Kentucky NWS Faced Staff Cuts Before Deadly Tornado Hit
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tornado, Kentucky
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Meteorologists with the NWS Paducah office have also confirmed several tornadoes in its region the afternoon and evening of May 16. Three tornadoes impacted western Kentucky, including an EF-3 tornado in Morganfield with winds of 155 mph, an EF-2 tornado in Allegre and an EF-2 tornado in Casky.
In an update Tuesday afternoon, officials said the tornado that traveled between Pulaski and Laurel counties was an EF-4 with peak winds of 170 mph. It was on the ground for more than 55 miles and was nearly a mile wide at its maximum width.
The National Weather Service has confirmed the tornado that hit southern Kentucky, causing massive devastation reached EF-4 level strength.
The National Weather Service has confirmed that a powerful EF-4 tornado tore through southern Kentucky on Friday night, devastating communities across multiple counties.
The National Weather Service in Louisville is predicting possible severe weather for areas of the state on May 20, following deadly tornadoes that struck parts of Kentucky in recent days. Multiple rounds of storms are possible, with the strongest storms to fall during the evening hours.
The NWS in Jackson, KY, said the track for the tornado in Russell, Pulaski and Laurel Counties was 55.6 miles long with a maximum width of 1700 yards, which is almost one mile.
The United States is on track to have its second-busiest tornado year ever, and some former weather service veterans worry that overworked meteorologists and violent weather are a dangerous combination.
The National Weather Service has completed the tornado assessment in Laurel County, Kentucky. The preliminary data showed high end EF3 damage, with low end EF4 indicators, mainly in the Sunshine Hills area of London,