LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A preliminary survey by the National Weather Service has indicated EF-1 tornado damage in Hardin and Bullitt counties.
Surveyors also found EF-0 damage in Breckinridge County, marking three tornadoes that came through Kentuckiana after severe weather moved through the region on Friday evening.
NWS Louisville said there were winds up to 97 miles per hour about six miles west of Elizabethtown. Three miles east of Lebanon Junction, the NWS said there was winds of 105 mph.
Bryan Covell’s home sits just outside of Elizabethtown. On Friday night, his home was damaged — a lot of the roof was blown away, playsets were ripped from the ground, and insulation now coats much of the house.
EF0 tornado confirmed in Breckinridge County, KY. That puts the total now at 3 from last night.
— Marc Weinberg (@MarcWeinbergWX) March 19, 2022
“Start walking around outside and seeing what the true damage is, and that’s when it really hits home what’s happened here,” Covell said.
He says at first the storm seemed normal, a little wind, thunder, and lightning. But then things took a turn quickly.
“All of a sudden it just sounded like sheets of wind just slapping the side of the house and just got really loud, so you knew something was happening,” said Covell. “So, we hopped up off the couch and ran and got the kids and scrambled down to the basement. The power went out, we were halfway down the hall to get the kids, and we’re just trying to feel around in the dark for where they are and get down to the basement before anything happens.”
The family of four made it to safely to the basement and were not hurt.
“The first thing I did after the storm was over was just ‘Thank God everyone’s alright,’” said Covell. “You never want to see damage to your house but, I mean, it can be fixed. We’re just focused on the fact everyone is healthy and it could’ve been so much worse.”
Family and friends spent Saturday helping the Covells cover the holes where parts of the roof used to be. Covell says they’re just taking things one step at a time, and encourage others to be ready for the unexpected.
“Just be prepared,” he said. “You know if something like this happens, just have a plan so you know where to go and know what to do and I just thank God that we’re okay.”
According to NWS Louisville, a possible tornado can’t be ruled out of Jefferson County yet. Reports they’ve seen from the metro appear to be more straight-line wind variety, NWS said.
Preliminary Survey Results: EF-1 Tornado in Hardin County, EF-1 Tornado in Bullitt County, & EF-0 Tornado in Breckinridge CountySurveys continue tomorrow in Washington County, INCheck out our [work in progress] Event Summary Webpage for more info! https://t.co/u1uoZdSIgC pic.twitter.com/vKmVXiSCjL
— NWS Louisville (@NWSLouisville) March 20, 2022
NWS plans on surveying Washington County, Indiana on Sunday.
Surveys are still ongoing.
Copyright 2022 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism