum damage of EF4 strength near London. Additional supercells farther to the north also produced isolated wind damage and hail. By the late evening hours, supercells across western Kentucky and southern Illinois merged into a squall line as it moved over central Kentucky, producing larger swaths of wind damage with several reports of over 60 mph winds. A spin-up tornado was also observed with this line over Logan County, producing EF1 damage. The line of severe storms finally pushed into eastern Kentucky during the early morning hours on May 17th, bringing an end to the severe weather threat.

Eastern Kentucky experienced multiple rounds of severe weather from May 16th into the early morning hours of May 17th.||The initial round of severe weather, occurring during the morning and early afternoon, produced swaths of large to significant hail (approaching baseball size), localized damaging winds, and heavy rainfall. Notably, intense thunderstorm wind gusts impacted downtown London, tearing a roof off the Wedding Shoppe and a portion of the Copper Penny, which subsequently landed on vehicles in a nearby parking area. A lull in storm activity from mid-afternoon through early evening allowed the atmosphere to become highly unstable.||Scattered supercell thunderstorms then moved in from the west through the evening, generating multiple brief but strong to violent tornadoes across parts of eastern Missouri, southern Illinois, southern Indiana, and western Kentucky. A particularly long-lived supercell tracked east from the Ozarks of southern Missouri, intermittently producing brief tornadoes and wind damage as it moved through the southern portions of Western and Central Kentucky.||The storm's final, and most destructive, tornado touched down in Russell County, approximately 4 miles southeast of Russell Springs. Initially, the damage path was fairly narrow, in the EF-2 to low EF-3 range, as it tracked through southeast Russell County and into Pulaski County, causing significant damage to structures and trees. After impacting the southern end of Somerset, inflicting considerable damage on residential homes and the Southern Kentucky RECC headquarters, the tornado strengthened and widened. It reached EF-4 strength with estimated winds of around 170 mph as it moved toward Mount Victory. The tornado's path of devastation continued eastward through the rugged and forested terrain of the Daniel Boone National Forest, reaching a maximum width of 1,700 yards. Radar indicated that debris was lofted at least 27,000 feet above the ground. The tornado narrowed again as it approached and crossed I-75, scouring neighborhoods south of downtown London and impacting the London-Corbin Airport, before lifting about 6 miles southeast of London.||The most extensive residential damage and the largest number of casualties occurred in the Sunshine Hill community, just southwest of the London city limits. Official reports confirm 19 fatalities from this tornado, making it the deadliest tornado in the history of NWS Jackson. Seventeen of these deaths occurred in Laurel County, with one fatality each in Pulaski and Russell counties. At least 11 individuals sustained serious injuries, and an unknown number sustained less serious injuries. CHI St. Joseph Hospital in London reported treating 108 patients for injuries after the tornado. In Laurel County alone, the London mayor reported 817 homes affected, including 280 completely destroyed and 195 sustaining major damage. (For more detail, see the Official NWS Storm Survey summary and the NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit Viewer.)||Following the tornado's dissipation, the parent supercell gradually weakened as it moved eastward through Clay, Leslie, Perry, and Letcher counties, producing substantial wind damage. Separately, another strong supercell tracked from the Bluegrass region into Rowan and Elliott counties, but fortunately caused only sporadic wind damage and up to egg-sized hail. Behind these supercells, additional intense thunderstorms accompanied the passage of a cold front, primarily producing strong to damaging straight-line wind gusts.||Beyond the thunderstorms, the initial round of heavy rainfall early in the day occurred along a west-southwest to east-northeast axis, roughly from Rockcastle to Pike counties. Excessive rainfall, exceeding 3 inches in parts of Breathitt County, led to localized flash flooding. Additional isolated flash flooding occurred with the second round of thunderstorms late on May 16th and into the early morning hours of May 17th. The cumulative effect of the heavy rainfall resulted in high water at multiple river forecast points, including the South Fork Kentucky River at Oneida and Booneville, the Licking River at Salyersville, and the Levisa Fork at Prestonsburg. Minor flood stage was also exceeded at Heidelberg and Ravenna along the main stem of the Kentucky River.

The tornado first touched down along Kentucky Highway 619 about two and a half miles northeast of Jamestown, causing damage to a garage, two antenna towers and several trees. Sporadic damage east of Highway 619 seems to suggest that the tornado may have briefly lifted for a few hundred yards after its initial touchdown point before touching back down in a grove of trees between 619 and John Streat Road. EF-1 damage was observed in this area, with winds estimated between 95 and 100 mph. The tornado then caused roofing damage to a house along John Streat Road as it continued east, also producing a swath of uprooted trees as it crossed a finger of Lake Cumberland. The tornado gradually intensified as it crossed Parks Ridge, causing a mobile home to turn over along Lynch Road. As the tornado went through Eli, it continued to intensify, snapping and uprooting swaths of trees and causing destruction of multiple mobile homes. The damage in this area was consistent with high end EF-1 and EF-2 levels, between 100 and 130 mph. The most severe damage from the tornado in Russell County occurred as it crossed Gosser Ridge before going into Pulaski County. Multiple brick homes on Gosser Ridge Road had their roofs removed and exterior walls collapse. Swaths of trees were snapped and uprooted, with some debarking noted. Damage from the tornado as it crossed into Pulaski County was consistent with EF-3 levels, with maximum winds estimated at 145 mph.

NWS survey teams dispatched on Saturday morning to Russell and |Pulaski Counties, where they were able to confirm a touchdown |along KY-619, about 2.5 miles northeast of Jamestown. Upon |touchdown it caused damage to a garage, two antenna towers, and |several trees. Sporadic damage east of KY-619 seems to suggest |that the tornado may have briefly lifted for a few hundred yards |after its initial touchdown point, before touching back down in a |grove of trees between KY-619 and John Streat Road. EF-1 damage |was observed in this area, with winds estimated between 95 and 100|mph. The tornado caused roofing damage to a house along John |Streat Road as it continued east, also producing a swath of |uprooted trees as it crossed a finger of Lake Cumberland. The |tornado gradually intensified as it crossed Parks Ridge and |continued through the community of Eli and points eastward. The|damage in this area was consistent with high-end EF-1 and EF-2 |winds, between 100 and 130 mph. ||The tornado then continued across the Pulaski County line, where |it caused considerable damage near the Faubush and Nancy |communities, before making it's way to the south side of Somerset.|Here it strengthened as it came down a steep hillside into the |city. Some residences and numerous businesses were affected, with |survey results showing high end EF-2 damage along Parkers Mill |Way and S Hwy 27. On the eastern edge of the city it affected the |South Kentucky RECC, causing catastrophic damage to all buildings,|as well as surrounding businesses. Damage in this region shows a|likely strengthening to low-end EF-3 winds.||The damage path continued on eastward towards the Daniel Boone |National Forest, where additional EF-3 damage was incurred. This|includes the lifting, twisting, and throwing of a high tension |power pole eastward several hundred yards downwind in a nearby |field off of Rush Branch Road, and destroying multiple residences.|High-resolution satellite imagery shows the tornado plowing |through the Daniel Boone Forest, with complete destruction of |trees through the middle of the path. It also reveals a path width|of nearly a mile wide during this time, including the strongest |inflow into the storm. This was also confirmed by the survey crew |on Monday. ||The tornado then exited the forest and moved towards the south|side of London between 11:35 and 11:45 EDT. It is at this point |that it started impacting large residential areas as it set sites |on the London-Corbin Airport. Two teams surveyed the damage in |southern London for several days. The survey results showed that |the tornado continued to strengthen just west of the I-75 |corridor, as it started towards the Sunshine Hills subdivision. It|was here that some of the heaviest damage occurred, with the |tornado taking a direct path through the subdivision. Many homes |were wiped clean from their foundations, with vehicles thrown and |trees debarked with only stubs of the largest limbs left. It is in|this subdivision where the majority of casualties occurred. |Survey teams and subject- matter experts all looked at the damage |that had occurred in this location and agreed that the tornado had|increased again to around 170mph based on the damage, making it |an EF-4 rated tornado. ||After the tornado passed over I-75 around 11:45 EDT, it headed |for the airport, continuing to cause high end EF-3 damage to both |the airport and residential communities adjacent to the west along|the center of it's path. After exiting the airport, it caused |extensive damage at Levi Jackson Park, the Laurel County |Fairgrounds, Crooked Creek Golf Course, and neighboring |subdivisions. The tornado began to lose considerable strength |after this point, with generally EF-0 damage reported as it |neared East Laurel Road (Hwy-80) and Mt. Salem Rd (KY-488). The |tornado appears to have lifted just east of KY-488, based on NWS |ground surveys, satellite, and aerial video. NWS survey teams |followed the circulation path eastward through Clay and Leslie, |but were unable to find any reports that the tornado touched back |down in these counties. ||By the time it lifted, just a few minutes before midnight, the |tornado had carved out a damage path of just shy of 60 miles over|the course of 3 counties. One death was reported in Russell and |another in Pulaski County. Sadly, 17 lives were lost in Laurel |County.

NWS survey teams dispatched on Saturday morning to Russell and |Pulaski Counties, where they were able to confirm a touchdown |along KY-619, about 2.5 miles northeast of Jamestown. Upon |touchdown it caused damage to a garage, two antenna towers, and |several trees. Sporadic damage east of KY-619 seems to suggest |that the tornado may have briefly lifted for a few hundred yards |after its initial touchdown point, before touching back down in a |grove of trees between KY-619 and John Streat Road. EF-1 damage |was observed in this area, with winds estimated between 95 and 100|mph. The tornado caused roofing damage to a house along John |Streat Road as it continued east, also producing a swath of |uprooted trees as it crossed a finger of Lake Cumberland. The |tornado gradually intensified as it crossed Parks Ridge and |continued through the community of Eli and points eastward. The|damage in this area was consistent with high-end EF-1 and EF-2 |winds, between 100 and 130 mph. ||The tornado then continued across the Pulaski County line, where |it caused considerable damage near the Faubush and Nancy |communities, before making it's way to the south side of Somerset.|Here it strengthened as it came down a steep hillside into the |city. Some residences and numerous businesses were affected, with |survey results showing high end EF-2 damage along Parkers Mill |Way and S Hwy 27. On the eastern edge of the city it affected the |South Kentucky RECC, causing catastrophic damage to all buildings,|as well as surrounding businesses. Damage in this region shows a|likely strengthening to low-end EF-3 winds.||The damage path continued on eastward towards the Daniel Boone |National Forest, where additional EF-3 damage was incurred. This|includes the lifting, twisting, and throwing of a high tension |power pole eastward several hundred yards downwind in a nearby |field off of Rush Branch Road, and destroying multiple residences.|High-resolution satellite imagery shows the tornado plowing |through the Daniel Boone Forest, with complete destruction of |trees through the middle of the path. It also reveals a path width|of nearly a mile wide during this time, including the strongest |inflow into the storm. This was also confirmed by the survey crew |on Monday. ||The tornado then exited the forest and moved towards the south|side of London between 11:35 and 11:45 EDT. It is at this point |that it started impacting large residential areas as it set sites |on the London-Corbin Airport. Two teams surveyed the damage in |southern London for several days. The survey results showed that |the tornado continued to strengthen just west of the I-75 |corridor, as it started towards the Sunshine Hills subdivision. It|was here that some of the heaviest damage occurred, with the |tornado taking a direct path through the subdivision. Many homes |were wiped clean from their foundations, with vehicles thrown and |trees debarked with only stubs of the largest limbs left. It is in|this subdivision where the majority of casualties occurred. |Survey teams and subject- matter experts all looked at the damage |that had occurred in this location and agreed that the tornado had|increased again to around 170mph based on the damage, making it |an EF-4 rated tornado. ||After the tornado passed over I-75 around 11:45 EDT, it headed |for the airport, continuing to cause high end EF-3 damage to both |the airport and residential communities adjacent to the west along|the center of it's path. After exiting the airport, it caused |extensive damage at Levi Jackson Park, the Laurel County |Fairgrounds, Crooked Creek Golf Course, and neighboring |subdivisions. The tornado began to lose considerable strength |after this point, with generally EF-0 damage reported as it |neared East Laurel Road (Hwy-80) and Mt. Salem Rd (KY-488). The |tornado appears to have lifted just east of KY-488, based on NWS |ground surveys, satellite, and aerial video. NWS survey teams |followed the circulation path eastward through Clay and Leslie, |but were unable to find any reports that the tornado touched back |down in these counties. ||By the time it lifted, just a few minutes before midnight, the |tornado had carved out a damage path of just shy of 60 miles over|the course of 3 counties. One death was reported in Russell and |another in Pulaski County. Sadly, 17 lives were lost in Laurel |County.

The deaths

18 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.

22 minutes of warning. NWS LMK issued a tornado warning for this county at 02:05 UTC, 22 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 02:45 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 23:18 UTC and running to 05:03 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 Moderate Risk, with a 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 00:47 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.

Somerset(Awos) (SME), 10 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 121 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 02:25 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 2025 tornado in KentuckyEvery tornado in Kentucky since 1950Warnings in force in Kentucky nowThe forecast where you are

26 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

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.