451 
NOUS43 KJKL 221900
PNSJKL
KYZ079-080-230700-

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Jackson KY
300 PM EDT Thu May 22 2025

...NWS Damage Survey for May 16, 2025 Russell, Pulaski, and Laurel
County Tornado Event - Update # 1...

.Update...The survey results were updated based on additional
damage discovered in eastern Russell County, which showed that 
the start of the tornado path was several miles farther west. The
total path length was extended by just over 4 miles as a result, 
and the start time adjusted earlier by 5 minutes. 

.Overview...A tornado touched down along KY Hwy-619 in Russell 
County. The tornado then continued eastward for just under 60 
miles, tracking across all of Pulaski County and into Laurel 
County; where it lifted just east of the city of London. During 
it's time on the ground it increased in strength and caused 
considerable damage in the city of Somerset, as well as London, 
where most of the casualties occurred. The peak wind speed was 170
mph based on damage incurred in the Sunshine Hills subdivision. 
Satellite imagery also shows a track a mile wide as it plowed 
through parts of the Daniel Boone National Forest between Somerset
and London. This is one of the strongest tornadoes and also the 
deadliest to ever impact the Jackson NWS coverage area. 

.Somerset-London...

Rating:                 EF-4
Estimated Peak Wind:    170 mph
Path Length /statute/:  59.92 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   1700 yards
Fatalities:             19
Injuries:               N/A

Start Date:             05/16/2025
Start Time:             10:27 PM EDT 
Start Location:         1 NNW Karlus / Russell County / KY 
Start Lat/Lon:          37.0159 / -85.0325

End Date:               05/16/2025
End Time:               11:56 PM EDT
End Location:           2 W Lida / Laurel County / KY
End Lat/Lon:            37.0842 / -83.9647

Survey Summary:

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. Our hearts go out to those affected in the line of this 
unprecedented tornado. 

The NWS Jackson, KY office wants to give special thanks to NWS 
Nashville, NWS Louisville, and the NWS Quick Response Team for 
their damage survey assistance. Also, thank you to the Pulaski and
Laurel County Emergency Management, as well as to local law 
enforcement for aiding the NWS staff during the survey process.

&&

EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the
following categories:

EF0.....65 to 85 mph
EF1.....86 to 110 mph
EF2.....111 to 135 mph
EF3.....136 to 165 mph
EF4.....166 to 200 mph
EF5.....>200 mph

NOTE:
The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the event and publication in
NWS Storm Data.


$$