Wicked winds from Bath County’s Past
It is often said that if Spring comes in like a lion, it will go out like and lamb and vice versa.
In Kentucky, Spring is as unpredictable as one could imagine;the weather could be very pleasant and sunny one day, and freezing cold the next.
These unstable atmospheric conditions cause the usual seasonal thunderstorms in Kentucky that sometimes can be destructive, tornadic events.
Tornadoes are created when columns of air violently rotate and contact the ground surface.
Wind speeds can vary between 65 miles per hour to greater than 200 miles per hour, and in some cases, over 300 mph.
Tornadoes can be slightly damaging or create complete and utter destruction within just a few minutes.
Bath County has been no stranger to tornadoes over the years. Unlike the massive super cell tornadoes seen in Oklahoma City or Joplin, Missouri, the winds that tore through haven’t been as devastating.
The largest recorded tornado to strike Bath County occurred on May 28, 1843.
Developing west of Owingsville near US 60, the twister tore a mile wide path down Prickly Ash, destroying barns and houses along the way.
No one was injured or lost their lives during the 1843 tornado, and the area affected was mostly timber. Another tornado struck the heart of Owingsville in June, 1881, doing considerable damage to the downtown business district.
The hardest struck area was behind what is now the Citizen’s Bank, where it tore roofs off storehouses, tossed debris onto rooftops and reportedly picked up a four horse wagon at a livery stable on Henry Street, moving it over 400 feet.
There have been seven tornadoes to strike Bath County since data collection began in 1950.
Nearly all these were rated on the Enhanced Fujita Scale as EF0 or EF1, which had winds from 75-112 mph.
A small tornado struck near the Bath and Montgomery County line July 13, 1956 and resulted in very minimal damage.
During the April 3-4 1974 tornado outbreak, Bath County was spared. The 1974 storm created a nationwide awareness of what tornadoes can do to populated areas, and was the most studied tornado event until recent times.
May 1995 was an active month as 279 tornadoes struck between May 6 and May 19 across the Midwest and southern regions of the United States.
Preston was hit hard May 18 by heavy winds that toppled barns, flattened mobile homes and scattered debris across a wide area, but after review by the Jackson Weather Service, it was determined the damage was caused by straight line winds.
People to this day still dispute that official ruling and are convinced what they saw and experienced was a tornado. A small EF0 tornado struck in August 1997 along Donahue Road southwest of Owingsville and did minimal damage.
A tornado developed west of Owingsville, near Day Road the afternoon of November 5, 2007.
It moved across Interstate 64 before terminating along Slate Creek.
Several trees were downed and roof damage to barns and one residence was reported, but thankfully no vehicle accidents or injuries to motorists along the interstate were reported.
Severe storms in Winter months were once almost unheard of, but on February 6, 2008 around 1 a.m., a storm hit Bath County and brought with it the longest recorded tornado.
The twister touched down on Stepstone Road next to the Sugar Grove Church and moved eight and a half miles east through Kendall Springs, Pickshein, and Hart Pike near the old Ore Mines. Measuring as an EF1 tornado with winds estimated at over 100 mph, the damage was widespread. Emergency crews were already out when the tornado hit, and the first calls for help came from Hart Pike where barns were leveled and strewn across the roadway at the intersection of Oakland Road. Many homes were damaged with roofs blown off and siding ripped off in that specific area.
At Kendall Springs, several trees were downed and barns damaged or destroyed, with one home losing part of its roof.
Stepstone received the most focused damage about a quarter mile wide. Homes had their roofs blown off and scattered, trees, power lines, and utility poles blocked the roadway, hindering initial efforts of rescue personnel checking on residents in the path of the storm.
No one was seriously injured but property damage was costly at over a quarter million dollars.
March 2, 2012 will be known to many people as one of the most devastating day of their lives. Meteorologists studied atmospheric conditions for several days prior, and speculated that a major tornado outbreak could happen. That morning, a strong storm rolled through Bath County with some strong but not damaging winds. A magnificent rainbow appeared after the storm; a calm before the real storms began. The storm cells that created the devastating West Liberty and Salyersville tornadoes hit Bath County a little after 5 p.m. A tornado developed near the Bath County High School and traveled some 7.3 miles east across Slate Avenue near the clinic, crossing the interstate at the 123 exit. The C&S Western Wear building just off the 123 exit was destroyed as the tornado came down the hillside and crossed US 60 and into the fields. Barns, utility poles, and trees were blown down in the tornado’s path. Once it reached Fearing Road near Polksville, several homes were damaged and a mobile home completely leveled at Kannon Drive near Vance Road. A couple of people suffered only minor injuries but the property damage was extensive. Nearby Wellington and West Liberty were not so lucky; a total of ten people were killed in those communities and West Liberty’s heart was ripped apart by an EF3 monster tornado. Two more small tornadoes were recorded October 7, 2014, one near Sharpsburg and another near Mud Lick. Both tornadoes were EF0 and caused slight damage to a couple of homes and farms.
Tornadoes will happen again; there will be another equally or more devastating than the West Liberty event.
With the advent of modern meteorological technology, we have advanced warning of approaching severe storms and tornadoes unlike we did just a few short years ago.
We can be prepared days in advance, and have ample time to seek shelter in the event of a tornado. Even a small tornado can toss debris over great distances and cause injury or death.
Always have a plan of action and a safe place to go; tornadoes are indeed wicked weather events that have deadly consequences.
